390 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Lemstroiii's work lias beeu summarized (E. S. 11., 6, p. (JOO^. Ilomeu 

 attemi)ted to determine <|iuintitative]y the amouut of lieat lost tlirougii 

 nocturnal radiation, viz, the cooling of the air and the ground, and 

 the beat required for the formation of dew. lie found that the 

 amounts thus lost during the night are very considerable; under other- 

 wise similar conditions clayey and sandy soils have a greater couduct- 

 ibility of heat than marshy soils. Almost twice as much heat is lost 

 from the former class of soils as from the latter. They can, however, 

 better replace the loss of heat and therefore better withstand frost than 

 the latter. 



Honien also states that crops differ greatly in their susceptibility 

 to frost. The same holds true with ditferent parts of the same plants, 

 and with the same plants at different stages of growth. More juicy 

 plants or i^arts of i^lants are, as a rule, more susceptible than plants 

 of a harder structure; there are, however, so many exceptions to 

 this rule that susceptibility to frost must be considered dependent 

 on the specific, but still unknown, nature of each i^lant as devek)ped 

 by heredity through innumerable generations. According to the 

 author crops are able to stand temperatures of —2 to —3^ C. (28.4 to 

 26.6'^ r.) without injury. — F. AV. woll. 



Meteorological observations, C. S. Phelps {Connecticut Starrs Sta, 

 Kpt. 1893, PI), llti-lls). — The results of observations on rainfall during 

 the period from May to October, inclusive, at 22 localities in the State; 

 and on temperature, pressure, humidity, cloudiness, and precipitation 

 during each month of the year at the station are reported in tables. 



The average total precipitation for the State during months (May- 

 October) was 24.32 m. 



The following is a summary of the observations made at the station: 

 Barometer (in.), highest, 30.71); lowest, 29.04; mean, 30.03; temperature 

 (degrees F.j, highest, 91.1 (June); lowest, — 6, (January); mean, 4.").l ; 

 humidity, mean, 70.8; precipitation (in.) — total, 40.05; number of days on 

 which precipitation was 0.01 in. or more, 121; number of cloudy days, 

 107. 



"The r.iinfall for the year, as measiired at the station (46.65 in.), is a little below 

 the average of the State. . . . 



" The rainfall was deficient during just tliat portion of the year Avhen most needed 

 by the greater part of our common farm crops. This condition caused great injury 

 to such crojis as corn, potatoes, grass, and tobacco. . . . 



"The spring ojiened a little later than usual. The last damaging frost occurred 

 May 8. The summer months were characterized by frequent drying winds and a 

 moderate temperature, with light rainfall till after the middle of August. 



" Light frost appeared on low ground September 3. The lirst killing frost occurred 

 October 17. This gave a growing season of 161 days since the last damaging frost 

 in the spring, while the average growing season, since the station began its observa- 

 tions in 1888, is 145 days." 



Report of the North Carolina State Weather Service for 1893, 

 H. B. Battle, C. F. von Herrmann, and II. Ninn {Xorth Carolina 

 Sta. Rpt. Met. Div. 1893, pp. 63). — The chief meteorological features 



