TWENTY-FIBST ANNUAL MEETING. 117 



were 73 days on which the cloudiness reached or exceeded 80 per cent. There were 

 58 entirely clear and 42 entirely cloudy days. The clearest month was October, with 

 a mean of 24.09 per cent.; the cloudiest month was February, mean 57.86 per cent. 

 The percentage of cloudiness at 7 a.m. was 44.45; at 2 p. m., 45.45; at 9 p.m., 32.84. 



DIKECTION OF THE WIND. 



During the year, (three observations daily,) the wind was from the S. W. 297 times, 

 N. W. 240 times, S. E. 158 times, N. E. 136 times, N. 129 times, S. 64 times, E, 57 

 times, W. 14 times. The south winds (including southwest, south, and southeast) 

 outnumbered the north (including northwest, north, and northeast) in the ratio of 

 519 to 505. 



VELOCITY OF THE WIND. 



The number of miles traveled by the wind during the year was 132,367, which is 

 3,824 miles below the annual average for the preceding 14 years. This gives a mean 

 daily velocity of 362.65 miles, and a mean hourly velocity of 15.11 miles. The high- 

 est velocity was 75 miles an hour, on July 21st; the highest daily velocity (the second 

 highest on our record) was 1,150 miles, on the 20th of December; the highest monthly 

 velocity was 14,680 miles, in January. The windiest months were January, March, 

 April, and October; the calmest months were June, July, August, and September. 

 The average velocity at 7 a.m. was 13.42 miles; at 2 p.m., 16.61 miles: at 9 p.m., 14.16 

 miles. 



baeometek. 



Mean height of barometer column, 29,109 inches, which is .002 inch above the 

 annual average. Mean, at 7 a.m., 29.131 inches; at 2 p.m., 29.087 inches; at 9 p.m., 

 29.108 inches; maximum, 29.792 inches, on February 3d; minimum, 28.1.52 inches, 

 on February 17th; yearly range, 1.640 inches. The highest monthly mean was 29.205 

 inches, in February; the lowest was 29.041 inches, in June. The barometer observa- 

 tions are corrected for temperature and instrumental error only. 



kelative humidity. 



The average atmospheric humidity for the year was 69 8; at 7 a. m., 79.6; at 2 p. m., 

 54.7; at 9 p.m., 75.1. The dampest mouth was February, with mean humidity 82.6; 

 the dryest month was April, mean humidity 61.1. There were 13 fogs during the 

 year. The lowest humidity for any single observation was 8 per cent., on March 

 8th. 



1888. 



The chief meteorological feature of the year 1888, at this station, representing 

 the eastern portion of Kansas, was the abundant and well-distributed rainfall. The 

 total precipitation came within one one-hundredth of an inch of the maximum rain- 

 fall of the year 1876, and has nearly made good the deficiencies of the years 1886 

 and 1887. 



In temperature the annual mean was below the average. This result was chiefly 

 due to the abnormal coldness of January, March, August and October, which more 

 than overbalanced the unusually high temperatures of April, May, July, and Decem- 

 ber. Other peculiarities of the year were the low wind-velocity, the small proportion 

 of cloudiness, and the unusually high barometric pressure. The year 1888 was the 

 fifth successive year of wind-deficiency. Our records of the wind show four alter- 

 nating periods: Four years of excess (1873-1876); three years of deficiency (1877- 

 1879); four years of excess (1880-1883); and five years of deficiency (1884-1888). 



TEMPEEATDBE. 



Mean temperature of the year, 52.28°, which is .65° below the mean of the 20 pre- 

 ceding years. The highest temperature was 99°, on August 2d; the lowest was 18" 



