672 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



April. — In this month the rains were again plentiful in every part 

 of the State, excepting- the North- Western quarter, which suffered a 

 deficiency of 42 per cent. The average was exceeded by 50 per cent, 

 in the South-western quarter, 88 per cent, in the North-eastern 

 quarter, 30 per cent, over the Tambo and Snowy basins, 15 per cent, 

 in South Gippsland, and only very slightly in the remaining Gipps- 

 land districts. 



May. — May was relatively a dry month for nearly the whole of the 

 State, excepting the Gippsland districts, between the Tambo and 

 Snowy Rivers, where the average was exceeded by 34 per cent. 

 The deficiency was greatest in the Northern areas east of the 

 Campaspe River, and in the Gippsland districts west of the Tamba 

 River, being respectively 70 per cent, and 52 per cent., and ranged 

 from 15 to 30 j)er cent, in the remaining parts of the State. This 

 deficiency, however, was generally of very little consequence, owing to 

 the copious rains of the two previous months, while the May excess 

 in Eastern Gippsland served to compensate, in part, the persistent 

 deficiency experienced during the first four months of the year. 



June. — This month was also dry generally, but in a less degree 

 than the previous month. Again the basins of the Tambo and 

 Snowy Rivers suffered most with a deficiency of 61 per cent., 

 which diminished from 32 to 17 per cent, in the other districts of 

 Gippsland, and from 17 to 6 per cent, in the remaining regions 

 of the State, excepting the Otway Forest, which had a surplus of 



10 per cent. 



The totals for the second quarter of the year 1903, indicate a close 

 approach to normal rainfall conditions for the whole of the Northern 

 country west of the Campaspe River ; a slight excess of from 4 to 



11 per cent of the average for the Western districts and the counties 

 around Port Phillip Bay, and a deficiency of from 8 to 25 per cent, of 

 the average for the Eastern half of the State, the maximum shortage 

 occurring in Central Gippsland. 



July. — Plentiful rains, 02 per cent, above the average, fell in this 

 month over the North-western quarter of the State, including most of 

 the Mallee lands ; also, 20 per cent, above average over the North- 

 eastern quarter, 40 per cent, above average over the extreme Western 

 districts, and 21 per cent, above average over Central Gippsland; but 

 for all other remaining districts a slight deficiency occurred of from 

 9 to 12 per cent, of the average. 



August. — This month was exceptionally dry throughout the States 

 but more so in the Eastern half, wtiere the rainfall was from 60 to 70 

 per cent, below average. The deficiency for the North-western 

 quarter was 37 per cent., and for the remaining districts 20 per cent, 

 below average. 



September. — The Cape Otway Forest was the only region where 

 the September rains were below average. In the Western districts 

 and in South Gippsland normal rainfall conditions prevailed. 

 The excess was 26 per cent, of the average for the counties around 



