148 



J. V. ELSDEN — AGEICULTUEAL 



the undulating nature of the surface offers special facilities for the 

 di'ainage of some of the heavy clay districts. 



The presence of the almost universal drift-covering is of great 

 importance from an agricultural point of view ; for it is probable 

 that we owe to this cause the well-watered condition of our county, 

 bare chalk districts being specially remarkable for the great scarcity 

 of water brought about by the extreme porosity of the chalk. The 

 climate of a district so limited in area and uniform in contour could 

 scarcely be expected to exhibit any striking variations ; but even 

 small differences in temperature are sufficient to influence agri- 

 cultural operations. Thus the land on the thin chalk soils in the 

 north is said to be not warm enough for the growth of stubble or 

 green crops to serve as food for stock. The nature of the soil, 

 in fact, has such an important influence upon climate, that I here 

 give a table (p. 149) showing the more important properties of 

 the chief soils met with in Hertfordshire which are of interest from 

 a meteorological point of view.* An examination of this table will 

 show how largely both the dryness and warmth of the air must be 

 locally influenced by the nature of the soil, and will fully explain 

 the cause for the coldness and lateness of the chalk district 

 mentioned above, compared with the mixed soils of the drift- 

 covered portions of the county, f 



Of all the phenomena included under the term climate, not one 

 is so important, from an agricultural point of view, as rainfall. We 

 have seen that, generally speaking, the rainfall of England and 

 Wales diminishes from west to east ; and, in fact, Hertfordshire 

 ranks, with Middlesex and the Eastern Counties, as one of the 

 driest districts in England. Yet, even within the limits of our own 

 small county, it is seen that there is a marked increase of rainfall 

 to the westward. 



Berkhanipstead 



Watford (Oaklands) 



Rothamsted 



Hitchin 



"Welwyn 



Stevenage 



Odsey 



Bayfordbury 



Royston 



Much Hadham 



1876. 



34-10 

 30-12 

 32-14 

 30-26 

 30-27 

 28-93 



30-50 

 26-78 



28-85 



1877. 



33-87 

 32-40 

 32-83 

 29-68 

 29-78 

 29-86 

 26-86 

 29-39 

 27-22 

 29-29 



1878. 



34-16 

 33-67 

 31-96 

 28-30 

 29-14 

 28-14 

 22-52 

 32-47 

 23-36 

 28-94 



1879. 



34-90 

 35-82 

 34-18 

 29-13 

 30-40 

 30-60 

 28-24 

 29-94 

 30-06 

 29-91 



1880. 



36-12 

 33-03 

 33-44 

 28-88 

 29-06 

 29-80 

 24-97 

 27-89 

 27-39 

 28-85 



Average. 



34-6 

 33-0 

 32-9 

 29-2 

 29-7 

 29-4 

 25-7 

 30-0 

 26-9 

 29-1 



* The figures are taken from tables published in the ' Journal of the Eoyal 

 Agricultural Society.' 



t See also ' Transactions,' Vol. I, p. 111. 



