62 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



zero, which is 7.91^ colder than any previous week recorded; the 

 coldest day was December 24th, the mean temperature being 9° be- 

 low zero. The 21st, 23d and 24th of December were each colder 

 than the coldest of previous years. 



The hottest month was July, mean temperature 77.96" ; the hottest 

 week was in August (21st to 27th inclusive), mean temperature 83°; 

 the hottest day was June 26th, mean temperature 85.7". During the 

 year there were forty-five days on which the mercury reached or ex- 

 ceeded 90", viz.: Fourteen in June, eleven in July, thirteen in August, 

 five in September, and two in October. The last light frost of spring 

 was April 22d; the first light frost of autumn was September 27th, 

 making the period of entire absence of frost 158 days. It is re- 

 markable that this period is precisely the same, and with the same 

 dates of beginning and ending, as in 1871. The last severe frost of 

 spring was April ist; the first severe frost of autumn was October 

 lOth, making the interval of absence of severe frost 192 days. No 

 spring or autumn frost did any damage to fruit. The extreme cold 

 of December, however, has undoubtedly killed the peach buds in 

 most localities. 



RAIN. 



The whole amount of rain, including melted snow, 32.63 inches, 

 which is 2.50 inches less than the average rainfall of the four pre- 

 ceding years. During the year there were 116 days on which either 

 rain or snow fell, a larger number than in any previous year of our 

 record. The longest interval without rain in the growing season, 

 from March ist to October ist, was ten days. The number of thun- 

 der showers during the year was forty, a greater number than in 

 either of the four preceding years. 



SNOW. 



The entire depth of snow was 23^ inches, distributed as follows : 

 January, i inch; February, 7^ inches; March, 3^^ inches; Decem- 

 ber, 1 1 inches. The last snow flurry of spring was March 24th ; the 

 first autumn snow was November 14th, not enough to whiten the 

 ground on the latter date. Snow fell on twenty-five days — four 

 days less than in 1871. The entire amount of snow, as given above, 

 is ^Yz inches less than fell in 1871, which was the snowiest year of 

 our record. The average annual snow fall for the five years just 

 completed is 21.6 inches, the least amount being in 1870 — 9>^ inches. 



FACE OF THE SKY. 



Average cloudiness of the year, 44.28 per cent, of the sky, mp^e 

 than 3 per cent, less than in 1871. The number of clear days in the 



