L. J. Wild 175 



Table XII. 

 Meteorological Statistics. 



Shade temperatures from self- 

 registering instruments re- 



L. = Lincoln, Canterbury. I. = Invercargill, Southland. 



Average rainfall at Lincoln (33 years) =25-39 inches. 

 Average rainfall at Invercargill (18 years) =45-98 inches. 



tion is to be found in the New Zealand Year Book for 1915 (Government 

 Printer, Wellington). The figures relating to rainfall show that South- 

 land has an annual fall almost twice as great as that of Canterbury 

 and that it is spread over a very much larger number of days. Of 

 course these figures are strictly true only for the two places at which 

 the records were taken; nevertheless they reflect very faithfully the 

 climatic differences between the two districts. Rainfall is recorded at 

 a large number of stations scattered about the districts and a summary 

 of their reports as pubhshed in the "Monthly Meteorological Statistics" 

 in the Gazette yields the following additional information: 



Rainfall for 1915. 



Average of six (6) Southland Stations = 45-64 inches 

 ten (10) Canterbury „ - 17-08 „ 



It is thus apparent that the Canterbury soils enjoy (a) more moderate 

 rainfall, (6) fewer rainy days, (c) more bright sunshine, (d) higher 

 temperatures than those of Southland. In accordance with these 

 conditions which favour bacterial hfe, no less than that of higher plants, 

 we find that oxidation proceeds much more rapidly in Canterbury soils 

 than in those of Southland, so that in the former there is always less 

 soluble humus and less total organic matter (as indicated by loss on 

 ignition) than in the latter — facts of which evidence is given in the 

 analyses given in Tables X and XI. When we compare the soils of 

 the two Southland areas we find that those of the River Flats which 

 are favoured with good natural under-drainage, and consequently with 



