ii8 



Journal of Agriculturt 



[lo May, 1 910. 



For the above period (16 years) the average annual rainfall would thus 

 be 742.1 mm. equals 29.2 inches. This average distribution may vary 

 very much from one vear to another ; the only cha.racter which is at all 

 constant is the scarcitv of the summer rains. In 1884, during the three 

 months of June, July, and August, only 8 mm. (3 points) of rain were 

 recorded. G. Foex gives the average annual rainfall as 651 mm. (25.6 

 inches), which falls in 53 days of the year only, a lesser number of rainv 

 davs than anvwhere else in France. He assigns the rainfall as follows: — 



Winter 

 Spring 



25 per cent 

 24 per cent. 



Summer 



Autumn 



II per cent 

 41 per cent. 



Moisture of the A.ir and Evaporation. — These are given as follow.s bv 

 M. Houdaille : — 



Mean Hysrometrir Stale at !) a.m. 



December 

 January .. 

 February 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July ... 

 Augu.st . . . 



September 

 October ... 

 November 



. 79-71 



. 81 -S- 

 . 76-41 



. 69-81 

 . 67- 

 . 62- j 



. 58 -S"! 

 . 55-G- 

 . 57 -4 j 



. 66-4 I 



70-7 



. 80-2 



Winter, 

 79.3. 



Spring, 

 66-:^. 



Summer, 

 57-1. 



72-4. 



Mean Daily Evaporation — Mehe's In.strunient. 

 mm. 

 December ... ... ;V 421 



January ... ... 3 ■ 23 



February ... .. 4 -20 J 



W^inter, 

 .3 mm. ■ 62. 



March 



April 



May 



June 

 July 

 August 



September 



October 



November 



5 ■ 60 

 6 -.38 J 



7 92 

 9-35 



8-88 



6 (»6 

 4-80 

 3-52 



Spring, 

 5 mm. ■ 84. 



Summer, 

 8 mm. 72. 



Autumn, 

 5 mm. • 13. 



Mean annual hN'grometric state, 68-7 Mean annual daily evaporation, 5 mm. -83 



Teniferature. — At Montpellier, the annual average temperature is 

 14.2° C. equals 57.5" F. At Beziers, a few miles south-west, it is i4-4" 

 C. equals 58° F. 



The figures given on the next page are from observations taken at the 

 Montpellier School. 



Here, again, great variations are occasionally to be met with. The 

 January average was 2.90° C. (37-2° F.) in 1893 and 9.21° C. (48.6° F.) 

 in 1899. 



As regards minima, in a good many winters the temperature does not 

 fall below - 7" or - 8° C. (19.4° or 17.6° F.), but during the course of 

 each century there are some winters during which the temperature falls 

 to - 15° C. (5° F.), sometimes even to - 18° C. ( - 0.4° F.) in certain 

 aspects. The vine, whjich in other regions withstands even more intense 

 cold, may, in Herault, occasionally suffer from winter cold. 



