424 The Weather of the Past Agricultural Year. 



[Continued from page 4i:l.] 



Square. After the middle of the month the atmosphere fell 

 gradually into an unsettled state, with sharp ground frosts on 

 the 15th and 16th and again on the 21st and 22nd. Quite at the 

 close of the month a northerly gale of considerable severity 

 swept over our eastern and soiith-eastern counties. Shortly 

 after the Ijeginning of October the weather again improved, 

 and although heavy rains occurred in the south-east of England 

 on the 4th, the 7th, and 13th, there were many places in the 

 west and north which experienced an entire absence of precipita- 

 tion lasting for periods varying between 12 and 15 days. 

 Between the 7th and 10th sharp night frosts occurred in most 

 places, the thermometer on the grass falling in some localities at 

 least 10 degrees below the freezing point. After the 19th the 

 weather became generally stormy and wet. Very heavy rain fell 

 in the south-east of England on the 24th, in the north of England 

 on the 2()tli, and over nearly the whole country on the 2itth. 

 Sharp frosts occurred between the 25th and 28th, the sheltered 

 thermometer falling below 25" in many places, and the 

 exposed instrument on the grass sinking as low as 8" at 

 Llangammarch Wells, and 15" at Birmingham. November 

 was generally rough and unsettled, with frequent heavy falls 

 of rain, interspersed, however, with substantial intervals of 

 bright sunshine. In the earlier half of the month the wind 

 (which often rose to the force of a gale) was usually from 

 points between south and west, and the thermometer was con- 

 sequently above its average level. After the 18th a radical 

 change took place, the wind shifting to the northward and 

 eastward with a decided fall of temperature, and with frequent 

 showers of sleet and snow in the northern and eastern districts, 

 and sharp frosts occurred on the nights of the 20th and 21st. 



The mean temperature of the entire autumn was a trifle 

 above the average ; rainfall was generally in excess of the 

 normal, but was leather deficient in the midland and south- 

 western districts ; bright sunshine was everywhere in excess, 

 and largely so over our south-eastern counties. 



Fredk. J. Brodie. 



12, Patten Roatl, 



Wandsworth Common, S.W. 



