348 The Weather of the Past Agricultural Year. 



[Continued from page 341 ] 



over the year 1911. There was a decrease of 64'2 per cent, in 

 the case of Ronmania and of 14*4 per cent, in the case of 

 Australia. Considering the money value, we spent on Wheat 

 last year 7,539,789Z. more than the year before — a rise of 19"3 

 per cent. 



The quantitj' of Barley imported was over 18 per cent, above 

 that returned in 1911, while the increase in value was nearly 

 4*7 per cent. 



In Oats there was but a slight increase in quantity, but one 

 of 17*6 per cent, in value. 



With Peas, on the other hand, there was an increase of 17*2 

 per cent, in quantity and of 27*5 per cent, in value. Beans also 

 showed a great rise — 22*1 per cent, in quantity and 256 per 

 cent, in cost. 



The imports of Maize, which last year took over thirteen 

 and a half millions sterling of British money, showed an 

 advance of 13*6 per cent, in quantity and over 26^9 per cent, in 

 value. In Maize Meal there was an increase of over 7 per cent. 



" Other kinds of corn and meal " were imported in less 

 quantity last year by 7*9 per cent., while we spent on this class 

 of food over 7 per cent, more than in the previous year. 



THE WEATHER OF THE PAST 

 AGRICULTURAL YEAR. 



The past agricultural season opened with a fairly dry autumn, 

 a legacy from the splendid summer of 1911. The winter 

 proved, however, unusually wet, and in places which were 

 not quite sul)merged the land fell into a thoroughly soddened 

 and water-logged state. Only one frost of any real severity 

 was experienced (at the close of January and the beginning 

 of February), and in that case the cold scarcely lasted long 

 enough to have any very beneficial effect upon the soil. The 

 spring was much drier, but with a predominance of harsh winds 

 the progress of vegetation was slow, the hay crop being as a 

 rule poor, and the in-gathering seriously interrupted by the 

 broken weather of June. The summer witnessed a steady 

 deterioration in the atmospherical conditions, and proved in 

 the end one of the worst on record. In June and July 

 there were two or three spells of warmth, but the longest of 

 them barely lasted a week. August was irremediably bad 

 from beginning to end, a total deficiency of summer heat 

 being accompanied by frequent heavy storms of rain, culmi- 

 nating on the 2Gth and 27th in an unprecedented downpour 

 in East Anglia, where floods of unparalleled severity were 



