The Meteorology of 1903. 355 



harvest, causing great lateness, and serious loss and damage 

 to the crops. The number of nights on which the self-registering 

 thermometer fell to or below the freezing point was as follows : — 

 In January, 15, with an aggregate of 74 deg. of frost; February, 

 4, with an aggregate of 3.6 deg. ; March, i, with an aggregate of 

 1.2 deg.; April, 12, with an aggregate of 37.7 deg.; October, 

 I, with an aggregate of 1.2 deg. ; November, 6, with an aggregate 

 of 21.4 deg.; December, 17, with an aggregate of 64.3 deg. In 

 all 57 nights with an aggregate of 203 deg. of frost. It will be 

 observed from this report that February and March were uncom- 

 monly free from frost, and that April had more than its usual 

 share. It may be noted as an unusual circumstance that the 

 mean temperature of April was exactly the same as that of March, 

 viz., 43.3 deg., and that February had a temperature slightly 

 higher, viz., 44.1 deg., and in this fact doubtless we find the 

 true explanation of the serious failure of the fruit crops. There 

 was a great appearance of blossom in the early part of the season, 

 but it was mostly blighted by the April frosts, and unproductive 

 of fruit. January and December were, as usual, the coldest 

 months of the year, but by no means in a degree exceeding the 

 average. 



Rainfall. — I need hardly say that the most outstanding and 

 remarkable feature of the weather of 1903 was its excessive rain- 

 fall. The number of days on which precipitation took place to 

 the amount of one-hundredth of an inch or more was 237, the 

 average being about 200. In the month of March rain fell 

 more or less every day, a circumstance almost, if not altogether, 

 unprecedented of any month, and in October the number was 

 very little short of the whole, viz., 28 out of 31. These two 

 months were the rainiest of the year, October having a record of 

 8.55 in. and March of 7.46 in. The driest months were April 

 and June, each of which had the same amounts, viz., 1.71 in., 

 both below average ; but with the exception of these two months, 

 and of a slight shortage in November and December, all the 

 other months had values in excess of the mean, but more particu- 

 larly January, February, March, and October, the two first of 

 which had nearly double, and the two last almost treble the 

 amount of the seventeen years' average. The total fall for the 

 year was 50.45 in., which is 13 inches above the mean, and the 

 heaviest recorded at this station since observations were begun 



