30 Tkansactions. 



mean minimum 39 "5°. The winter quarter, taking in December 

 along Avith January and February, Avas not characterised by any 

 great extremes of temperature. In these months there were 50 

 days in which the thermometer fell to the freezing point and 

 under, with an aggregate of 228° of frost. This compares favour- 

 ably with i.he previous year, in the same months of which the 

 thermometer registered 444° of frost in 72 days. But it indicates 

 at the same time a winter of considerable severity, the mean 

 temperature of these months being about 37 "6°, as compared with 

 an average of 39°. The wintry weather, however, extended as 

 usual a long way into March, in A\hich 10 nights of frost were 

 recorded, with an aggregate of 28°. There was frost also to some 

 extent in April and May. April had 10 nights with 24°, and May 

 2 nights with 3°. The temperature of the spring months was 

 considerably below the average, with a prevalence of northerly, 

 north-easterly, and north-westerly winds, and unusual dryness, 

 which awakened fears of a late and deficient harvest. But the 

 marked rise of temperature, which came with the bright and sunny 

 weather of June, and was continued in July, along with copious 

 rains in the latter month, proved so favourable to the progress of 

 vegetation, that the harvest, instead of being later, was rather 

 earlier than usual, though deficient in quantity in light soils, from 

 the want of sutficient moisture at an earlier period. In June 

 there were 14 days on which the maximum temperature exceeded 

 70°, and in seven of these it rose above 80°, ranging from 70° to 

 87°. In July also there were 14 days with a maximum of over 

 70°, the range being from 70° to 80'5°. The mean temperature of 

 June was 59-7°, being more than 4° above that of last year, and 

 about 3° above the average of the month. The mean temperature 

 of July was still higher, being 60-9°, exceeding that of July, 1886, 

 by 2-6% and the average of former years by 1-3°. The hottest 

 days occurred in the latter half of June, but in July the nights 

 were warmer. As illustrating the effects of this unusual heat on 

 vegetation, it may be mentioned that in Mr Hendei'son's garden 

 at Newall Terrace ripe cherries were gathered ou the 23rd of 

 June, ripe strawberries on the 25th, early vegetables, such as peas, 

 turnips, carrots, and onions on the 30th, and ripe gooseberries on 

 11th July. August and September do not call for any particular 

 remark on the point of temperature. Both were about 2° below 

 the average, and there was a degree of unsettlement in the weather 

 between the middle of August and the middle of September, which 



