151 
The Weather of 1898. 
HE weather of 1898 is chiefly remarkable for its high 
mean temperature, and low rainfall. Taken alto- 
gether, it is the warmest and driest year of which we have 
a record. The warmest year during the past 23 years 
being the year 1884, when the mean shade temperature 
only exceeded that of 1898 by 0:26. 
RAINFALL. 
» 22 Years’ Average, 
Total for 1898. 1876-1897. 
20°29 26°37 
Mean SHADE TEMPERATURE. 
22 Years’ Average, 
Mean for 1898. 1876-7897. 
49°42 47°06 
The rainfall was below the average for each month, with 
the exception of May and October, which were decidedly 
wet months. 
There were no periods of “absolute drought,” although 
on two occasions only ‘or in. fell in 14 days. | There was 
one ‘partial drought” from August 2oth to September 26th, 
when only ‘o8 in. of rain fell. 
The maximum temperature in the sun 136°1 was reached 
on August 12th; the maximum in the shade 85° on Sep- 
tember 8th. The minimum in the shade 22°6°, and on the 
grass 17°, both occurred on February 22nd. 
The last frost of the winter 1897-98 occurred on June 15th, 
and the first of the winter 1898-99 on September 23rd. 
25se 
