622 AGEICULTUEAL KEPORT. 



METEOROLOGY OF 18G3. 



FROM THE SiMITIISOMAN INSTITUTION. 



The publication of meteorological tables in the monthly and bi-monthly 

 reports of the Department of Agriculture having excited considerable interest, 

 and gratified a useful curiosity in the minds of many farmers and other business 

 men, we are induced to complete tables for the entire year 1863, and publish 

 them in this more permanent form for future and more general reference. By 

 their aid any one may ascertain the precise average amount of rain, in inches 

 and tenths, or the mean degree of heat and cold, for any month of several given 

 years in the section or State Avhere he resides, and compare the same with the 

 fall of rain or mean temperature of surrounding sections for the same months 

 and- years. Thus, if disposed to emigrate to some other section or State, by 

 the aid of these tables he may select for examination such regions as best com- 

 pare with his present location in climate and general characteristics of weather ; 

 or, should the interests, health, or comfort of his family suffer where he now 

 resides, by long periods of severe heat or cold, or by droughts, or by deep-lying 

 Bnows or heavy rains, at particular seasons, these tables will aid him in select- 

 ing a residence more desirable in temperature or in its amounts of snow or rain 

 at those seasons. 



Other uses of these tables will be suggested as the inquiring mhid consults 

 them on these familiar topics, and their continuation in the bi-monthly reports 

 on the crops, and republication in annual reports of the Department of Agri- 

 culture, will expand the field for observation and comparison as the inquiries 

 are thus increased and extended. 



With tlicse brief reasons for publishing these tables, we will direct those not 

 familiar with them in the reports on crops. 



HOW TO USE THEM. 



There are two tables for each month — one of the current weather of the month 

 in 1863 at each place named ; the other of averages and means of temperature 

 and rain for the same month in several years in the States and Territories 

 named. 



The first table for each month exhibits the greatest heat and cold, or highest 

 and lowest range of the thermometer, with the dates prefixed when it occun-ed; 

 the mean temperature of the month, and the amount of rain, (or snow computed 

 as melted,) in inches and tenths, falling in said month at the places named, as 

 given bv each observer. Daily observations were made at the hours of 7 a. m,, 

 and 2 and 9 p. m., and the rain and melted snoAV measured carefully. 



The second table for each month shows the average mean temi)erature, and 

 average depth of vain and melted snow, in each State and- Territory named, for 

 the years 1855, 1S56, 1857, 1858, and 1859; also for these five years collec- 

 tively, and for the year 1863. The first column of this table gives the average 

 number of places in each State and Territory in which the observations were 

 made that have been used by us in calculating the averages and means of the 

 table. 



We may further remark that blanks in the tables signify that no observa- 

 tions were reported. Cyphers (0) denote the zej-o of Fahrenheit's thermometer, 

 or that no rain or snow fell, and a dash ( — ) signifies that the number of the 

 degrees following it was below zero. 



