IGO Melcorologiral Tables. 



The adoption of Sir David Brewster's suggestion — to make 

 each of the daily observations half-an-hotir earlier than the 

 hours at wliich the mean temperature came out at Leith, has 

 brought the means of the morning and evening hours within 

 one thirteenth of a degree of each other ; so that, as far as one 

 year's observations can determine the matter, his calculation 

 of the hours at which the mean temperature occurs at Alford 

 seems very correct. 



The year 1841 has been, as a whole, unkindly to the pro- 

 ductions of the earth. This has been owing to the unfavour- 

 able distribution of the heat and moisture to the different months, 

 rather than to any mean deficiency of the former or excess of 

 the latter. The dry months of March and April were highly 

 favourable for cultivating the ground and depositing the seed 

 in it ; but imseasonably dry Aveather, from about the 10th of 

 May to the 4th of July, prevented the grain crops from stock- 

 ing, and making the usual progress ; and caused the hay crop 

 to be very deficient. From the 4th, the month of July proved 

 cold and wet, and unusually gloomy — to such a degree, indeed, 

 that a part of the oats failed in the flowering process ; a thing 

 very uncommon in that hai'dy grain. August proved favour- 

 able, especially after the 13th; and as September, till the 

 25th, was of the average temperature for the season, the grain 

 crops, although deficient in quautity, filled and ripened tolera- 

 bly well. From that latter date repeated heavy rains, with- 

 out intermediate windy days, as occurred in the harvest of 

 1840, rendered the labours of the harvest extremely difficult, 

 and the grain suffered considerable damage by sprouting in 

 the sheaf. The weather did not steadily clear up till No- 

 vember, when the latest cut gi*ain was ultimately secured in 

 greater safety than what was cut earlier. Happily, amidst 

 these unfiivourable circumstances, and although the ripening 

 of the grain was souLewhat late, no frost intervened to damage 

 it while abroad in the fields ; and neither the deficiency of the 

 produce, nor the injury inflicted by the wet harvest, are of 

 such magnitude as to excite much alarm. 



The unusual number of the days on which rain has fallen, 

 and the gloominess of the later summer and of the autumnal 

 months, have rendered the year a very uncomfortable one to 

 the human feelings. 



