234 Mr R. Bullen's Pvcport on Temperature and Vegetation. 



March. — The thermometer has been at or below the 

 freezing-point twenty-one times during the month ; the 

 remaining night readings also being low. The lowest 

 was 22' during the night of the 22nd. The mean day 

 temperature has also been low for the month, with 

 cold and variable winds. The weather has been mostly 

 dry, and favourable for working heavy soils ; but the 

 frequent frosts have prevented seed sowing to any great 

 extent. Most trees and shrubs have a backward look. 

 The leaf-buds of Lilacs are ready to burst, but the only 

 shrub in actual leaf and bloom is the common Ribes 

 sanguineum. Some forms of Salix and Ulmus are in bloom. 

 Several herbaceous plants, which may frequently be seen 

 in bloom here in February, such as Pulmonaria offici- 

 nalis and a.TMrea., Hellehorus viridis^ and some of the 

 early Scillas, are not yet developed. Owing partly to 

 the absence of severe frosts, and partly to the drier 

 weather that has prevailed during the dormant season, 

 the latter class of plants have suffered much less than 

 is usual here, 



April. — The thermometer has been at or below the 

 freezing-point nine times, the lowest reading being 2G° 

 during the night of the 8th. No frost has been registered 

 since the morning of the 18th. During the latter part 

 of the month the temperature has been higher than 

 usual, weather oft^n sunless, and showers frequent, but 

 generally light ; this has had a marked effect on vegeta- 

 tion, the growth developed in a few days being wonderful. 

 Like the corresponding month last year, the rainfall has 

 been light, and favourable for seed sowing, which important 

 operation had in many instances to be deferred owing to 

 the frequent slight frosts. 



May. — During the first half of the month 23' of frost 

 were registered, the lowest readings being 27° during the 

 nights of the 4th and 6th respectively. The day tempera- 

 tures during the early part of the month w^as also corre- 

 spondingly low, cold east and north-east winds prevailed, 

 and with an occasional shower of hail and sleet, was any- 

 thing but May-like, The weatlier during the latter half 

 has also been variable, and generally cold^ the highest 

 day temperature recorded being 62° (in the shade), on the 



