DROUGHT. 



519 



1881, 1883, 1889, 1893, 1898 and 1906 (autumn) ; or, on 

 the average, one year in five. To give a local example, the 

 monthly rainfall and maximum temperature observed in 

 1893, at Coopers Hill College, Surrey, are here given. 



All farms on the shallow soil above the chalk suffered greatly 

 from drought, and there was scarcely any hay, and corn was 

 very short in stalk. As regards the effects on forest growth, 

 there was an enormous crop of acorns and sweet-chestnuts. All 

 the lime blossom fell without maturing fruit, and isolated 

 beech, elm and lime-trees lost most of their foliage in August. 

 The heavy fall of rain in February and the first few days of 

 March soaked the ground so thoroughly, that a plantation of 

 twenty acres of three-year-old Scots pine transplants on the 

 Bagshot sands, in Windsor Forest, was a complete success, in 

 spite of the drought. 



4. Protective Rules, 

 a. During the Formation of Woods. 



i. Natural reproduction is preferable to artificial sowing, or if 

 it cannot be carried out, choose deep-rooted strong transplants 

 and cover the planting spots with sods or large stones. 

 Nursery transplants, when planted out in the forest, stand 



