178 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



The weather of May was generally fine ; thongh on the 

 7th the ground was frozen, and ice of | inch thickness was 

 formed. The mean of the thermometer was 63^, and the 

 quantity of rain 2fjs inches. 



June was warm and dry, though in some places there were 

 showers; yet little or no rain fell after the 8th. The ill 

 effects of the dry weather were, however, in some degree les- 

 sened by a more than usual amount of cloudy weather. The 

 mean of the thermometer was 7], and the quantity of rain 

 1^ inches. 



July, too, was hot and dry ; on the 14th there was a rain, 

 the first that had fallen since June 8, and on 23d, 24th, and 

 25th there were fine showers. The mean of the thermom- 

 eter was 80, and the quantity of rain 2| inches. 



August was exceedingly dry, the driest almost within 

 memory ; but little rain fell from July 25 up to the close of 

 August, and the drought was felt over a wide extent of 

 country; the fields were literally parched and burnt; in many 

 instances the leaves of the trees, especially of tlie walnut, 

 turned yellow and fell off. The mean of the thermometer 

 was 74i, and the quantity of rain was -f^ of an inch only. 



The weather of September was very fine, but also dry, 

 for though some rain fell, yet not sufficient to wet down in 

 grass ground to a depth of more than 5 or 6 inches. The 

 mean of the thermometer was 65, the quantity of rain 3^^ 

 inches. 



October was a warm and pleasant month, the weather still 

 continuing dry. Dahlias and tender plants in gardens were 

 not killed until the 20th. The mean of the thermometer 

 was 57i, and the quantity of rain 2x^3^ inches. 



The weather of November was generally mild. The 

 mean of the thermometer was 45^, and the quantity of rain 

 7 inches. 



December was on the whole mild, though with some cold 

 weather. The mean of the thermometer was 30 1, the quan- 

 tity of rain "^-^js. 



'The general characteristics of the year 1854 were a cold 

 Aviiitei", followed by an exceedingly dry summer and fall. 



