CLIMATE AND TREE GROWTH 95 



Meteorological Office, the Royal Meteorological Society, or 

 the Scottish Meteorological Office, do not appear to be more 

 than six in number, four of which are in Scotland, and 

 two in England. No station of this kind exists in either 

 Wales or Ireland, the highest in the former being 550 

 feet and in the latter 212 feet above sea-level. Records of 

 rainfall alone are taken at a number of high-lying stations 

 throughout the United Kingdom, but these observations are 

 of little value unless associated with those of temperature. 



Concerning the rainfall generally, there is no reason to 

 suppose that the British Isles are inferior to the remainder 

 of Europe, and many parts of them certainly possess a 

 much more abundant fall. In the west of Ireland and 

 Scotland the summer rainfall varies from 12 to 15 inches, 

 while throughout the greater part of the country it is 

 seldom below 10 inches. The lowest rainfall occurs in 

 the extreme south and east of England, and probably the 

 growth of many species, especially conifers, is adversely 

 affected by its deficiency. Common and Sitka spruce, 

 larch, and a few others of that class, do little good on dry 

 soils south of the midlands, unless growing on northern 

 slopes, or in exceptionally cool localities. For the develop- 

 ment of most broad-leaved species and the dry-soil types 

 of conifers, however, rainfall, apart from exceptionally dry 

 years, is usually ample in all parts of the country. 



At different centres, of course, rainfall varies consider- 

 ably. In the west of Scotland, Ireland, and lake districts 

 of Cumberland from 50 to 100 inches are recorded 

 annually in many districts, while in the south and east of 

 England the annual fall may not exceed 20 inches. The 

 summer rainfall of May, June, July, and August varies 

 from 6 to 15 inches, as shown in the following table: — 



