314 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



the whole, favorable to the growth of farm crops. The first 

 crop of hay was large, and most of it was secured in good 

 condition during the dry weather preceding the heavy rain 

 beginning July 24. The crop of rowen suffered somewhat 

 on account of that drought, and other crops suffered to some 

 extent. During the remainder of the growing season there 

 was sufficient rain, most of the time an abundance. 



Frost held off remarkably late, the first in the autumn 

 occurring September 25, after which there was none until 

 October 13. 



The first trace of snow occurred November 11. There 

 were 15.5 inches during December, with good sleighing 

 most of the time. 



The rainfall during the year was slightly above the aver- 

 age, and fairly distributed. The rains during April, June 

 and November, however, were light, being less than two 

 inches in each case. 



The heaviest rain of the season occurred on the 24th, 25th 

 and 26th of July, giving a rainfall of 4.65 inches. 



From the 9th to the 15th of September it rained every 

 day, giving 2.57 inches, and on the 17th of that month there 

 was a fall of 1.50 inches. A storm on the 23d and 24th of 

 October gave 2.30 inches. 



During the year there were one hundred and fifty days 

 recorded as " cloudy," seventy-one as " clear." The greatest 

 number of cloudy days, seventeen, occurred in October, and 

 the greatest number of clear days, nine, in November and 

 December. In August there were but three clear days. 



The prevailing wind during six months of the year was north* 

 west. It was north-east during March, April and August, 

 south-east during May and June, and south during July. 



The mean annual temperature for the year, 46.43°, 

 was about the average. The principal variations from the 

 monthly average temperatures occurred in January, which 

 has had a higher temperature during the period covered by 

 the Amherst observation only in 1838, 1870 and 1880. 

 February also was considerably warmer than usual. The 

 average for December is the lowest since 1876. 



The highest temperature during the year was 92°, occur- 

 ring July 8 ; the lowest, — 9.5°, occurring March 7. 



