122 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



The first frost of fall was reported on lowlands, August 

 27, but no damage was done. Other light frosts followed 

 September 3, 6, 11, and 12. The first killing frost came 

 October 7, but many of the more hardy herbaceous plants 

 were but little injured at the close of this month. In this 

 respect, therefore, the season was favorable ; since the records 

 previously referred to show that the average date of the last 

 frost in spring, from 1836 to 1885, was May 16, and of the 

 earliest frost in fall, September 20. The first snow of the 

 winter of 1885-1886 came November 22-26, and amounted 

 to about one inch in depth. December 18 there was a fall of 

 five inches, — a total of six inches for the months of November 

 and December, and 37.68 inches for the entire year. 



The prevailing direction of the wind, as taken from the 

 monthly summaries, gives 41.7 per cent, from the south- 

 west, 41.7 per cent, from the north-west, 8.3 per cent, from 

 the north, and 8.3 per cent, from the west. 



Rain or snow fell in a measurable quantity on 93 days 

 during the year. The greatest number of such days in any 

 one month was 13, in August; and the fewest 4, in March. 

 Of " clear " days — i.e., those when the sky was less than 

 four-tenths overcast at each observation — there were 63, of 

 which January had the most of any month, 9, and March the 

 fewest, 1. 



The " cloudy " days, or those on which the sky was more 

 than seven-tenths obscured at each observation, numbered 

 69, of which May had the most, 11, and July the fewest, 3. 



