xiv BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



weather prevailed. The last-named storm was of an excep- 

 tionally violent character, in fact, almost unprecedented at 

 this season of year. It came from the western States, moved 

 across the lake regions on the 12th, and became central in 

 western Massachusetts on the morning of the 13th. Its 

 centre remained nearly stationary through the 13th and 14th, 

 owing to the obstructing area of high barometer in the 

 north-east, and during these two days torrents of water were 

 poured over all the State except the extreme eastern and 

 south-eastern parts. The actual precipitation in interior and 

 western Massachusetts was from 5 to 8 inches. The gale 

 which attended the storm was of great violence. The wind 

 attained a velocity of fifty miles at Boston on the morning 

 of the 14th, and for one minute it blew at the rate of sixty 

 miles per hour. 



The week ending with the 26th was damp and unsettled, 

 with hardly a single fine, clear day. Meadows and lowlands 

 continued too wet for cultivation, and much mown hay was 

 caught by rains and spoiled. Heavy thunder-storms passec 

 across the State on the 23d and 24th, damaging crops to 

 some extent. At Fitchburg more than three inches of rain 

 fell in a thunder-storm, and a general rain storm on the 22d 

 gave large amounts of water. The month was brought to a 

 close with heavy rains on the 29th, when a coast storm was 

 central off Nantucket. 



It will be necessary to scan the records for many years 

 back to find a parallel July, especially with reference to pre- 

 cipitation. 



In its chief meteoroloo:ical features the month of Auofust 

 was nearly normal, and it passed without many specially 

 noteworthy phenomena of any kind. There were several 

 days of unseasonably cool weather, and on the 21st the 

 escape from light frosts in the interior sections was by a 

 narrow margin. There was a remarkable paucity of so- 

 called "dog-days," which was one of the agreeable features. 

 Although there were some heavy rains, mostly local in 

 character and occurring during thunder-storms, very little 

 damage was sustained anywhere. In the eastern part of the 

 State rain fell on an average of ten days, while in cen- 

 tral and western portions the average was slightly greater. 



