xii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



storm was several hundred miles outside. At Boston the 

 mean temperature for the month averaged one and one-third 

 degrees a day lower than the normal. The highest temper- 

 ature was 76° on the 31st and the lowest 33'' on the 26th. 

 Killing frosts were noted over most of our district on the 

 19th or 20th, but, as most of the crops were already gath- 

 ered, but little if any damage was done. The wet weather 

 was favorable for pastures and for fall-sown grain and grass 

 seed. The ground was well filled with water, and wells and 

 reservoirs were generally full and ready for winter weather. 



November was very mild and pleasant. The average 

 daily excess in temperature was from 3.5** at Nantucket to 

 6.2** at Cambridge. At many places in the State it was the 

 warmest November on record. The chief warm spells of the 

 month were on the 16th to 19th and the 27th to 28th. On 

 one of those dates the temperature rose to 70^ or over at 

 most places. Excessive humidity prevailed during the 

 warm spells. Between the two warm periods a sharp fall of 

 temperature occurred, which was in marked contrast to them. 

 The mercury fell to from 10" to 20** below freezino; throush- 

 out the district. Snow fell on the 14th and on the night 

 of the 29th-30th, and a thin covering of snow lay on the 

 ground at the end of the month. The precipitation was 

 slightly deficient for the month, but there was an abundant 

 fall for the needs of the soil, and all crops entered the winter 

 in good shape. The weather was favorable for all out-door 

 work during the month, and was generally improved. 



December was deficient in both temperature and precipi- 

 tation, although there was a mild period of considerable 

 length in the first half of the month. A cold period pre- 

 vailed from the 15tli to the 28th, while the last three days 

 gave warmer, thawing weather. On the southern coast the 

 precipitation was very near the normal fall, but in other sec- 

 tions there was a marked deficiency. In the western part of 

 the State the snowfall was moderate, liut on the south- 

 eastern coast and on "the islands south of the coast the fall 

 was heavier than usual. At New Bedford the total snowfall 

 was 24 inches and at Taunton it was 21 inches. The greater 

 part of this snow came in the storms of the 16th and 23d. 

 On the Cape these storms approached the severity of a bliz- 



