fCCl. III. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 21 



days sooner than the generality of Fife. But, 

 which shews that this is not owing to climate, 

 the south division has pasture grass some weeks 

 earlier and later than the north. 



The west and north-west end of the county, 

 in the neighbourhood of the Lomond and Ochil 

 hills, as well as the high ridge of the middle 

 division, being more subject to cold, rain, and 

 damp fogs, are still later, by eight or ten days, 

 in all respects, than the rest of the county. 



The quantity of rain that has fallen, or the 

 proportion of dry and rainy weather, in a year, 

 or in any given number of years, in Fife, has 

 never, so far as I know, been calculated and as- 

 certained. But, from the best observations I 

 have been able to make, the weather, in this re- 

 spect, is much the same as in the counties in the 

 immediate neighbourhood. The Lomond hills 

 on the west, and Largo-Law on the east, may 

 perhaps occasion more rain, at times, than would 

 otherwise happen. The passing clouds, attract- 

 ed and broken by their summits, often pour out 

 their contents on the adjacent valleys, in every 

 direction, as they are carried by the winds. 

 From every quarter we have fair and rainy wea- 

 ther : but the rains that are brought by the 

 south-west, the south-east, and the north-east 

 winds, are the heaviest, the most frequent, and 

 of the longest continuance. The rains from the 

 two last mentioned points are, for the most part, 

 very cold ; and from thence, too, we have the 

 greatest falls of snow in winter. The driest and 

 most steady weather comes from the west, north- 

 west, and east. 



