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In the annual summary of the India Weatlier Review 

 for 1908 the observations included in monthly issues are 

 discussed in detail, and the departures of the tnonthly and 

 annual means from the normal values are calculated for 

 each element. Dr. Walker states that, on the whole, 1908 

 was cooler than usual, although in April and June, both of 

 which were dry months, the temperature was in decided 

 excess of the normal. Excluding the hill stations, 1908 

 was a year of average rainfall ; of the four seasons, the 

 cold weather and south-west monsoon were more rainy 

 than usual, while the other two periods were markedly 

 dry. With respect to the monsoon rainfall, the character 

 was opposite to that prevailing in the previous seven years, 

 all of which were in defect. The most striking feature 

 o: the year was the heavy rainfall in the dry zone of 

 north-west India, due to the strong monsoon currents in 

 July and .\ugust. 



fhe report of the Transvaal Meteorological Department, 

 containing observations and results in the usual form for 

 the year ended June 30, 190S, has been received. The 

 number of rainfall stations has greatly increased, and 

 includes those which formerly reported to the Irrigation 

 Department. The rainfall was below the average gener- 

 ally; at Pretoria the deficiency amounted to 31 per cent., 

 and at Johannesburg to 10 per cent. Farmers suffered 

 from want of wAer, but, among the compensating factors, 

 remarkable freedom from locusts and little damage from 

 hailstorms are mentioned. In connection with this report 

 we may refer to interesting contributions by Mr. Innes 

 (director) and Mr. W'ood (chief assistant) to the climato- 

 logy of the Transvaal in the current number of the Journal 

 of the Scottish Meteorological Society. Mr. Innes remarks 

 that it is one of the sunniest climates inhabited by civilised 

 races, the average cloudiness being about 30 per cent., and 

 the relative humidity low. Speaking of the High Veld 

 generally, which is at an elevation of about 4000 feet, it 

 is warm by day and cool at night. The rainfall averages 

 25 to 30 inches, the number of days with rain being only 

 about eighty-five. .At places like Johannesburg (5750 feet) 

 the cold during winter is considerable, owing more to the 

 cold w'ind than to actual temperature. Over the latter 

 (Witwatersrand) district Mr. Wood shows that the mean 

 monthly rainfall increases with great regularity from July 

 (o-ii inch) to January (580 inches), and then diminishes to 

 June (009 inch). The probability of heavy rainfalls 

 (i inch and above) is entirely confined to the months 

 October-March inclusive. 



The Department of Agriculture, Nairobi, has issued its 

 fifth annual report of meteorological records in British 

 East .Africa, containing monthly rainfall values for fifty- 

 six stations during 190S, and averages for ten years (1899- 

 1908) and under at twenty-five stations. The latter show 

 that the mean annual rainfall varied from about 16 inches 

 ac Kismayu to 72 inches at Mumias. Meteorological 

 summaries for 190S are given for ten stations ; so far as 

 these show, the absolute extremes of temperature were 

 99° at Nandi (6000 feet above sea) in February, and 35° 

 a.- Elmenteita (height not stated) in January. 



The Weekly Weather Report issued by the Meteorological 

 Office, London, for the period ending January i contains a 

 summary of temperature, rainfall, and bright sunshine for 

 the year 1909. From this it is seen that for the fifty- 

 two weeks ending January i the temperature was below 

 the average over the entire kingdom. The rainfall was in 

 excess of the average in all the English districts except 

 in the south-west, but it was generally deficient in Scot- 

 land and Ireland. The largest aggregate measurement of 

 rain is 47'12 inches, in the west of Scotland ; the least 

 amount for the year is 2604 inches, in the east of England. 

 The greatest excess of rain is 5-21 inches, in the south- 

 east of England, and the greatest deficiency 6-91 inches, in 

 the north of Scotland, whilst in the north of Ireland the 

 aggregate measurement was 553 inches deficient. The 

 rainy days were in excess of the average over the entire 

 country, except in the west of Scotland and in the English 

 Channel. The greatest excess was twenty-two days, in the 

 east of England. The greatest number of rainy days was 

 250, in the north of Scotland, and the least 186, in the 

 south-cast of England. The duration of bright sunshine 

 for the year was in excess of the average over the whole 

 of the British Isles, except in the north-east of England, 

 N'O. 2097, VOL. Si] 



where there was a deficiency of forty-three hours. The 

 greatest excess was 14b hours, in the south-east of England. 

 The longest duration of bright sunshine was 1975 hours, in 

 the Channel Islands, and this was followed by 1743 hours 

 in the south-east of England, The least duration was 1157 

 hours, in the north of Scotland, which, however, is forty- 

 eight hours more than the average. The mean tempera- 

 ture at Greenwich for 1909 is 489°, which is 1-2° below 

 the average of the past sixty years. The highest monthly 

 mean is b2-7°, in August, the lowest 372°, in February. 

 The temperature was below the mean in everv month 

 except in Januan,-, .April, October, and December. The 

 absolutely highest temperature was 86°, in August, the 

 lowest 14°, in March, which gives a range of 72° in the 

 vear. The temperature was above the average on 144 

 days, and frost occurred on sixty-five nights, fift>'-two of 

 which occurred in January, February, March, and 

 December. The total rainfall for the year was 25-71 

 inches, which is 1-58 inches more than the average of the 

 last sixty years. The wettest months were June, July, 

 and March, in each of which the total fall exceeded 

 3 inches. In all, rain fell on 186 days, December having 

 as many as twenty-three wet days and March twenty-two. 

 There were during the year 1637 hours of bright sunshine 

 at Greenwich, which is 138 hours more than the average. 

 The sunniest month was May, with a record excess of 

 140 hours. Snow fell on twenty-four days and fog occurred 

 on forty-three days during the year. 



EDUCATIONAL TENDENCIES IN THE 

 UNITED STATES. 

 'T'HE first volume of the report of the U.S. Commissioner 

 -'• of Education for the year ended June 30, 1909, has 

 now been published, and is consequently available at an 

 earlier date after the conclusion of the year with which 

 it deals than any previous report. The second and con- 

 cluding volume of the report is to be issued early in March 

 ne.xt. 



The present instalment, which runs to 598 pages, is pre- 

 faced by an introduction by the Commissioner, Dr. E. E. 

 Brown, which gives a brief resume of the more important 

 subjects dealt with at length in the succeeding chapters. 

 It is possible here to refer to a few only of the numerous 

 subjects of interest discussed in the volume. 



Industrial education has commanded attention in all 

 parts of the States during the past year. The report 

 points out that it has become increasingly evident that 

 one of the vital elements of the problem, so far as the 

 United States are concerned, is the question of the relation 

 of school training to shop practice or apprenticeship. 

 .Accounts are given of several experiments which are being 

 tried in various States. The special combination of shop 

 practice with regular scholastic training, which was_ intro- 

 duced two or three years ago by the University of 

 Cincinnati, is receiving much attention, and a modification 

 of this plan has been carried into effect in the public 

 schools of Fitchburg, Mass. Model and practice schools 

 have been provided for the teaching of manual arts in 

 connection with the State normal school in Fitchburg. 

 .A cooperative course in preparation for the metal trades 

 has been introduced into the Lewis Institute, in Chicago, 

 for bovs from sixteen to twenty years of age. Each boy 

 in each of the two years of this course spends twenty-six 

 weeks in the shop and twenty-four weeks in school, re- 

 ceiving from his employer the school tuition fee of 10!. 

 a vear and i/. a week for the time he works in the shop. 

 The report emphasises the fact that many diverse and 

 often opposing interests are concerned in the effort to 

 work out an .American system of industrial education. .All 

 these interests are to be' given full and fair consideration, 

 and it is being borne in mind that, to render such a 

 system stable and altogether American, it must be made 

 genuinelv educational. , 



Agricultural education has been stimulated during the 

 year bv the inquiries and the report of the Commission 

 on Country Life, aooointed bv President Roosevelt. The 

 establishment of agricultural high schools in di fferent_ parts 

 of the country goes forward steadilv. Mississippi and 

 .Arkansas have made important beginnings in the establish- 

 ment of such schools during the year, and Minnesota has 



