154 REPORT — 1887. 



1886, May 28. No. 518. Garden at York, in dry soil, 7| inches ; in wet 



soil, 9 inches. 

 ,, May 31. No. 520. In a swamp 1,000 yards south of the factory, 



10 to 12 inches. 

 Jane 14. No. 525. Garden at York, average 18 inches. 

 July 1. No. 529. In the swamp, 36 incbes. 



,, 3. No. 531. After two days' rain, 37 inches. 

 Aug. 2. Nos. 53.3-545. In the swamp, 48 inches, 12 borings. 



,, 2. Open ground, 40 inches, 9 borings. 



„ 15. Nos. 555-570. In the swamp, 49 inches, 15 borings. 



„ 20. Nos. 571-583. „ 56 „ 12 



„ 25. Nos. 584-596. „ 11 feet 12 



Sept. 1. Nos. 597-600. „ 15 „ 3 „ after 



heavy rain. 



„ 8. Nos. 604-607. „ 30 „ 3 borings. 



The general summary of the author from eight years' observation 

 is — 



The greatest depth at which the soil was found frozen was 102 inches* 

 ,, „ „ of thaw having frozen soil below it was 52 inches. 



,, ,, ,, reached without finding frost, 33 feet. 



The mean temperature by nine years' observations is 17 "4° F. 

 Mean rainfall 2298 inches. 

 „ snowfall 47-91 „ 

 1882-83. At the river Severn, lat. 56°, or 1° south of York Factory, in 

 making a cutting for a jetty, in December and January, no frost 

 was found at 15 feet down. It is not stated how far it was frozen 

 (as it must have been nearer the surface). 



To his tabular statement the author has added the following ' Notes 

 on the table of experiments for ascertaining the depth of frost and thaw 

 penetration, York Factory, Hudson's Bay ' : — 



' In briefly examining the accompanying list of experiments, it will at 

 once be realised that so many variable conditions have to be taken into 

 consideration in connection with frost-penetration that it is impossible to 

 form any estimate other than that based upon a series of experiments 

 carried over a number of years. For, in the first place, the extent of the 

 winter's frost must be dependent upon locality (including soU, exposure, 

 drainage), season, and certainly, from my experience, upon the snowfall, 

 be it early or late, much or little ; even as the depth of the summer's thaw, 

 though subject in a negative sense to like conditions, is to a great extent 

 dependent upon the rainfall. For instance, reverting to six experiments 

 (Nos. 14, 514, 517, 519, 521, 526) carried out in the York churchyard (a 

 site which is protected by su,rrounding willows, palisading, &c., and so 

 thoroughly in the lee that, when the country lying beyond is bare, it main- 

 tains its covering of certainly 20 inches of snow throughout the winter), 

 the soil is there found to be frozen to an average depth of three feet only, 

 whereas, within 350 yards. Experiments Nos. 528, 602, and 603 tell us that 

 under exactly opposite conditions a depth of upwards of eight feet of 

 frost is attained. Again, on the same principle, if the snowfall is late, the 

 soil will naturally be found to be frozen far deeper than when it early 

 covers the ground, even as the rainfall, if great during the summer, inde- 



