METEOROLOGY. 



205 



It is hardly necessary to point out the very unusual continuity of 

 splendid weather through June, July, and August. Had the early spring 

 been seasonable, the crops and fruit would no doubt have been more 

 abundant ; but vegetation, prematurely pushed on by the mildness of Jan- 

 uary and February, was rudely checked in March, to the general blighting of 

 wall trees, and the serious injury of all forward plants. 



The above monthly summaries exhibit in a strong light the great differ- 

 ences of climate found within the limits of the county. This becomes very 

 remarkable where the places concerned are only a few miles apart. Thus, 

 while the summer heat at Helston and Truro was 85 or 86, it was only 79 at 

 Falmouth ; and whilst the thermometer fell to 10 in December last at Truro, 

 it was not below 23 at Helston, and 25 at Falmouth. It has been asserted 

 by a recent writer that the proximity of the sea does not affect the temper- 

 ature of the land adjacent, except when the wind is blowing over the water 

 towards the shore. This is probably neSxly true in regard to the continent 

 and the eastern districts of England ; but it does not apply at all strictly to 

 our peninsular county ; for example, in the case just mentioned, where Fal- 

 mouth escaped so entirely the extreme cold noted at Truro, the wind was 

 steadily north, or from land to sea. In fact this difference is constant in all 

 very intense frosts. 



A large proportion of the rain gauges in Cornwall were inspected last 

 year by Mr. Symons, and we are indebted to him for valuable suggestions in 

 regard to them and other instruments. He has published an interesting 

 estimate of the Eainfall at the Isles of Scilly, which he computes at about 

 33 inches ; but further observations are required. 



It is matter of much satisfaction that the velocity and pressure of the 

 wind is now accurately registered at the Falmouth Observatory. I would 

 refer to an interesting table and diagram of results in the Eeport of the 

 Cornwall Polytechnic Society for 1869. 



C. BAEHAM. 



