194 A yeae's WEATHEB. 



14th, 30-295 the lowest reading on the ist, 29-73-inches. We had 

 thunder on the 20th, and thunder and lightning on the 26th, which 

 ushered in a week marked by driving showers of sleet-like rain. 



If the average rainfalls are tabulated, we can see how much 

 drier the year keeps than 1890 : — 



40 years' mean. 1890. 1891. 



January 4-85-ins 5-62-ins 3-40-ms. 



February ... 3-38-ins 1-84-ins 0-22-ins. 



March 2-91-ins 1-87-ins 3-90-ins. 



April 2-61-ins 4-01-ins 2-48-ins. 



May 2-45-ins 5-06-ins 2-26-ins. 



June 2.39-ins 4-17-ins 2-86-ins. 



July 2-60-ins 3-67-ins 1-62-ins. 



Total ... 21-19-ins 26-24-ins 16 74-ms. 



A total of 9^-inches less of rain for the seven months of this 

 year than in the same period of last year, or nearly 4|-inches less 

 than the 40 years' average of the same months. 



In July, 1791 (100 years ago), the people complained of wind 

 and rain. There was a general want of grass at the beginning of 

 the month, but this improved, and when about the 28th the hay 

 harvest finished, the crops, though not heavy, were superior in 

 quality to the long coarse grass of the previous year, and well got. 

 Gooseberries were ripe on the 13th, and on the i6th the blackberries 

 were in bloom, and the wheat, too. The monthly rainfall was 2"5o- 

 inches, and on the 25th thunder was heard, and in some places hail 

 fell. 



August nth, 1 89 1. 



It is extremely gratifying to receive the expressions of great 

 pleasure the perusal of this course of weather letters has given rise 

 to, and to learn, that not only is their appearance looked forward to 

 with interest, but many trust they will be continued beyond the year. 



August, 1 89 1, will be long remembered as one of the wettest 

 Augusts on record. There have been many attempts during those 

 of the past forty years to be wet, but none so successful as the last. 

 We read of meadows being submerged, of ripened wheat and barley 

 being uncut, of good crops of cereals in which the grains had begun 

 at once their new growth. It was a month of feeble sunshine, 

 struggling between filmy mists or extinguished by down-pouring 



