THE 



GARDENER'S MAGAZINE, 



DECEMBER, 1840. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



ANNUAL SUMMARY. 



A Summary Vietv of the Progress of Gardening, and of Rural Im- 

 provement generally, in Britain, during the Year 1840; xvith some 

 Notices relative to the State of both in Foreign Countries. By the 

 Conductor. 



Weather of 1839-40. — We are indebted to the same scien- 

 tific correspondent, who furnished us with the paragraphs on 

 the weather in our last year's report, for what follows : — " The 

 months of November and December, 1839, were exceedingly 

 wet ; and the amount of rain in the first month of the present 

 year was 2| in. nearly, or almost double the average quantity 

 for January. The temperature was about 39° Fahr., being 3° 

 above the mean. Towards the end of the month, the weather 

 was frequently very boisterous, particularly on the 24th and 

 26th. In February the same damp condition continued till 

 the 17th; after which, the wind changed from south-west to 

 easterly points, and no more rain fell during the month. The 

 mean temperature was below the average, and vegetation was 

 in consequence beneficially retarded. March was cold and dry, 

 the wind being chiefly from northerly or easterly points. The 

 mean temperature was nearly 4° below the average of the month. 

 The amount of rain was exceedingly limited, being scarcely 

 Y^Q of an inch. Vegetation made very inconsiderable advances. 

 The weather in April formed a remarkable contrast with that 

 experienced in the corresponding month of several pi-evious 

 years. In these the solar rays were almost constantly obscured ; 

 but in this month their intensity has probably been rarely 

 equalled in the neighbourhood of London. The nights, as 

 might be expected, from the clear state of the atmosphere being 

 so favourable to the radiation of terrestrial heat, were fre- 

 quently frosty. This circumstance considerably affected the 

 mean temperature ; yet the latter was above the average, and 

 the increase may be said to have been effected by direct solar 

 heat, unaided by the usual stream of warm air introduced with 

 south-west gales, and notwithstanding the counteracting ten- 

 dency of winds from cold quarters. On the 25th, the thermo- 

 1840. Dec. s s 



