554 [P''°^' B.N.F.c, 



Apkil was a dry month, and the coldest April since 1879. Snow fell on 5 

 days, with the usual spring inflictions of east winds, while the days of genial 

 Avarmth, premonitory of summer, were very few. Cuckoo heard and swallow 

 seen on the 16th, and landrail on the 18th. Hawthorn bursting into leaf on the 

 18th, willow on the 21st, and chestnut on the 23rd. Hawthorn 7 days and 

 chestnu.t 5 days later than last year, and willow 8 days earlier. 



May was dry and rather cold ; it was also a month of easterly wind, and 

 gave little indications of the approach of a warm summer. There was a brief 

 period of 5 days, near the close of the month, when the warmth was above the 

 average ; but from the 1st to the 21st the summerlike days were very few, and 

 there were almost no indications of a good and early harvest. Elm tree bursting 

 into leaf on the 2nd, beech on the 6th, and the late ash on the 14th, all on the 

 same dates as last year. 



June was our first summer month ; it is very rare to have the warmest day 

 of the year at Aghalee in June, only twice during twenty years has it happened, 

 and it so fell out this year. The drought also was the greatest in June. On 

 the 5th the temperature rose, and for the remainder of the mouth we had a 

 combination of heat and drought w^hich lasted till the close. After Tuesday, 

 the 7th, not a drop of rain fell during the remainder of the month, and there 

 was very little dew. Such figures as 51 of an inch as the rainfall of the 

 whole month are extremely rare. 



July was also very hot, but not so remarkable as June for its high 

 maximum temperature, or small rainfall. Its night temperature, however, was 

 higher than that of last month, and thus almost eqaalizing the mean value of 

 June and July. There was a partial recovery from the drought of June, still 

 the rainfall was below the average. Many rivers and springs were dried up, 

 and water every where deficient. It was a warm and sunny month, but the 

 heat was not distributed regularly over the month ; it came in spells. There is 

 no recent instance of the mean temperature of June and July, taken together, 

 being so much above the average, and, probably, no instance can be shown of 

 such a hot and dry June and July following such a cold and dry spring. 



August had a few more showers than July. Rain came on the I7th, and 

 the remainder of the month proved moderately wet. At the close of August 

 there was heavy rainfall, and rivers that had been dried up commenced to flow — 

 rain only half an inch deficient. The average of all the maximum readings of 

 the thermometer was higher than last month's ; the average of the night 

 temperatures considerably lower ; mean temperature lower than July mean, and 

 2-10 degrees above the average mean temperature. On the 8th harvest had 

 commenced all round— there has not been so early a harvest since 1868. 



September was dry and cold, it saw the close of the warm weather of 1887. 

 Last year September reached 71 degrees ; this year 68 degrees was the highest. 

 Maximum temperature below the average ; night temperature, average ; mean 

 temperature I'bi degreei less than the average. Rain almost an inch less than 

 the mean. 



