Mr James Tait on the Rainfall of 1872. 445 



north. The first appearance of snow on Cheviot was on the 

 25th, and the first severe frost on the 5th October. The first 

 fall of snow was on the 10th of November, and cold weather 

 continued till the 16th. Much rain followed, and the soil 

 had become so thoroughly soaked that drains and ditches 

 overflowed, flooding fields which had seldom been seen 

 covered with water before. On the 12th of December ploughs 

 were stopped with the frost, but only for four or five days. 

 At the same time there was a heavy snowstorm on the Cheviot 

 hills, and a good many sheep were covered by the drift. The 

 month, as a whole, was conspicuous for heavy gales and 

 excessive falls of rain. 



The statistics of the rainfall for the past year are so re- 

 markable that we have taken some pains to collect tabular 

 statements for the counties of Roxburgh and Berwick, re- 

 presenting pretty fairly the diversities of climate. We give 

 first the table for the Kelso neighbourhood, compiled by Mr 

 Wemyss, Springwood Park : — 



Rainfall at Springwood Park. 



Diameter of rain-gauge funnel, 10 inches. 



Hour of observation, 9 a.m. 







Greatest 





No. of days 







fall 





on which 



Month. 





in 



Date. 



0*01 or more 







24 hours. 





fell. 





Inches. 



Depth, 







January, 



2-44 



41 



24 



22 



February, 



2-23 



45 



25 



20 



March, 



2'75 



57 



23 



22 



April, 



2-82 



80 



21 



13 



May, 



2-84 



49 



13 



19 



June, 



2-12 



49 



19 



18 



July, 



3*34 



1-02 



26 



12 



August, 



3-22 



58 



12 



17 



September, 



420 



75 



7 



21 



October, 



4-12 



80 



21 



22 



November, 



3-48 



62 



15 



24 



December, 



3-44 



75 



8 



22 



Total, 37-00 232 



The annual average rainfall of the last eighteen years, exclu- 

 sive of 1872, was 24'39 inches. It will therefore be observed by 

 the above figures that more than the average has fallen during 

 the year. From 1867 to 1870 the rainfall was short ; respectively 

 21-28, 23-68, 22-23, 19'27 inches for those years. In 1871, 



3k 



