METEOROLOGICAL ABSTRACT 201 



The month of Odlober was in itfelf tolerable, and nearly of the ufual tempera- 

 ture ; but by no means able to make up the deficiencies of the former feafon. The 

 harveft was not generally got in till the end of November, and, in high grounds, 

 hardly till the end of December. 



One of the peculiarities of this feafon was, that the earl wind continued to blow 

 very frequently after the folftice, through the whole fummer, and always from a 

 northern point. The weft winds, alfo, were generally far to the north, which fel- 

 dom happens in this climate, from the time of the fummer folftice to the fetting in 

 of froft in November or the latter end of October. 



The general impreffion which this year has left on every body's mind is, that it 

 was very rainy ; and yet it does not appear, from the regifter, that more rain fell in 

 1799 than in ordinary years. The fact is, that the only rainy months were July, 

 Auguft and September, particularly the two latter ; in thefe three the depth of rain 

 was nearly a foot, which is at leaft double of the ufual quantity. This quantity, 

 alfo, fell not in heavy fhowers, with intervals of funftune, as is ufual in fummer, 

 but in drizzling, long continued rains, with foggy weather, as in winter. Hence 

 the amount of it was very naturally over-rated. 



The mean temperature of the whole year is 46°.i8, more than i°-5 below the 

 ufual mean. But the mean temperature of the feafon of vegetation, computed from 

 the 20th of March to the 20th of October, is no more than 51°. 27, almoft 5 below 

 that of 1798. This deficiency of temperature may appear at firft fight hardly ade- 

 quate to that deficiency in the crop which is afcribed to it ; but. it fhould be confi- 

 dered, that vegetation fcarcely proceeds at all with a temperature under 40 , fo that 

 this may not improperly be regarded as the point of heat at which vegeta- 

 tion begins, and the boundary, in as much at leaft, as refpects agriculture, 

 between fruitfulnefs and fterility. Now, 56 is the mean temperature of a good 

 feafon, in this country, as we know from the inftance of 1798, and therefore 16 of 

 heat is the whole diftance between the mere germination of vegetables and the 

 fulleft maturity they can attain in our climate. A deficiency of 5 °, therefore, 

 which is nearly a third of the whole 16 , malt neceffarily be accompanied with a 

 great fhortcoming in the maturity of all vegetable productions. 



Whether the quantity of the crop may be expected to be proportional to the 

 excefs of the mean temperature of the vegetating feafon above 40°, fo that the 

 crop of this year fhould be to that of the preceding as two to three, or if it muft 

 be in a greater or a lefs ratio, may deferve to be more accurately confidered. 

 There is, however, reafon to think, that the variations of the crop, at leaft of the 

 corn crop, will be greater than in proportion to the variations of temperature ; 

 for, if the mean heat of the vegetating feafon were to fall as much below that of 

 1799, as the heat of 1799 did below that of 1798, it would be reduced to 46 , a 

 temperature fo low, as would certainly prevent the ripening of corn altogether. 



By 



