442 



From this monthly Return we infer that there are two fruit 

 Seasons within a year as follows : — 



Spring. A utum n . 



February August 

 March September 

 April October 



November. 



It will be noticed that there are abnormal conditions within these 

 seasons and that there is some floral and foliar activity resulting in 

 minor fruit crops in other months of the year, and also that there is 

 considerable variation both in the Spring and Autumn crops. The 

 best crop month in Spring is March which over a period of nine 

 years stands third in the annual returns, and varies from a nil return 

 in 1905 and only 50 seeds in 1902 to 43,050 seeds in 1901. A 

 similar variation may be observed in the Autumn crop for the month 

 of August, which out of a total of 79,600 seeds for nine completed 

 years produced no less than 60,850 seeds during that month for the 

 year under review, i.e., 1905. This may be explained as partly due 

 to the change (and variability) of seasons or what corresponds to the 

 change of seasons in temperate climates, and as we shall have 

 occasion to refer to the effect of climatic conditions particularly 

 as influenced by rainfall we append a summary of the Rainfall 

 Returns for the Island of Singapore during the past nine years : — 



Mean Annual Rainfall for Singapore Island 



from 1897 to 



1905. 



Years. 



Inches. 



1897 



101-58 



1898 



101*19 



1899 



108*60 



1 900 



90-98 



1901 



83-56 



1902 



82-28 



1903 



i03'95 



1904 



101-54 



1905 



83-40 



If, therefore, 50,000 seeds or upwards for the Spring months of 

 February, March and April, and 100,000 seeds or upwards for the 

 Autumn months of August, September, October and November be 

 regarded "good" and 100 inches or upwards wet as regards the 

 annual rainfall, the following Return may be drawn up : — 



