1907.] Notes on the Weather and Crops. 435 



All three cereals show some improvement during the month, and generally the 

 tenour of the comments of the Board's Crop Estimators seems to indicate a much 

 greater improvement than is shown by their estimates of the prospective yield of the 

 crops. Wheat is now regarded as just over average, barley as average, and oats well 

 above average ; the latter being, as noted in August, much the best of the corn crops. 

 The quality, however, generally leaves much to be desired, and the statements to this 

 effect are corroborated by reports from the markets of the condition of the new corn. 



Potatoes have seriously deteriorated during the month. This crop, unlike others, 

 is worse in England than in Scotland ; there is much more disease in the south, but 

 in the north on the other hand some damage seems to have been done by early 

 September frosts. 



Roots have somewhat deteriorated during the month ; this applies more 

 particularly to the north, and especially to Scotland ; in Divisions I. and II. of 

 England there has been on the other hand an improvement. There is considerable 

 complaint of their running to seed ; nevertheless, the prospects as a whole are 

 distinctly above average. 



The hay crop generally has been a bulky one, and partly owing to the northern 

 crops being rather better than was anticipated, and partly to reports of good second 

 crops in most districts, the position is regarded as even slightly better than was 

 recorded in August. 



The prospects of the hop crop have not improved since the last report ; and, 

 although the quality is generally described as good, the yield appears likely to be 

 below average. 



There are few complaints of scarcity of labour, and the supply seems generally 

 adequate. More manual labour than in recent years has been necessary owing to the 

 difficult nature of the harvest. 



Summarising the reports, and representing the prospect of an average yield in 

 each case by 100, the appearance of the crops in mid-September may be represented, 

 for Great Britain as a whole, by the following percentages : — Wheat, 101 ; barley, 

 100 ; oats, 105 ; potatoes, 93 ; roots, 102 ; and hay, 108. 



The improvement in the weather which occurred in the latter part of August was 

 interrupted in the first week in September, and the weath'er again became unsettled, 

 with rather frequent, but not generally heavy, rain in 

 Note-S On the Weather a11 parts of the kingdom. Temperature was below 

 A r «c tne average, and bright sunshine was also deficient. 



Enu trie uroos in T . 



A In the second week, however, the weather was very 



September, fine and bright over Great Britain, and the temperature 



was above the average, warmth being returned as 

 "unusual" in ail districts except Scotland E. Bright sunshine was also "abundant," 

 and in some districts " very abundant." 



The third week was again almost entirely rainless, and generally very bright. 

 The temperature exceeded the average except in England S., warmth being again 

 returned as "unusual" in most districts. Sunshine varied from " very abundant " 

 to " moderate," but exceeded the average in all districts except Scotland W. 



The weather in the fotirth week of September continued fine until nearly the close 

 of the week, when it became less settled, and several parts of the Kingdom experienced 

 a little rain. Temperature continued above the average, "unusual" warmth being 

 recorded over the whole of the eastern section of the British Isles, and " very 

 unusual " warmth over the whole of the western section. Bright sunshine exceeded 

 the normal over England and Scotland N. , but was below it elsewhere. 



The casual notes which are received on the crops in different districts show that 

 the fine weather experienced in September had a good effect. From Lancashire it is 

 reported that harvesting had proceeded uninterruptedly during the month, and the 



2 E 2 



