1908.] Notes on the Weather. 613. 



Plums. — This year's crop has been large. The Canton of 

 St. Pierre-sur-Dives, Calvados, is the only part of this region 

 where they are grown in numbers. But for the fruit coming 

 from the Touraine and South of France the local supply would 

 be very short. 



Pears. — Cider pears are grown in less quantity than formerly, 

 the "poire," or cider pear, being out of favour. This year's 

 production has been very meagre. The yield of dessert pears 

 has been better, but not of a first class quality for preserving. 



Nuts. — Walnuts, fresh walnuts, or " cerneaux," which are 

 in great demand during the season, have been for the most 

 part insufficiently supplied by the local production. The 

 yield has been small, on account of the severe frosts which 

 prevailed during the months of March and April and des- 

 troyed the blooms. 



Dry Walnuts. — These are not prepared industrially in this 

 district. Nearly the whole supply is sent from the South. 



Chestnuts. — The appearance is satisfactory. They mostly 

 come from Touraine, Anjou and the centre of France. 



General. — The ground occupied by small fruit culture is 

 diminishing gradually, Honneur being a remarkable exception, 

 and the isolated attempts at Manneville and Ussy not yet hav- 

 ing given sufficient returns to lead to these examples being 

 followed. The prices given in Paris for some of these fruits 

 are generally higher than in London. For instance, all the 

 cherries have been sent to Paris instead of London, and, unlike 

 1907, none have been exported from Caen to England, though 

 the general crop in France was very large. 



The month of October has been marked by weather of quite an unusual character. 

 During the first week (ending 3rd October) the weather was very fine and bright over 

 the kingdom generally. The temperature was high for 



Notes on the Weather * e ,im \ of yeal> ™™*bf>g "™>. — l " ever y- 



where. In several parts of Great Britain the maximum 

 111 UCtODer. temperatures were higher than any hitherto recorded so 



late in the year, while on most of the nights the minimum 

 temperatures were relatively high, the thermometer not always falling to 6o°. Sun- 

 shine was, except in Scotland, W., "abundant "or " very abundant," while rainfall 

 was " light " or " very light." 



Similar weather prevailed during the second week, though not in so marked a 

 degree. The temperature was again "very unusual" everywhere, and the rainfall 

 " light [' (England, N.E. " very light"), while sunshine was "abundant " in England, 

 E., N.W., and S.E.). The number of accumulated day degrees of temperature both. 



