222 Notes on the Weather and Crops in May. [june, 



The exhibition affords an opportunity of exhibiting machinery and 

 implements, and Mr. St. Clair makes special reference to the possibility 

 of exhibiting refrigerating plant. He states that the question of install- 

 ing refrigerating apparatus in railway waggons and at railway stations 

 in the south of Russia for the preservation of meat seems to be attract- 

 ing the attention of the Government. A bureau has been established 

 at St. Petersburg, i.e., the Russian Committee of the First Inter- 

 national Congress for the Refrigerating Industries, 19 Konnogvardeysky 

 Bulvar, St. Petersburg. As the Agricultural Society at Rostov appears 

 to be greatly interested in the matter, Mr. St. Clair suggests that 

 British firms should send their price lists and catalogues to the Imperial 

 Don-Kuban-Ter Agricultural Society, Vistavka, Rostov-on-Don. 



During the first week of May the weather was of quite an excep- 

 tional character. Bright sunshine was " very abundant " throughout 



the United Kingdom, and the rainfall over 

 Notes on the Weather the greater part of England was " nought." 

 and the Crops in May. Warmth was as a rule " unusual," but a 



number of sharp frosts were experienced at 

 night. The thermometer on the grass fell to as low a point as 14 0 at 

 Llangammarch Wells. The number of accumulated day degrees above 

 and below 42 0 exceeded the normal for the week nearly everywhere. 

 Although the general condition for the second week was not so 

 favourable, there was very little rain, and all districts except the 

 North-East of Great Britain experienced long periods during which 

 the sky was nearly cloudless. In England S.W 7 . the week was rainless, 

 and the rainfall elsewhere was below the average. Night frosts were 

 again common, and on the 13th and 15th some very low temperatures 

 were recorded. For the third week the conditions were dry and bright, 

 but a few showers fell in some places. The temperature, after being 

 somewhat low for a time, rose quickly and became high in all parts 

 of the kingdom. The highest point reached was 82 0 in England E. 

 and S.E. and Midlands, but 8i° was reached in England S.W. Night 

 frosts, however, were still the rule, even in the south. The season by 

 this time was backward, the advantage gained previously having been 

 to some extent lost. For the fourth week the weather was less bright 

 and many showers fell. Rainfall was indeed " heavy " (England 

 S.W. "very heavy") everywhere. Sunshine was "moderate" in the 

 Eastern section of the kingdom, " scanty " in the Western. The 

 highest temperature recorded was 8o° in England E. and the Midlands, 

 the lowest (on grass) 22 0 . There were, however, no accumulated day 

 degrees below 42 0 recorded. 



Reports from all quarters were unsatisfactory. From North 

 Lancashire it was reported that the dry weather prevented the grass 

 from growing, and the want of grass caused a drop in the price of 

 milking cows. Fruit trees were much troubled with insect pests, and 

 the caterpillar was prevalent on gooseberry bushes. Potatoes were 

 injured by frost. The lambing season was unsatisfactory, nearly all 



