1910.] Notes on the Weather in April. 



i57 



a certain amount of credit.— (Board of Trade Journal, April 7 and 

 21, 1910.) 



Agricultural Machinery in Northern Italy.— The Foreign Office 

 Report on the Trade of Venice in 1908-9 (4406 Annual Series) states 

 that the adoption of agricultural machines was slow until some years 

 ago, but since the commencement of the agrarian movement most of 

 the landed proprietors have deemed it indispensable to provide them- 

 selves with an equipment of such machines. There is an enormous 

 advance in the making of agricultural engines in Italy, and large 

 orders are said to be always in hand at the manufactories. Notwith- 

 standing all this, the import into the kingdom of foreign machines, 

 which about twelve years ago was only £'100,000, rose in 1908 to over 

 £"640,000. 



In the first week of April the weather became less dry than at the 

 end of March, and varied a good deal. In most parts of Britain the 



sky was generally cloudy, and some days were 

 Notes on the Weather more or less rainy. Rainfall exceeded the 

 in April. normal over the eastern half of England, but 



was less elsewhere. Warmth was "deficient" 

 in England S.E. and S.W., and Midland Counties, elsewhere it was 

 "moderate." Sunshine was "scanty" over the whole ' of England 

 ("very scanty" in the Midland Counties), and "moderate" in Scotland. 



The second week was very unsettled over the whole country. Rain 

 fell at nearly every station after Monday, and thunderstorms were 

 experienced in many localities. The temperature rose in England, and 

 warmth was "unusual" in the N.E., E., and Midland Counties; 

 "moderate" in N.W., S.W., and S.E. In Scotland it was "deficient." 

 Sunshine varied, but was generally much below the normal, except in 

 England E. 



During the third week the weather was still cloudy and unsettled. 

 Warmth was generally "moderate," but was "unusual" in England 

 N.E. and S.E., and "deficient" in Scotland E. Passing showers of 

 rain were very common, the fall on the whole being moderate, except 

 in Scotland W., where it was heavy. Sunshine was "very scanty" in 

 England S.W. and S.E., and "scanty" in all other districts except 

 Scotland E. (moderate). 



In the fourth week the weather was very changeable, with frequent 

 showers of rain or hail, and occasional snow over the northern and 

 eastern districts. The showers were, however, interspersed in most 

 places with considerable periods of fine, bright weather. Warmth was 

 "deficient" in all districts, except England E. Rainfall in most dis- 

 tricts did not diverge very much from the normal. Sunshine was 

 "abundant" everywhere except in England N.E. and N.W., where it 

 was "moderate." 



During the first quarter of 1910 in the United Kingdom rain fell 

 on 54 days, while in the average of the 25 years, 1881-1905, it fell on 51 

 days; the total fall was 8'o in., compared with a 25-year average of 77. 

 Temperature was almost identical with the average, viz., 40*0 deg., 

 against 40*1 deg. In the same time the duration of bright sunshine 

 was 108 per cent, of the 25-year average. Thus in all respects the first 

 quarter of the year differed but little from the average. 



