1910.] Notes on the Weather in October. 



683 



by disease, although severe in many places, does not appear to have 

 increased so much as was anticipated from the appearance of the crop 

 a month ago. Where free from disease, the tubers are generally 

 reported to be in good condition. 



October has generally suited the root crops, turnips and swedes 

 having made considerable growth during the month. Turnip-lifting 

 had hardly commenced, but the crop is reported to be a good one. 

 Storing of mangolds was well advanced in the southern half of Eng- 

 land, and perhaps even more so in the north. This crop, though 

 probably above average, will hardly prove so good as turnips, state- 

 ments that the roots are small being numerous. 



Good progress has been made with autumn cultivation, timely rains 

 in October having sufficiently softened such land as was too hard 

 to work in September. In some districts in the south and east, and 

 even in some parts of the northern counties of England, wheat sowing 

 is practically finished, and elsewhere it is well advanced. 



The official returns of the yield of hay in 19 10 are as follows : — 

 From clovers and rotation grasses, 3,278,379 tons, or 31*61 cwt per 

 acre (if cwt. above average); from permanent grass, 6,273,210 tons, 

 or 2507 cwt. per acre (ij cwt. above average). The yield has been 

 particularly abundant in Wales, while the east and south of England 

 have also realised heavy yields. In Scotland, where the weather was 

 relatively drier, the production is below the average, particularly in the 

 case of permanent grass. 



"Seeds" for mowing or grazing next year have generally done 

 well during October. Store cattle and ewes are thriving everywhere, 

 though foot-rot among sheep is mentioned occasionally. Keep is 

 generally plentiful. 



During the first week, October 2nd to October 8th, the weather 

 over Great Britain generally was fair to fine. Sunshine exceeded the 

 normal, and in some places the temperature 

 Notes on the Weather was 6° above the average ; warmth being 

 in October. classed as "very unusual" over the whole of 



Scotland and in England E. and N.E., and 

 "unusual" elsewhere. Rainfall was much below the average, a light 

 fall being recorded all over the country, except in Scotland N. and W. 



The conditions during the second week were not so good, and 

 were generally much finer in Scotland and the northern districts of 

 England than in the more southerly counties, where heavy rain occurred 

 in the middle and latter portions of the week. Warmth continued 

 "unusual" in the eastern districts of England and in the Midland 

 counties, but was "moderate" over the rest of the country. 



At the beginning of the third week the weather was fair and dry in 

 the northern and eastern parts of Great Britain, but later the condi- 

 tions became unsettled everywhere. Rainfall was "heavy" in Eng- 

 land S.E. and N.W. and Scotland E., and r ' moderate " elsewhere, 

 except in Scotland N. Warmth still continued "unusual" in England 

 E. and N.E., and was above the average in all other districts except 

 the extreme south. The bright sunshine recorded was, however, very 

 deficient over the whole of Great Britain. 



The weather during the fourth week was fairly dry over most of the 



3 B 2 



