191 1.] Notes on Crop Prospects i\ broad. 



171 



The month commenced with both temperature and rainfall below 

 the average, and ended with a generally high temperature and 

 heavy rainfall. 



Notes on the During most of the first week (March 



Weather in April. 26th to April 1st), the weather over the 

 greater part of the country was dry, and 

 temperature was below the average except in Scotland N. and England 

 N.W., although warmth was everywhere classed as "moderate." The 

 amount of bright sunshine recorded was scanty in the eastern and 

 midland counties of England. 



A heavy rainfall which occurred in the south-east of England at 

 the end of the first week continued into the beginning of the second 

 week. Over the whole week, however, rainfall was less than the 

 average except in the English Channel. In the middle and end 

 of the week, the general character of the weather was very wintry, 

 warmth being either "deficient" or "very deficient," the deficit from 

 the normal reaching 8° in England S.E. Bright sunshine was also 

 less than the normal generally. 



The weather improved during the third week, and was fair to very 

 fine over Great Britain generally, although a good deal of cloud 

 prevailed in Scotland and the north-east of England. There was a con- 

 siderable rise in temperature, unusual warmth being experienced in 

 Scotland and England N.E. Rainfall continued below the average, 

 "very light" falls being recorded in the midland and north-western 

 counties, and no rain falling in England S.W. Bright sunshine 

 exceeded the average except in Scotland and England N.E. 



The weather during the fourth week continued fair or fine in the 

 east and south of England, and over a considerable portion of the 

 Midlands, but in Scotland and the western districts of England rain 

 fell very frequently. Warmth was " unusual " in the eastern, mid- 

 land, and north-western districts of England, and "moderate" in the 

 south-eastern and south-western districts ; the excess above the average 

 was as much as 5 0 in England E. and N.E. "Scanty" sunshine was 

 recorded over Scotland and England N.W. and S.W., and "moderate" 

 sunshine in the other parts of England. 



In the fifth week, the conditions were unsettled and showery 

 throughout the country, and the sky was seldom free from cloud. 

 "Very heavy " rainfall was experienced in England N.W. and S.W., 

 and in Scotland W. and elsewhere the fall was "heavy." The excess, 

 however, was more moderate in the east of England than in 

 the rest of the country. In all districts temperature was above the 

 average, although the excess was not large, and bright sunshine was 

 below the average. 



The International Institute of Agriculture, in its Bulletin of Agricul- 

 tural Statistics for x^pril, 191 1, gives the condition of the autumn and 

 winter sown cereals in various countries on 

 Notes on Crop April 1st, 191 1, compared with the con- 



Prospects Abroad. dition on the same date in 1910, as in the 

 table on the next page. 

 It is explained that, although given in numerical form, these 

 expressions of the conditions are necessarily only approximate, being 



