Ll-S.soNS I'Ko.M rilH (iKHAT I)K()r(;irr OF Ib'JS. 
133 
Tahi.k II.— Continued Wai Periods during the Spring and Summer at 
Groenwi(di since isifj :~ 
Year 
j Tiiiod 
Length of 
wot. riPTiod 
1 
Rainy days- 
Total ^ 
ilamfall 
[n gallons per square 
yard per week 
Days 
Inches 
1828 
July 4 to August 1 \ . 
42 
27 
10-04 
8 gals. 
1830 
May 21 to July 20 
()1 
34 
9-27 
t o ,, 
1838 
May 28 to July 0 
40 
29 
0-78 
5| „ 
1848 
July 20 to August i:; . 
43 
38 
0-10 
4^ „ 
1860 
July 10 to August :;0 . 
40 
34 
6-24 
1 4^ „ 
1878 
April 1 to June 30 
1)1 
51 
1317 
1 4f „ 
1879 
May 23 to July 24 
03 
43 
10-39 
H „ 
1888 
June 20 to August 0 . 
42 
34 
1 
10-70 
8i n 
From a casual glance at the above tables it might be inferred that 
continued wet periods were about as frequent in England during the 
spring and summer months as prolonged droughts, but this is by no 
means the case. The fact is, when drawing up the foregoing tables I 
found that had I allowed anything like the same number of days for a 
wet period as I had done for a drought, there would have been scarcely 
any left to chronicle. On the other hand, had I reduced the number of 
days of drought to make them more closely agree with the wet periods, 
the table of droughts would have been considerably extended. 
We here learn our first lesson in respect to dry periods in England. 
They are more frequent and of greater persistency than wet ones during 
that period of the year when plants are most in need of moisture at their 
roots. 
I scarcely know which to consider the more destructive agents in 
British gardens, severe winters or prolonged droughts. If the ultimate 
injuries as well as the immediate ones could be properly estimated, I am 
rather disposed to think that those placed to the credit of dry periods 
would outnumber those inflicted by severe winters. And for this reason 
dry summers frequently follow each other in rapid succession, whereas 
several severe winters in succession are comparatively rare, and after all 
it is the cumulative effects of either of these adverse influences that are 
most to be dreaded. 
I may perhaps here explain how necessary it is for horticultural pur- 
poses to keep the rainfall of the summer and winter halves of the year 
distinct. I do not say that the winter rainfall is altogether unimportant ; 
but as nearly the whole of it passes quickly below the subsoil, only a very 
small part can be regarded as of any direct service to vegetation. It is, 
however, very different with the rain which falls during the summer half 
of the year. For then, except when excessive, every drop is in one way 
or another helpful to the occupants of our gardens. I am often asked by 
horticulturists how much the rainfall of any year, calculated from the 
1st of January, is in excess or defect of the average quantity. But 
estimated in this way the results must often prove very misleading. For 
instance, supposing the question be asked in July and the rainfall during 
the first four months of the year to have been very heavy, while scarcely 
any rain had fallen in May or June, the inference would be that the 
