METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT WISLEY IN 190.-,. 169 



REPORT ON THE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE 

 AT THE SOCIETY'S GARDEN AT WISLEY IN 1905. 



By R. H. Curtis, F.R.Met.S. 



Before giving a summary of the weather and of the meteorological 

 observations made at Wisley during the past year, it may be of interest 

 to point out that the Royal Horticultural Society was probably the first 

 public body to institute a systematic series of meteorological observations 

 in this country. 



The observations were begun tentatively at Chiswick so long ago as 

 1825, with a set of instruments got together somewhat hurriedly ; but in 

 the following year they were placed on a more permanent and satis- 

 factory basis, and the station equipped with a more complete set of 

 instruments, obtained from the best makers of the day, under the super- 

 intendence of Professor Daniell, F.R.S., who formulated the general plan 

 to be followed. 



For nearly twenty years the observations of the barometric pressure, 

 made three times a day ; of the amount of vapour in the atmosphere, 

 indicated by Daniell's hygrometer ; and of the temperature of the air, 

 were published in extenso in the Society's " Transactions " ; and in 1871 

 the results of a discussion by the late Mr. James Glaisher, F.R.S., of the 

 observations of temperature and of rainfall for forty-four years were 

 published as a supplement to vol. ii., second series, of the Society's 

 Journal, under the title " Deductions of the Meteorological Observations 

 made at the Royal Horticultural Gardens, Chiswick, in the years 1826- 

 1869." At the close of 1874 this series of observations came to an end, 

 after having continued for forty-nine years, and the instruments were 

 dismantled and removed. In 1899, however, the observations were recom- 

 menced, the station having meanwhile been equipped with more modern 

 instruments. The system of observation was also reorganised by Mr. 

 Edward Mawley, F.R.H.S., and the late Mr. G. J. Symons, F.R.S., and up 

 to 1903 a summary of the results for each year was prepared by Mr. 

 Mawley and published in the Journal. With the close of 1903 this 

 second series came to an end, owing to the removal of the Society's 

 Garden to Wisley, and the present series was begun in 1904. A descrip- 

 tion of the new site at Wisley, and of the instrumental equipment of the 

 station was given in vol. xxix. part 4 of the Journal, and no change 

 has been made in either since that description was prepared. The instru- 

 ments were examined and verified by me in the course of the year with 

 satisfactory results, and the observations have been regularly and care- 

 fully made, without any break in their continuity throughout the whole 

 period, by Mr. Thomas Frazer, assisted by Mr. Wallis. 



January. — The weather throughout the month was unusually variable 

 all over the kingdom, and spells of fine bright weather lasting for several 



