METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT WISLEY IN 1908. 45 



Scotland it was rather below it. Bright sunshine varied from about 100 

 hours on the eastern coast to rather less than 200 hours in the south- 

 west ; at Wisley 145 hours were registered, or 35 per cent, of the greatest 

 amount possible. 



Observations made at Wisley : 



Mean temperature of the air in shade 44 o, 0 



Highest „ „ „ 62°-7 on the 29th 



Lowest „ „ „ 27°-2 „ 9th 



Lowest „ on the grass ... 17° 0 „ 9th 



At t ft. At 2 ft. At 4 ft. 

 deep. deep. deep. 



Mean temperature of the soil at 9 a.m 43°-8 45 o, 0 44 0, 5 



Highest „ „ „ 49°-4 47°-3 45°-0 



Lowest „ „ „ 40°-l 43°-4 43°-6 



Mean relative humidity of the air at 9 a.m. (complete saturation being 



represented by 100) 78% 



Rain fell on 14 days to the total depth of 2-48 in. 



(Equivalent to nearly llf gallons of water to the square yard.) 



Heaviest fall on any day 0*65 in. on the 25th 



The prevailing winds were from north and north-east. 

 The average velocity of the wind was 1\ miles an hour. 



There were 145 hours of bright sunshine, equal to 35 per cent, of the greatest 

 possible amount. There were 4 days on which no sunshine was recorded. 



May. — A feature of the weather of this month of interest to gardeners 

 was the absence of low night temperatures, the mean of the minimum 

 temperatures being generally a good deal above the average, whilst in 

 many places the lowest point reached by the thermometer was above the 

 lowest which had been observed in May for a good many years past. 

 This was largely due to the cloudiness of the sky, by which the radiation 

 of heat from the ground was greatly checked whilst the temperature of 

 the soil steadily increased, the readings of the thermometer at Wisley 

 one foot below the surface being 16° higher at the end of May than at 

 the beginning of April. The winds also were from southerly and westerly 

 points ; and although the amounts of sunshine registered were generally 

 rather under the average the deficit was not large, and in many places 

 between 40 per cent, and 50 per cent, of the possible total was recorded. 

 Thunderstorms with heavy falls of rain or hail were not infrequent, but 

 generally speaking the precipitation was below the average for the 

 month. 



Observations made at Wisley : 



Mean temperature of the air in shade 55°*9 



Highest „ „ „ 75°-7 on the 2nd 



Lowest „ „ „ 36°-5 „ 24th 



Lowest „ on the grass , ... 30°'0 „ 11th 



At 1 ft. At 2 ft. At 4 ft. 

 deep. deep. deep. 



Mean temperature of the soil at 9 a.m.' 54°-4 53°-5 50°'0 



Highest „ „ „ 59°-0 57°-3 53°-2 



Lowest „ „ „ ... 50°-l 48°-0 45°-3 



Mean relative humidity of the air at 9 a.m. (complete saturation being 



represented by 100) 77% 



Rain fell on 14 days to the total depth of 1*74 in. 



(Equivalent to about 8£ gallons of water to the square yard.) 

 Heaviest fall on any day 0*29 in. on the 13th 



