THE WEATHEK OF THE HORTICULTURAL YEAR 1911-12. 535 



cloudy skies and cold winds being that the maximum temperature did 

 not in most places exceed 65°, whilst the minimum fell perilously 

 near to freezing-point, and the mean temperature was the lowest 

 experienced in any August during the last four decades at least. The 

 fall of rain over the southern half of the kingdom was about double 

 the average, and in some districts considerably more, and it was only 

 in the west of Scotland and the west of Ireland, usually the wettest 

 districts, that the fall did not reach the average. But the outstanding 

 episode of the month was the deluge of rain which descended upon 

 Bast Anglia near its close, when nearly seven and a half inches fell 

 at Norwich, which was the centre of the area involved, between 

 4 A.M. on the 25th and 4 a.m. on the 26th, and the whole of 

 North-east Norfolk was swept by a devastating flood. It has been 

 estimated that the quantity of water deposited upon the county during 

 the storm equalled twice the contents of Windermere, with the result 

 that the outstanding crops were carried away, bridges were destroyed, 

 and other structural damage done, and whole districts isolated for 

 several days. The weather of September was an improvement upon 

 that of August, but again there was a great deficiency of warmth, 

 although over the country generally there was an almost entire absence 

 of rainfall throughout the greater part of the month. There were 

 some very low temperatures during the latter half of the month, and 

 some sharp ground-frosts (24° at Wisley) in the closing week. The 

 mean temperature was therefore again below the average; but owing 

 to some exceptionally heavy falls of rain which occurred on the last 

 two days, the total rainfall was, in spite of the spell of drought, 

 generally up to, and in some cases in excess of, the average. 



This synopsis of the weather of the technical year under review 

 shows that it cannot be described as ideal from the farmer's or the 

 horticulturist's point of view. The excessive wet of the opening 

 months retarded the preparation of land where that had been delayed 

 beyond October, but with that exception there was but little of which 

 to complain during the first half of the period, and the drought with 

 which the second half opened was less serious than it might have 

 been, owing to the quantity of moisture in the ground ; but the 

 excessive wetness of the following months, combined as it was with 

 a phenomenally low temperature throughout till the end of September, 

 resulted in damage to^ growing crops, and in making it in some localities 

 impossible to gather them in satisfactorily. 



