JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



still kept rather above the usual level for the month. The most 

 prevalent winds were southerly, and during the earlier part of the 

 month they were strong and gusty, but relatively warm ; then ensued 

 a quieter period, during which scarcely any rain fell, except in the 

 north of Scotland, where the weather continued wet throughout the 

 month. With the setting in of this quiet weather, fog became generally 

 prevalent for some days, and at times it was very dense. London 

 and its immediate vicinity experienced a spell of " high fog," when 

 a canopy of smoke hung for hours over the town, effectually cutting 

 off the light of day and rendering artificial light as necessary as at 

 night. The greater part of the country was, however, more fortunate, 

 and although the vapour fog was not pleasant it was not harmful from 

 the gardener's point of view. The highest temperature recorded at 

 Wisley was 55 degrees, and there were very few places v/here this 

 temperature was exceeded. . The rainfall at Wisley amounted to only 

 three-quarters of an inch, and of this amount two-thirds fell on three 

 days. But except in the extreme north the rainfall was everyv/here 

 small, and over the greater part of England and the eastern parts of 

 Scotland, and also over the greater part of Ireland, the total for the 

 month was less than one inch. The month was not, however, a brilliant 

 one, and at Wisley, as in nearly every part of the kingdom, the amount 

 of bright sunshine recorded was less than the average, and in some 

 districts the deficiency was very considerable. 



The results from the observations made at Wisley are shown in the 

 following table : 



Mean temperature of the air in shade . . . ,40-7° 

 Highest „ „„„.... 55-4° on the nth 



Lowest „ „„„.... 25° „ 23rd 



Lowest on the grass ..... 19° 23rd 



Number of nights of ground frost . . . . . . . -15 







At depth of 







I ft. 



2 ft.. 



4 ft. 



Mean temperature of the soil at 9 a.m. 



40-2 



= 41-0° 



43-5 



Highest 



• 44^ 



43° 



45° 



Lowest „ 



. 37° 



39° 



42° 



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

 represented by 100), 89 per cent. 



Rain fell on 10 days, to the total depth of 0-75 in. (equivalent to about 

 3|- gallons of water to the square yard). Heaviest fall on any day 0-21 in., on 

 the 1st. 



The prevailing winds were southerly. 



The average velocity of the wind was 8 miles an hour. 



There were 49 hours of bright sunshine, equal to 18 per cent, of the greatest 

 possible amount. 



There were 10 days on which no sunshine was recorded. 



March. — The outstanding feature of the weather throughout this 

 month was its unsettled character. The month began with a strong 

 southerly gale, and rough boisterous weather in which the wind 

 occasionally became exceptionally strong continued more or less 

 right on to its close, although the last week was scarcely so rough 

 as the earlier days had been. A gale which occurred on the 22nd 



