316 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
REPORT ON METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT 
WISLEY, 1917. 
By R. H. Curtis, F.R.H.S. 
The present is the Fourteenth Annual Report on the Meteorological 
observations made at the Society's Climatological Observatory in 
the Gardens at Wisley, the daily readings of the instruments having 
been continued without a break since the beginning of 1904. To 
the horticulturist the outstanding feature of the weather of 1917 
was the unusual intensity and persistence of the cold which prevailed 
throughout the first four months of the year, and also during the closing 
four weeks. During the whole of these five months the temperature 
was much below the normal (see fig. 50) ; and although, later on, this 
was to some extent balanced by the warmth of summer, yet it sufficed 
to bring down the average temperature for the year to considerably 
below the normal point. Taking the seventeen weeks comprised in 
the first period, January to April, there was but one week which 
could be regarded as seasonably warm, whilst eleven were phenomen- 
ally cold, and the other five also cold, but to a lesser degree. As 
regards rain also — another all-important climatological factor to the 
gardener — whilst in most districts the total fall for the year did not 
differ greatly from the usual amount, its distribution over the twelve 
months was unusual. The early, cold, months were also very dry 
ones ; but July and August were remarkably wet ; and in June 
there occurred in London, and also in Somerset, local downpours of 
rain of extraordinary — and indeed, so far as the records go, of un- 
precedented — violence. During the winter months snow fell rather 
frequently, and occasionally the falls were large, although as a rule 
they were noticeable rather for their frequency than for their intensity. 
At Wisley more or less rain fell on one hundred and thirty-seven days, 
and snow on twenty-two days. A somewhat smaller amount than usual 
of bright sunshine was registered generally, and at Wisley the recorded 
total duration amounted to only one-third of the time the sun was 
above the horizon, so that the year cannot be regarded as a bright one. 
The chief climatological features of the year of immediate interest to 
the horticulturist can be at once appreciated by reference to the four 
diagrams which accompany this Report. In fig. 50 is shown, for each 
month of the year, the amount by which temperature and rainfall 
exceeded or fell short of the average. Fig. 51 indicates for each 
month the mean temperature of the air, and of the soil at depths 
of one foot and four feet, and therefore exhibits for each location 
the " March " of temperature throughout they ear. Fig. 52 shows at a 
glance the relative frequency of winds from different points of the 
compass, and also the relative prevalence of calms. Fig. 53 brings 
