124 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
February. — The weather of February, like that of the preceding 
month, was stormy and unsettled, but whilst in January the area of 
disturbance was mainly the southern half of the kingdom it now became 
extended to Scotland as well, the worst weather occurring during the 
earlier half of the month, the last week being generally quiet and 
fine. For the fourth month in succession there was a large excess of 
rain, the fall over the whole kingdom approximating to twice the 
normal amount, and at Wisley to more than three times the average, 
garden work being again delayed ; the flooded area in the Thames 
Valley became considerably extended ; and there were heavy floods 
in the river Wey , which skirts the Society's Gardens. The temperature 
was generally nearly normal, and at Wisley there were no severe 
frosts ; the warmest days came at the beginning, but there was only 
one day throughout the month on which the thermometer failed to 
reach 40 0 . Notwithstanding the large rainfall, the amount of bright 
sunshine was more than is usual in February ; there were only a few 
days on which some was not recorded, and there were several really 
bright days, the average amount being rather more than two and a half 
hours a day. The winds were mainly from between south-east and 
south-west, and their average velocity was eight miles an hour. 
The results obtained from the observations made at Wisley are 
shown in the following table : 
Mean temperature of the air in shade .... 40-2° 
Highest „ „„.*.. 51-8° on the 3rd 
Lowest „,,.... 24-6° 13th 
on the grass ..... 17 0 „ 25th 
Number of nights of ground frost . . . . . . . 15 
At depth of 
1 ft. 2 ft. 4 ft. 
Mean temperature of the soil at 9 A.M. . . . 39*4° 40-8° 42-2° 
Highest „ „ „ 42-4° 42-6° 42-9° 
Lowest „ . . . 36-3° 39*2° 41-6° 
Mean relative humidity of the air at 9 a.m. (complete saturation being repre- 
sented by 100) 88 per cent. 
Rain fell on 21 days, to the total depth of 4-47 in. (equivalent to about 21 
gallons of water to the square yard). Heaviest fall on any day 0-62 in., on the 13th. 
The prevailing winds were south-westerly. 
The average velocity of the wind was 8 miles an hour. 
There were 75 hours of bright sunshine, equal to 27 per cent, of the greatest 
possible amount. 
There were 6 days on which no sunshine was recorded. 
March. — -The mild unsettled weather of the preceding months 
persisted through the early part of March, but about the middle of the 
month there came a change to colder weather, which continued, with 
the exception of a few days about the end of the third week, until the 
close of the month. It was, however, a dry month, the total fall of 
rain at Wisley being but three-quarters of an inch ; and it is worth 
noting that this was the first month since the close of October which 
could be regarded as other than exceptionally wet ! The mean 
temperature was slightly below normal, but there were a few really 
warm days when the temperature at Wisley approached closely to 
6o° ; these were, however, followed by the coldest days of the month, 
and on the night of the 29th the screened thermometer fell to io° below 
