METEOROLOGY ; IMPORTATIONS OF GRAIN ; SALES OP 
BRITISH WHEAT; PRICES OF CORN AND OTHER 
PRODUCE; AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS; AND STA- 
TISTICS OF DAIRY PRODUCE. 
[77ie facts are derived chiefly from the Meteorological Reports of Mr. 
GiiAisnER, and the Beturns of the Board of Trade mid of the Inspector- 
General OF Imports and Exports.] 
METEOROLOGY.— 1878. 
First Quarter (January, February, March). — The month of January 
was unusually mild, the sk}' was generally overcast, and there was 
very little sunshine ; the fall of rain was less than the average, and 
the fall of snow till after the 24th was small in amount. Till the 
24th day, with few exceptions, the temperature was above its 
average ; the temperatures on the 21st and 22nd, both day and 
night, were extremely high, and the average excess of daily tem- 
perature from January 1st to the 24th was 5°'l. On the 25th a cold 
period setin,and continued to February 12th. Snow fell daily, chiefly 
in the north. On February 13th a very warm period set in, and on 
the 17th there was a remarkably high day-temperature; this very 
warm period continued till March 13th. For the 28 days ending 
March 13th, the daily excess of temperature was on the average as 
large as 7°; then there occurred 5 days of low temperature, snow 
falling over the Midland and Northern Counties daily ; the average 
daily deficiency of temperature was 4^° ; then 4 days (March 18th- 
22nd) of warmth followed, the excess of temperature being 6i°. Up 
to this time the weather for the whole quarter had been exceedingly 
mild ; but on the 23rd day of March bad weather set in witli severity, 
and from this day to the end of the quarter the weather was bitterly 
inclement; snow fell every day, accompanied with very cold N. 
and N.E. winds, and no more trying weather during the winter 
was experienced than on March 29th and 30 th. The snow on 
these days was large in amount, and was general over the whole 
country. The average deficiency of temperature for the 10 days 
ending March 31st was as large as 6|° daily. 
The mean temperature of the quarter was 41°*5, and exceeded by 
2°'8 the average for the corresponding period in 107 years. The 
VOL. XV. — S. S. A 
