for Twenty Years in succession on the same Land, 137 
peratuie of April had however frequently, and that of each of the 
other months occasionally, been exceeded in the corresponding 
months of other years; but the average temperature of the three 
months together had only once been exceeded in any corresponding 
three months for 98 years (the period for which records are avail- 
able), namely, in 1865, when, though April was hotter, May and 
June were not quite so hot as in 1868 ; and the average tem- 
perature of the whole period, from the middle of January to the 
end of June, was only exceeded in 1822. Concurrently with this 
long-continued warm weather, there was, as already said, a great 
excess of rain in January, and only moderate amounts in February 
and March ; there was a small excess in April, a deficiency in 
May, and a very great deficiency in June. Temperatures in 
excess of the average also prevailed almost continuously throughout 
the succeeding quarter, namely, to the end of September. July, 
in particular, was very excessively warm, with at the same time a 
continued great deficiency of rain ; August was also warmer than 
the average, but with a good deal of rain ; and September more in 
excess as to temperature than August, with a deficiency of rain. In 
no year of the previous 98 had the temperature so far exceeded the 
average in so long a corresponding period as that from the middle 
of January to the end of September of this year, 1868. The total 
rainfall of the nine months was not much below the average ; but 
the amount which fell was very excessive in January, and exces- 
sive also in April and in August, whilst it was deficient in each 
of the other months of the period, and very greatly so during the 
three consecutive months of greatest heat, namely May, June, and 
July. The degree of humidity of the atmosphere was also lower 
than the average in each of the nine months from January to 
September inclusive, greatly so in June, very greatly so in July, 
and considerably in August and September. 
The characters of this extraordinary season may be briefly 
summarised as follows : — After a favourable autumn seed-time, 
the first half of the winter was very variable, including some very 
warm, but more stormy, wet, snowy and frosty weather. From 
that time to after harvest, the temperature was almost always 
above the average, and very greatly so in the summer months of 
June and July ; whilst, after a favourable spring seed-time, there 
was a sufficiency of rain in April to give a fair start to early- 
sown crops ; but, from that time until the harvest was nearly 
over, throughout the Midland, Southern, and Eastern districts of 
the country, the excessive temperatures were accompanied by a 
drought of unusual severity, both as regards the length of its 
duration, and the great amount of the deficiency of rain, with at 
the same time a very dry atmosphere. 
With the favourable autumn seed-time, the area under wheat 
