152 Report of Ej-pcriincnts on the Growth of Barley, 
very variable. There was a full amount of rain (or snow) in 
January, but a deficiency in both February and March ; though 
the melting of the snows of January, succeeded by frequent 
rains early in February, caused floods in many parts. April, 
May, and June were, with the exception of the latter half of 
April, which was warm with a good deal of south-west wind and 
rain, unusually cold, with a great deal of east or north wind, or 
some compound of the two ; and there was an excess of rain in 
April and June, but a deficiency in May ; June, especially, 
being very unseasonably cold and wet. July, excepting about a 
week after the middle of the month, was cold, with a con- 
siderable excess of rain ; but, from early in August to about the 
middle of September, there was a period of 6 weeks of warm 
and genial weather, from which time, till the end of September, 
it was again very cold, wet, and stormy. August was not only 
warm, but there was very little rain, whilst in September there 
was, towards the end of the month, a great excess of rain. The 
degree of humidity of the air was high in April and June, rather 
high in July, rather low in May, very low in August, and low 
in September. 
The autumn of 1870 was thus changeable as to temperature, 
upon the whole cold, wet during the first half of September, and 
also of October, but afterwards comparatively dry and favourable 
for field work. The greater part of the winter was extremely 
severe, with a good deal of snow, and very cold winds ; the 
remainder was mild and very wet, retarding field work and 
spring sowing ; whilst winter corn was very backward, in many 
cases injured, pastures very bare, and vegetables very scarce. 
The hard winter had, however, killed many insects, and March 
was favourable for field work and sowing. With the exception 
of the latter half of April, the remainder of the spring was cold 
and backward. The rest of the active growing period was, 
excepting one or two intervals of short duration, cold, bleak, 
and very wet ; hay was much damaged, corn crops were very 
backward, and in many cases much laid. In the greater part of 
England, however, August and the early part of September were 
warm and dry, much aiding the ripening and getting in of the 
crops; but the latter half of September was cold and wet. 
With a very severe winter, a cold spring, more than the first 
half of the summer also cold, and a great excess of rain in June 
and July, the reports of the wheat crop of the country were, with 
few exceptions, unfavourable. The seed had mostly been got in 
well, but with a winter of intense frosts, and high east winds 
sweeping the snow which fell into the furrows, hollows, and 
hedges, much wheat was killed or injured. A good deal was 
ploughed up, some re-sown in the spring ; the heavy soils 
