170 
. Tlie Agriculture of Glamorganshh-e. 
of the county of Leicester 37 "56 inches. The mean average 
rainfall in 1883 was in Glamorgan, 56*08 inches ; in Middle- 
sex, 25 "64 inches ; and in Leicester, 33 "13 inches. The rain- 
fall of the hill districts of Glamorgan exceeds that of the Vale 
or lower districts by 20 inches per annum on the average. 
I cannot do better than give some notes from Dr. Franklen 
Evans's Reports just referred to, respecting the meteorological 
character of some of the recent seasons. " In 1872 rain fell on 
243 days in the county, the total rainfall being 62 • 73 inches. 
In 1875 there were 196 wet days, and the mean rainfall was 
63*22 inches. In 1879 the average rainfall was 52*54 inches. 
The season was marked by a low average temperature. The 
harvest of this year was worse than that of 1860, and more like 
that of 1816. In 1880 the average rainfall of the county was 
41 * 80 inches. The mean temperature 50 * 4 degrees. The mean 
degree of moisture was 81, complete saturation being represented 
by 100." 
The prevailing winds in South Wales are from the west and 
south-west, and they expend their force on its mountain ranges. 
The mountain-tops drain the rain-clouds of their contents, and 
break the force of the gales in their passage inland. South 
Wales is noted for its mild, but wet winters, by somewhat late 
springs, and by variable summers and autumns. The changes 
of temperature are frequently very sudden. Snow generally 
melts as it falls near the coast, and even on the mountain-tops 
it seldom remains for any length of time. The recent seasons, 
so frequently described as having been abnormally wet, have 
not always been so in reality, but the rainfall has been pecu- 
liarly distributed, and it has fallen at times disastrous to 
farming pursuits. Although the county of Glamorgan is cha- 
racterised by great humidity, owing to the mists and vapours 
which rise from the Atlantic, all cereals, whether grown on 
the lowlands or in the hill districts, seldom, if ever, fail to 
come to maturity. The mild and moist climate is particu- 
larly favourable to the growth of grass and green crops. It 
is no uncommon thing for land, after having been cultivated 
for a number of years, to be allowed to seed itself down to grass. 
The practice cannot be commended in any way, but doubtless 
much of the grass-land of Glamorgan has at some period been 
left to nature to do the seeding. In other parts of the country, 
where grass has been laid away with the greatest care, it 
generally shows a falling off in vigour about the fourth and 
fifth years. In this county, if the treatment has not been bad, 
grass-land at four or five years old shows no lack of vitality, 
and generally a fairly good sward has by that time been 
established. 
