Canadian Agriculture. 
239 
The coldest day of the year appears to have been the 24th of 
December, when the highest reading of the thermometer was 
—28-4°, and the lowest —50-5°. 
The following table contains further information relating to 
the same year : — 
Meteorological Observations at Winnipeg, 1879. 
Rainfall. 
Snowfall. 
Total 
Rain and 
Melted 
Snow. 
Days on 
which 
Rain fell. 
Da.vs on 
which 
Snow fell. 
Number 
of 
Fogs. 
^ umber 
of 
Thunder- 
storms. 
Inches. 
January . . 
0 
16-72 
1 
555 
0 
9 
0 
0 
February .. 
0 
7-30 
0 
655 
0 
G 
0 
0 
March 
0-210 
5-30 
0 
625 
1 
.3 
1 
0 
April 
1-970 
2-65 
2 
230 
10 
1 
1 
1 
May .. .. 
2-785 
0 
2 
785 
14 
0 
0 
5 
June .. 
7-050 
0 
7 
050 
15 
0 
0 
10 
July .. 
3-765 
0 
3 
765 
IS 
0 
0 
15 
August 
1-820 
0 
1 
820 
12 
0 
2 
6 
September 
0-740 
0 
0 
740 
10 
0 
1 
0 
October 
1-420 
1 
420 
9 
0 
2 
0 
November.. 
0-050 
3-70 
0 
300 
2 
7 
1 
0 
December 
0 
24-23 
2 
290 
0 
13 
1 
0 
Total .. 
19-810 
59-90 
25 
235 
91 
39 
9 
37 
But perhaps the best general idea of the climate may 
be derived from an examination of the Table on page 240, 
in which are summarised the results of eleven years' obser- 
vations. In that Table the total annual amount of aqueous 
precipitation must, of course, be looked for in the line devoted 
to " total rain and melted snow," as, in making up these numbers, 
the fall of snow is rendered into its equivalent of water.* It 
will be seen that, on an average, the waters of the Red River are 
open for navigation during seven months of the year, so that 
the winter season extends over five months. Mr. James Stewart, 
of St. Andrews, Manitoba, in presenting to the Deputy Minister 
of Agriculture and Statistics the figures upon which the 
three tables here given are based, makes use of the following 
remarks : — 
" The climate of this country, I believe, is the finest in the world. On ac- 
count of the bracing dry atmosphere the fluctuations of the temperature are 
not inconveniently felt, as is the case in places where the atmosphere is more 
humid. The warm days in summer are generally followed by cool evenings, 
and such a thing as very sultry and oppressive heat is scarcely known. The 
warm days, followed by cool nights and copious dews, facilitate the growth of 
cereals in a wonderful degree. The winters here are also very pleasant and 
bracing, proceeding from the same cause, namely, the dryness of our atmos- 
* " On a very ronr/h estunaie a foot of snow yields about an inch of rain." — ■ 
- Meteorology.' By R. H. Scott, F.R.S. ; Kegan'Paul and Co., Third Ed., p. 142. 
