TJie Diamond-bach MotJt . 
625 
parison with each other, and in connection with the preceding and 
following observations belonging to the same locality. 
5. Character of weather and nature of tceeds. 
" Weather decidedly fine and dry last autumn ; lateness in 
harvest caused difficulty in clearing the land." — E. A. A. 
" So far as I have observed there was nothing exceptional in the 
weather during the autumn to account for the visitation.'' — A. B. 
" From March to June 1 very dry and cold, then very dry aitd 
•warm."' — J. B. 
" After the frost of last season the land was in fine order, and 
turnip sowing was commenced about May 1 ; with a fair amount 
of rain in that month, the early-sown fields got well away, though 
for a time they were kept back by cold east winds. In June we 
had only 0-28 rain ; ... up to July 15, 0 65 rain fell, but in 
such small quantities as to do only the growing turnips good. On 
July 17 and IS the caterpillai-s appeared and simply ate up all the 
weakly plants, which had come away in patches, and did much 
damage to fields which had stood still in J une, not being far enough 
on in the shaw to catch the rain and hoar. 
'"Heavy rain on the 21st, 22nd, and a lower temperature 
marked a change, and by the end of the month the caterpillars were 
much fewer in number ; and now (August 15) are entire! v away." — ■ 
J. X. B. 
Accompanying his long and careful report (of which space per- 
mits me only to give the main points), Mr. J. A. Begbie (of Queens- 
tonbank, Drem, Haddingtonshire) favoui'ed me with meteorological 
returns, bearing serviceably on considerations of weather efl'ects, 
and amongst these the greater warmth and the absence of any 
sudden fall of temperature during the nights of July, 1891, are very 
noticeable as compared with the observations of night temperatures 
during July in the two previous years, namely, in 1890 and in 
1889. In these three years the lowest readings taken of night 
temperatures were : — - 
18S0, for the most part between 43° and 51° 
1890 „ „ „ 41° „ 50° 
1891 „ „ „ 46° „ 54° 
The general temperature at the time of observation was thus 
noticeably higher in 1891, and in this year it was only twice re- 
corded in the month as sinking as low as 44°. 
'• Never saw the land in finer condition for the growth of turnips ; 
it was all that could be desired. ' — G. C. 
" Weather was very dry the previous autumn, and the land in 
this district was especially well cleaned." — R. C, for Lord Auckland. 
" Weather here has been exceedingly dry for two years ; except 
on two occasions no water has run off the surface." — G. D. 
"Previous autumn wet, but did not interfere with cleaning of 
turnip break. No particular weed noticeable." — J. D. 
