Our Climate and our Wheat-Crops. 
187 
January (1815-16) were not nearly so cold, but November, 
February, and March were colder in 1815-lG. The mean tem- 
peratures of April and May were rather the higher in 18 IG ; 
but those of June, July, and August were considerably lower 
in 1816 than in 1879. In fact, there is no instance of so 
low a temperature prevailing throughout these three summer 
months, in any other of the 108 years, the temperature for which 
Mr. Glashier has given us the record. In each of the seven 
months, November 1815 to May 1816 inclusive, the fall of rain 
was only about, or not much over, the average ; there being 
only one-third of an inch of excess compared with the average 
over that period ; whilst, during the same months of 1878-9, 
there was an excess of more than 4^^ inches, and an excess com- 
pared with 1815-16 of nearly 4 inches. In June 1816 there 
was an excess, in July a great excess, but in August only a 
slight excess of rain ; the total excess in the three summer months 
being only 2*34 inches, whilst in 1879 it was 6"3 inches. Over 
the whole ten months from November to August inclusive, 
1815-16 showed only a total of 2'68 inches, whilst the same 
period of 1878-9 showed an excess of 10' 6 inches over the 
average of 63 years ; and for the first nine months of 1879 a 
higher rainfall is recorded than in the corresponding period of 
any year of the sixty-three. In September 1879 there was con- 
siderably more rain than in September 1816. But afterwards, 
with a very late harvest in both cases, there was a considerable 
excess in 1816, and a considerable deficiency in 1879 ; and it is 
stated that, in 1816, some wheat was still out when the winter 
snows began. 
Thus, from seed-time to the end of May, the season of 1815-16, 
though materially colder than the average, did not include such 
a severe period as that of the winter of 1878-9 ; whilst the fall 
of rain was very little over average, and very much below 
that of 1878-9. From seed-time up to the end of the spring, 
therefore, the season of 1815-16 was more favourable than that 
of 1878-9 as to temperature, and much more favourable as to 
rainfall — indeed, not specially unfavourable. During the three 
summer months, however, the temperature of 1816 was ex- 
tremely low, and much lower than the corresponding though 
still low period of 1879. And, with the very low temperature 
of the summer of 1816, there was at the same time an excess of 
rain, but by no means so great an excess as in 1879 ; but subse- 
quently, there was not only low temperature, but excess of rain 
in 1816, much damaging, and often preventing the harvesting 
of the crop. 
There can be little doubt, therefore, that the season of 1879 
was, from seed-time to the end of the summer, worse than that 
