Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
493 
Appleby, and Kendal, sufficiently represent the agricultural 
part of the district ; and of these, Carlisle, Silloth, Penrith, and 
Appleby, being farthest removed from the mountain masses, 
most accurately show the pluvio-metrical conditions of the cul- 
tivated parts. I have added the Keswick, Seathwaite, and 
Styehead stations at the bottom of the Table, that my readers 
may see the vast difference between the rainfall of the Lake 
country and a good deal of the rest of the two counties. 
It is many years since Keswick lost the pre-eminence which 
it once enjoyed of being the wettest place in Great Britain ; and, 
in fact, this reputation was gained for it by the absence of 
scientific observation in most other parts of the kingdom at a 
time when accurate records had long been established at this 
station. But it is not very long since Seathwaite was deposed, 
and the " Stye " (well known to travellers crossing from 
Borrowdale to Wastdale) was promoted to the apex of rainfall 
renown. 
But over the agricultural districts the climate is perhaps 
more humid than positively wet, as shown by the Tables, and 
moreover is of that moderate and equable temperature which 
seems naturally associated, to an agriculturist, with oats among 
cereals, turnips among roots, and abundance of grass. The 
Gulf Stream, which sweeps the shores of Cumberland, no doubt 
lends this equability to its climate ; and in summer its vapours 
are precipitated immediately they touch the cold mountain-tops, 
■whilst in winter they penetrate inwards and mitigate the natu- 
ral asperity of the season. It is said (I know not with what 
foundation of authority) that Silloth can boast a mean annual 
temperature exceeding Hastings by 1°, and that the mean 
daily range of temperature of that place is only 13"2° ; but that 
the whole of this coast and the opposite Scotch shores of the 
Solway enjoy a remarkable immunity from extremes of heat 
or cold there can be no doubt to any one who will watch from 
day to day the maps of the Meteorological Department of the 
Board of Trade, which afford such valuable information on 
these subjects. 
The geology of the district is complicated, but is of an 
exceedingly interesting character. The Maps appended to the 
Reports of Mr. Dickinson on Cumberland (p. 207, vol. xiii., 
old series), and Mr. Crayston Webster on Westmoreland (vol. iv., 
new series, p. 1), will give a general idea of both the physical 
and geological features of the two counties, and I shall only say 
a few words upon this subject, fascinating though it be, by 
reason of the researches of Sedgwick and others. 
Almost the whole of the great mountain masses arc of slate, 
entirely of the upper Silurian formation, and next in order 
