352 
The Spring Drought of 1893. 
1893. 
For comparison, I add the following : — 
Greenwich. — Partial drought from Feb. 28 to May 10, or 
78 days, including an absolute drought of 30 days from Mar. 18 
to April 15. 
Camden Square. — Partial drought from Feb. 28 to May 16, 
or 78 days, including an absolute drought of 29 days from 
March 18 to April 15. 
Hence we see that of the six instances of partial droughts 
exceeding GO days in spring, 5 cases occurred in the first 54 
years, and only the present one in the last 40 years. 
The Spring Drought of 1893. 
The rainfall of January 1893 was near the average; that of 
February was in excess in almost all parts of England, and at 
its close the ground was wet generally. 
As regards the drought itself I have thought it better to 
give the facts than any general remarks. I have, therefore, 
selected 24 stations, of which the equable distribution within 
England and Wales is sufficiently shown by the map on the oppo- 
site page, and have obtained from each observer the daily fall for 
the 92 consecutive days from March 1 to May 31, both inclusive. 
The whole of these amounts are given in the folding table 
facing p. 354, falls of a tenth of an inch (10 tons per acre) or 
upwards being printed in heavy type. 
The first feature which strikes one upon looking at the table 
is the frequent absolute rainlessness of the whole country, 
especially the thirteen days March 18 to 30, when there was 
but one shower of 0-03 inch at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, from 
April 3 to 14 (12 days) with nothing but 0'01 inch at Walmer, 
and May 4 to 13 with only 0’02 inch at Strathfield Turgiss. 
Then there is the extremely small fall at all stations for the 
long period of 24 months — 74 days — March 2 to May 14 in- 
clusive, which was less than a quarter of an inch at Walmer and 
Brighton , and less than half an inch at the following stations, 
including the two just mentioned : — 
inch 
Walmer, Kent .... 0'22 
Brighton, Sussex . . . 0-24 
Stroud, Gloucester . . 0 40 
Langton Herring, Dorset 0'42 
inch 
Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk 0‘43 
Camden Square, London 0'44 
Stratlitield Turgiss, Hants 0'47 
Hitchin, Herts .... 0 49 
These amounts range from about an eighth to a sixteenth of 
the average fall for that period. 
Another very striking fact is the way in which what little 
rain did occur fell at intervals of a fortnight. If we strike out 
