414  The  Weather  of  the  Past  Agricultural  Year. 
from  the  westward  or  south-westward.  Until  the  closing 
week,  when  the  wind  got  round  to  north  or  north-east, 
temperature  was  usually  well  above  the  average,  the  highest 
readings  being  observed  on  the  3rd  and  4th,  when  the 
thermometer  at  one  or  two  places  in  the  north  and  east  of 
England  touched  70°.  Heavy  falls  of  rain  were,  however, 
frequent,  the  principal  cases  occurring  in  the  following 
districts  on  the  dates  quoted  : — (a)  In  Wales  and  the  north- 
west of  England  on  the  12th  ; (&)  in  Wales  on  the  14th,  and  in 
the  south-west  of  England  on  the  loth;  (c)  in  North  Wales 
and  the  north-west  of  England  on  the  19th,  and  again  on  the 
23rd ; and  (rf)  over  the  entire  south-eastern  quarter  of  England 
between  the  26th  and  28th.  On  the  last-mentioned  occasion 
the  total  quantity  of  rain  in  three  days  exceeded  five  inches 
in  many  parts  of  Kent  and  Sussex  (where  serious  floods  were 
reported),  and  amounted  to  more  than  six  inches  at  Kearsney, 
the  fall  being  equal  to  more  than  twice  as  much  as  the  average 
for  the  whole  of  October, — normally  the  wettest  month  in  the 
year. 
November  witnessed  a decided  improvement  in  the  weather, 
the  rainfall  over  England  being  as  a rule  very  small,  and  bright 
sunshine  considerably  in  excess  of  the  normal.  Temperature 
was,  however,  very  low,  especially  about  the  middle  of  the 
month,  when  a frost  of  unusual  severity  for  the  time  of  year 
occurred  in  all  the  more  western  and  northern  parts  of  the 
country.  In  the  north  of  England  the  sheltered  thermometer 
between  the  14th  and  16th  fell  below  20°,  while  in  Scotland 
and  the  north  of  Ireland  it  sank  below  15°,  a reading  as  low 
as  3°  being  recorded  at  Balmoral.  On  the  surface  of  the  grass 
the  thermometer  at  Balmoral  fell  to  zero,  while  at  Crathes,  in 
Kincardineshire,  it  went  5°  below  zero.  In  the  south  and  east 
of  England  the  frost  was  of  moderate  intensity,  and,  with  a 
marked  absence  of  rain,  farming  operations,  which  had  been 
much  delayed  by  the  heavy  downpours  of  October,  were 
resumed  under  fairly  favourable  conditions. 
For  the  autumn  as  a whole  the  mean  temperature  was 
below  the  average,  and  the  rainfall  in  excess  in  all  but  the 
north-eastern  parts  of  the  country.  In  the  south-east  of 
England  the  total  amount  was  as  much  as  38  per  cent,  in 
excess  of  the  normal.  Less  than  the  average  amount  of  bright 
sunshine  was  recorded  in  all  but  the  western  districts,  the 
deficiency  being  greatest  in  the  eastern  counties. 
Fredbkick  J.  Brodib. 
12  Patten  Road, 
Wandsworth  Common. 
