The  Weather  of  the  Past  Agricultural  Year.  359 
steady  plant  growth,  and  thus  atoning  in  a large  measure 
for  the  mischievous  effects  of  the  wet  autumn,  and  the 
numerous  meteorological  vicissitudes  of  the  winter.  The 
summer,  although  much  finer  in  the  northern  than  in  the 
southern  parts  of  England,  was  upon  the  whole  extremely 
cloudy  and  cool,  and  with  such  conditions  it  was  surprising 
to  find  that  the  crops  ripened  so  well,  and  promised  such  an 
abundant  yield.  In  many  localities,  however,  the  appearances 
proved  to  be  not  a little  deceptive,  the  results  of  the  threshing 
showing  a much  poorer  return  than  might  have  been  expected 
from  the  outward  appearance  of  the  grain.  The  fine  weather 
of  September  was  favourable  for  the  clearing  of  the  land  and 
for  ploughing  and  other  farm  work,  but  for  the  remainder  of 
last  autumn  the  weather  was  not  propitious,  the  frequent  heavy 
rains  and  the  low  temperatures  of  November  being  unfavourable 
for  the  formation  of  a healthy  and  vigorous  seed  bed.  The 
leading  features  in  the  weather  of  the  four  meteorological 
seasons  of  last  year  were  as  follows  : — 
The  Winter  of  1909-10  was  marked  by  extremely  change- 
able weather,  wdth  frequent  gales  and  heavy  rains,  occasional 
falls  of  snow,  and  rapid  fluctuations  in  temperature.  Over 
England  the  mean  temperature  of  the  season  was  above  the 
average,  the  mildest  periods  occurring  respectively  in  the 
second  week  of  December,  in  the  last  week  of  that  month 
and  the  first  fortnight  in  the  new  year,  and  in  the  first  week 
in  February.  The  sharpest  frosts  of  the  season  occurred  respec- 
tively just  before  Christmas  and  in  the  closing  week  in  January. 
Between  December  20  and  22  the  sheltered  thermometer  fell 
to  15°  or  less  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  and  to  10°  or  less  at 
several  places  in  the  west  and  north.  On  the  surface  of  the 
ground  the  exposed  thermometer  at  Worksop  sank  on  the 
morning  of  the  21st  to  7°  below  zero.  Between  January  26 
and  28  the  sheltered  thermometer  again  fell  below  15°  in  many 
places,  and  below  10"  at  some  stations  in  the  north  and  north- 
west. At  Buxton  a reading  as  low  as  1°  was  registered  in  the 
screen,  and  a reading  of  9°  below  zero  on  the  surface  of  the  grass. 
Throughout  the  winter  rainy  days  were  unusually  numerous 
and  the  total  precipitation  largely  in  excess  of  the  average,  the 
excess  amounting  to  as  much  as  55  per  cent,  in  the  south-west 
of  England,  to  40  per  cent,  in  the  east,  and  to  37  per  cent,  in  the 
south-east.  Snow  was  rare,  the  principal  falls  occurring  with 
a south-easterly  gale  which  sprang  up  on  December  21  and  22. 
As  is  usually  the  case  in  a wet  stormy  winter,  when  the  clouds 
are  so  frequently  driven  away  by  high  winds,  the  amount  of 
bright  sunshine  was  largely  in  excess  of  the  average  in  all 
districts,  and  especially  in  the  south-east  of  England. 
The  Spring  of  1910  opened  well,  but  deteriorated  as  time 
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