mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
377 
RAINFALL. 
20-year 
average. 
Departure 
Heaaons. 
1896. 
1W. 
1898. 
1899. 
1900. 
1901. 
.of 1901 from 
average. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
iu. 
in. 
in. 
Winter ... 
3.28 
7.86 
4.11 
5.82 
7.42 
5.88 
6.02 
—0.14 
Spring ... 
Summer ... 
5.18 
5.05 
6.18 
6.84 
4.26 
5.10 
5.21 
— 0.1 1 
4.88 
4.17 
6.90 
3.52 
8.77 
3.61 
7.17 
-3.56 
Autumn ... 
8.49 
6.42 
5.65 
8.31 
5.32 
5.11 
8.50 
—3.39 
Year 
23.28 
22.07 
23.33 
23.94 
26.99 
21.06 
26.90 
1 — 5.84 
The mean temperature of the Winter was milder than the average, 
owing to the exceptionally warm December of the previous year. 
The latter part of the Winter was colder than usual. The Spring 
gave results approximating the mean, but the Summer and Autumn, 
for the third year in succession, were each of higher mean temper- 
atures than the average. Rainfall was deiicient in each quarter, 
although but slightly so in the Winter and Spring. The Summer 
quarter gave only about half of its usual rainfall, and the deficiency 
in the Autumn was also very large. 
The Year 
The chief feature of the year was its great dryness, the total 
deficiency of rain to the end of November having been as much as 
7.64 in., and that of the entire year 5.84 in. This was the more 
remarkable when it is remembered that there has been no year with 
an excessive rainfall since 1892, and six out of the eight previous 
years had given a deficient rainfall. Thunderstorms were very 
infrequent during the Summer, and it is singular that the most 
severe thunderstorm of the year occurred on January 28th, and 
was accompanied as above stated, by heavy snow and extreme 
darkness. While the Summer was as fine as could be wished for 
by the haymaker or the holidaymaker, the dryness left its mark 
over the face of the country generally, and the farmer and the 
gardener had many droughty difficulties to contend with. The fruit 
crop suffered severely, and the Apple crop in particular, which had 
been superabundant in the previous year, was extremely scanty 
throughout the county. The corn harvest began about August 1st, 
and the time for the ingathering was as fine as could be desired, 
the fields in most localities being cleared by the end of the month. 
