X. 
REPORT OF THE 
These plants have been arranged and presented by Mr. 
Theo. Sampson, who has exercised a vast amount of patience 
and labour in collecting and preserving the specimens. 
A further account will appear in the printed Report, and 
in the meantime, it may be remarked that this valuable 
collection will compare favourably (as regards quality) with 
any collection of Chinese plants in Britain. 
Meteorology. —1894 suffers by contrast with its brilliant 
predecessor, and has left an impression of lack of warmth and 
sunshine from these being deficient during important months, 
although both were in excess for the whole year. 
Temperature was half a degree above the mean, but for the 
five months, May to September, the average deficiency was 
1 1°. The excess of 2°, 3£° and 3°, in February, March and 
April, respectively, had hardly greater effect upon the 
autumnal crops, than the succeeding excess of 4 ~ n and 
2J° in November and December. Only once (June 30th) was 
a temperature of 80° attained, against eleven times last year, 
and the extreme range is only 70*2° or 8 J° less. The maximum 
in March (66 3°) was actually higher than that in May, Easter 
time, as in last year, being remarkably warm and brilliant. 
The severe frost on May 21st cut potatoes, beech, oak, ash, etc., 
rather seriously. The number of ground frosts (101) was the 
same in the two years. 
Mean pressure was slightly in excess, the range was F89 
inches, which is not very great, although in five months the 
minimum was below 29 inches. Serious gales were unusually 
few, but the final storm, on December 22nd, was exceedingly 
destructive, at least 250 or 300 lives being lost on land and 
sea, including those in the Ohelford Railway wreck. Locally, 
it will long be remembered, not only from the serious damage, 
but from the Market in Parliament Street, the great Christmas 
Market, having been rendered impossible for the first time 
since the space was opened. The barometer fell over lj inch 
in 36 hours, and rose (during the Saturday) over an inch in 
15 hours. Between three and four, when the descent was 
fastest, the aneroidogram shows a sudden upward jump of 
0 035 inch. On the 28th and 29th, it again fell 1J inch in 
