306 
THE ETIOLOGY OF BLACKLEG, ETC. 
“ Tliermometric and Atmospheric Oh serrations. 
“1852. 
“The winter of 1852 was very 
temperate. In January the thermo¬ 
meter averaged +° Cent.; in March 
it rose to 22° Cent. In spring there 
were complaints of drought. 
“The spring commenced with a 
temperature of +15° to +22°; to¬ 
wards the end of April the thermo¬ 
meter fell below 0°. 
“ The temperature of the months 
May and June was moderate and 
dry. 
“ During summer there were pe¬ 
riods of very great heat. The ther¬ 
mometer rose in July to +35°, tem- 
peature unusual for Beance. 
“Autumn .^The months of Octo¬ 
ber, November, and December were 
very temperate; the last was very 
remarkable for its mildness, the 
average being +5° each. 
“1853. 
“ Winter .—After the abundant 
rains and snowstorms of January 
the temperature of the first three 
months has averaged 2° lower than 
in 1852. The highest temperature 
in March has not exceeded + 12°. 
It descended on the 18th to —5°. 
There were thirteen days of frost, 
during which agriculture was 
stopped, and the cold weather per¬ 
sisted until April 27th. 
“At this period there was a sud¬ 
den change in the atmosphere; the 
thermometer rose from 0° to -|- 14°. 
The weather was constantly cloudy 
and rainy in May and June. There 
were five storms, three of which 
overflowed the valleys; that of the 
22nd June inundated Eure. 
“ The summer was temperate and 
rainy, happily alternated by moderate 
heats. The thermometer varied from 
+ 14° to +28° at the highest. 
“ Rains in October, alternated 
with some fine sunny days, with an 
atmosphere charged with electricity. 
Excessive cold, hard frosts, and very 
abundant snowstorms in November 
and December. At Christmas the 
thermometer fell to 12° below zero. 
“ Atmospheric State of the Year . 
Resume. 
“In the year 1852 rain fell in 
small quantity. Sky clear, heat, and 
great drought. Part of the year the 
marshes of Beauce were not covered 
with water; the prevailing wind was 
from the north-west. The year was 
one of the driest in Eure and Loire. 
“1853. 
“Very abundant snow and rain. 
Sky nearly always cloudy; inundation 
of the valleys. Permanent humidity. 
West winds prevailed nearly all the 
year. The year 1853 was remark¬ 
able for its great humidity. 
