128 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  14,  1901. 
the  year  and  century,  several  intense  depressions  advancing  to  our 
islands  from  the  Atlantic,  and  bringing  some  very  severe  gales  and 
heavy  rainfalls. 
Although  in  a  short  article  of  this  description  it  is  impossible  to 
give  an  exhaustive  account  of  the  rainfall  of  the  year,  its  general 
distribution  over  our  islands  will  be  seen  from  the  following  table, 
which  gives  the  monthly  and  yearly  falls,  and  the  differences  from  the 
average  at  eight  selected  stations. 
1900.  Aberd’n 
Leith  Liverp’l  Valencia 
Bx-istol 
Jersey  Oxford  L’nd’u 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
January  ... 
3*45 
2  35 
4-50 
5-27 
4-54 
4-88 
2-30 
2-42 
February 
cq 
0° 
co 
2-42 
1-38 
4-39 
6-40 
2-41 
1-76 
1-64 
March 
2*29 
1T2 
1-10 
1-93 
1-28 
1-87 
0-50 
0-32 
April 
1"66 
1-09 
1*20 
3-17 
1*23 
1-22 
0*39 
0-72 
May 
1-00 
COO 
1-78 
4-51 
2-53 
1-39 
1-33 
0-39 
June 
1*83 
2-31 
2-69 
5-55 
2-48 
1-77 
2-73 
2-65 
July 
3*96 
2-62 
1-52 
2-12 
0*88 
1-34 
0-88 
1-22 
August  . . . 
2*81 
389 
5-48 
5-62 
2-34 
1-98 
313 
3  25 
September 
2*45 
1-44 
0-59 
2-52 
0-80 
1-29 
0-41 
063 
October  ... 
3*23 
4-11 
4-21 
7-65 
3-99 
2-38 
2-32 
1-55 
November 
4*44 
4-94 
304 
8-29 
2-90 
6-50 
1-65 
1-95 
December 
to 
GO 
00 
3-54 
2-59 
9  35 
5-97 
5-00 
3-27 
2-24 
Total  falls 
33*82 
3123 
30-38 
60-87 
35-34 
3203 
2117 
19-93 
Averages 
30-84 
23  35 
28-93 
55-80 
34-88 
34-18 
25-72 
24-84 
Departures 
f’m  av’age 
+  2-98 
+  7-88 
+  1-45 
+  5-07  ■ 
+  0-46 
-2-15 
-4-55 
-4-86 
The  rainfall  upon  the  whole,  therefore,  was  excessive  in  the  north 
and  west,  but  deficient  over  midland,  south-eastern,  and  southern 
counties.  At  London  the  deficiency  exceeds  that  of  1899  by  2  inches. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  March,  April,  July,  and  September  were  the 
driest  months,  the  wettest  being  the  three  winter  months  with 
August,  October,  and  November.  The  most  noteworthy  feature  of 
the  year’s  rainfall  was  a  remarkable  downpour  extending  right  across 
the  central  districts  of  England  on  December  30tb,  at  some  stations 
the  fall  for  this  date  exceeding  3  inches. 
Mean  atmospheric  pressure  during  the  year  was  generally  slightly 
deficient.  The  monthly  means,  and  those  for  the  year,  at  the  stations 
for  which  the  rainfall  values  have  been  given,  are  as  follows: — 
1900. 
Aberd’n 
Leith  Liverp’l  Valencia 
Bristol 
Jersey  Oxford 
L’nd’n 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
January  ... 
29-740 
29-764 
29-866 
29-930 
29  929 
29-989 
29-930 
29  931 
February. . . 
29  535 
29-522 
29-540 
29-529 
29-564 
29-597 
29-572 
29-572 
March 
30068 
30-061 
30051 
30-084 
30022 
29-997 
30-024 
30-005 
April 
29-819 
29-838 
29-949 
29-999 
30  013 
30-071 
30-003 
30-004 
May 
29-911 
29-908 
29-952 
29-910 
29  974 
29-992 
29-981 
29-986 
June 
29-901 
29-925 
29-913 
29-876 
29-945 
30-008 
29  913 
29  953 
July 
29 -90S 
29-921 
29931 
30-007 
30-018 
30-062 
30  012 
30020 
August  ... 
29-945 
29-935 
29-946 
29-964 
29-974 
30-003 
29  976 
29-981 
September 
29-974 
30-007 
30-095 
30  115 
30-160 
30-176 
30-145 
30-148 
October  . . . 
29-776 
29-805 
29-904 
29-933 
29-988 
30-063 
29-981 
29  983 
November 
29-692 
29-685 
29  710 
29-721 
29-729 
29-778 
29  739 
29-748 
December 
29-591 
29-63^ 
29-785 
29-773 
29-912 
30  029 
29-909 
29-938 
Mean 
29-822 
29-834 
29  891 
29  903 
29  935 
29  980 
29-935 
29-940 
Av.  mean 
29-836 
29-856 
29914 
29-919 
— 
29-977 
29-955 
29957 
Departures 
f’m  av’age 
-0.014 
-0-022 
-0-023 
-0-016 
— 
+  0-003 
-0-020 
-0-017 
These  figures  show  a  great  and  general  deficiency  of  pressure  in 
February  and  November,  and  a  considerable  excess  for  March  and 
September,  the  means  for  the  remaining  months  not  differing  materially 
from  normal.  The  greatest  pressure  at  8  A.M.  reported  over  our 
'slands  during  the  year  was  30  88  inches  in  the  south-west  of  Ireland 
on  March  14th,  and  the  least  28  31  inches  at  Sumburgh  Head  on 
December  31st,  a  range  of  2^  inches. 
For  the  fourth  year  in  succession  the  mean  temperature  has  been 
much  in  excess  of  the  average,  although  as  a  whole  the  year  has  not 
been  as  warm  as  its  predecessor.  In  the  third  table  given,  the  means 
for  each  year,  and  also  for  the  year  at  eight  stations  situated  over  our 
islands,  will  be  seen. 
1900.  Aberd’n  Leitli  Liverp’l  Valencia  Bristol  Jersey  Oxford  L’nd’n 
degs. 
degs. 
degs. 
degs. 
degs. 
degs. 
degs. 
degs. 
J  anuary . . . 
33 '7 
40-4 
40-5 
44-9 
41-2 
45-4 
40-1 
40-3 
February 
331 
346 
364 
39-9 
38-2 
43‘5 
37-3 
38-7 
March  ... 
37-8 
39-0 
389 
41  8 
39-4 
43-0 
391 
39-8 
April 
45-2 
47-2 
47-1 
49-5 
48-0 
49-7 
47-7 
48-3 
May 
48-8 
50-9 
50-4 
51-9 
51-4 
53-9 
51-4 
53-1 
June 
52-9 
55-9 
53-2 
56-7 
58-6 
59  2 
59-1 
60-6 
July 
58-3 
61-5 
62-3 
60-5 
65-2 
66-0 
65-9 
67-7 
August  . . . 
55-5 
57-0 
59-0 
59-1 
61-0 
63-4 
61-1 
62*3 
September 
53-5 
55-o 
55-9 
57-3 
57-9 
61-2 
57-7 
59-3 
October  ... 
43-0 
47 '7 
50-1 
51-5 
51-8 
55-9 
5Q -5 
51 T 
November 
433 
45-3 
45-4 
46-8 
46-0 
50-5 
45-7 
46-6 
December 
42-1 
44*5 
46-1 
47-9 
45-5 
49-2 
45-0 
45-4 
Mean 
46"3 
48-1 
49-3 
50-7 
50-3 
53-4 
50*0 
51 T 
Av.  mean 
46-2 
47-7 
48-8 
51-0 
49-2 
51-9 
48-8 
49  9 
Departures 
from  means 
+o-i 
+  0-4  j 
+  0-5 
-0-3 
+  1T 
+  1-5 
+  1-2 
+  1-2 
These 
means 
are  those  of 
the  daily 
maximum 
and  minimum 
readings,  and  are  not  corrected  for  diurnal  range.  In  the  excessive 
warmth  of  January,  July,  and  the  autumn  months,  and  in  the  deficient 
temperature  of  May,  these  figures  bear  a  marked  resemblance  to  those 
of  1899.  In  that  year,  however,  February  was  very  warm  and 
December  very  cold,  these  conditions  being  reversed  in  the  present 
case.  The  means  for  March,  June,  and  August  also  are  much  below* 
those  of  these  months  in  1899. 
During  the  great  heat  which  prevailed  in  July,  maxima  reaching 
and  exceeding  90°  were  recorded  on  several  days  over  the  central  and 
south-eastern  counties  of  England.  The  greatest  temperature  reported 
was  95°  at  Cambridge  on  the  20th,  this  being  the  highest  maxima 
that  has  occurred  over  our  islands  since  1881,  when  a  reading  of  97° 
was  registered  at  Greenwich  on  July  15th.  Throughout  the  wonderful 
summer  of  1899  a  temperature  of  90°  was  only  once  reached  at 
London  on  August  25th.  The  least  temperature  reported  over  our 
islands  was  8°  at  Wick  and  Nairn  on  February  8;h;  the  extreme, 
therefore,  was  88°. 
Snowstorms  were  not  much  in  evidence  during  the  year;  but  some 
heavy  falls  occurred  in  the  first  fortnight  of  February,  and  frequent 
showers  prevailed  throughout  the  latter  part  of  March.  With  the 
exception  of  November,  electrical  disturbances  were  reported  from 
various  parts  of  our  islands  during  each  month  of  the  year  ;  they  were 
most  preva'ent  during  June  and  August.  Aurora  was  observed  at 
many  northern  stations  on  January  19tb,  at  Wick  on  April  24tU,  and 
in  the  north-east  of  Scotland  on  October  25tb. 
Gales'  were  chiefly  prevalent  during  January,  the  middle  of 
February,  the  first  week  of  August,  and  in  D  cember.  The  most 
serious  occurred  over  Scotland  on  the  15th  and  19th  of  February; 
over  the  Irish  Sea,  and  generally  in  the  north-west  and  north,  on 
December  20th  and  21st;  and  over  Ireland  and  our  south-western 
and  southern  districts  on  December  28th. — H.  H.  Harding, 
F.R.M.S.,  Bristol 
- - 
The  Metropolitan  Public  Gardens  Association. — At  the 
monthly  meeting  of  this  association  held  at  83,  Lancaster  Gate,  W., 
last  Thursday,  progress  was  reported  with  regard  to  the  laying-out  of 
Leyton  Square,  Camberwell,  and  the  Ironmongers’  Garden,  Kingsland 
Road,  and  respecting  the  planting  of  trees  in  Drury  Lane,  West 
Cromwell  Road,  and  other  sites.  The  Charing  Cross,  Euston,  and 
Hampstead  Railway  Bill,  which  proposes  to  tunnel  under  a  part  of 
Hampstead  Heath,  and  possibly  to  form  a  station  on  a  site  at  its 
summit,  was  further  considered,  and  a  favourable  communication  was 
read  from  the  London  County  Council  with  regard  to  certain  amend¬ 
ments  to  secure  the  preservation  of  the  Heath,  the  insertion  of  which  in 
the  Bill  the  association  bad  asked  the  Council  to  obtain.  It  was  stated 
that  the  Board  of  Agriculture  had  agreed  to  certify  a  scheme,  in  the 
promotion  of  which  the  association  had  assisted,  for  the  protection  of 
Ham  Common  and  for  placing  it  under  a  board  of  conservators.  It 
was  reported  that  about  £3400  was  still  required  to  complete  the 
purchase  money  of  the  forty-three  acres  proposed  to  be  added  to  Brock- 
well  Park,  and  that  the  association  had  taken  part  in  a  recent  deputation 
to  the  London  County  Council  to  seek  for  its  help  towards  raising  this 
sum.  The  eighteenth  annual  report,  for  the  year  1900,  showed  that 
the  income  for  the  year  was  £4480,  or  about  £400  less  than  in  1899, 
the  decrease  being  mainly  attributable  to  the  adverse  effects  of  the  war, 
whilst  the  expenditure  amounted  to  £4250,  not  including  a  further  con¬ 
siderable  sum  for  work  in  hand.  Amongst  a  number  of  sites  under 
consideration  were  Hoxton  Square,  Bow  Churchyard,  and  playing 
grounds  at  Raynes  Park. 
