The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-19 00:00:00

A COLD AND DRY SUMMER.

It reads like a contradiction in terms. We know
what is meant when we speak of a cold and wet
summer. A good many examples in recent years
have qualified us to understand what that means. We
know, too, what is meant by a warm and dry summer.
The summer of last year, to go no farther back, gives
us a good example of that, but a cold and dry summer
is certainly something new, and that is precisely the
description of the season that is just passing away.
June, July, and August are the three months of
summer, and in every part of the British Islands June
and August failed to attain the average heat, while
July, though up to the average in a few places, was
in general also deficient. It might have been expected,
according to almost every precedent, that, being cold,
the summer months would also be wet, but so far
from that the drought was quite as remarkable a
feature as the cold.
In June the average rainfall of the month was only
reached in the Outer Hebrides in the Shetland
Islands, and at York. Every other station reporting
to the Meteorological Office was deficient, and the
stations in Ireland and in the west of Scotland, where
in most years summer showers are frequent, were the
most deficient. July only came up to the average
rainfall in the far north; everywhere else there was a
serious drought, while August resembled the August
of last year in being remarkably dry, but it was Most
unlike it as to temperature. The want of warm
weather in August has been most remarkable; and
the experience of London affords a very good illustra-
tion of the difference between August of this year and
August, 1884.
In August last year the shade temperature rose in
London above 80 on fifteen days; the highest being
04 on August 11th. In August of this year the ther-
mometer once touched 80, but never rose above it,
and the next figure was 77 degrees, Again, in August,
1884, the maximum thermometer in London was
above 70 on twenty-six days; in August of this year
it was only above 70 on twelve days. The difference
in the amount of heat received by the ripening crops
in a month when the shade heat is over 80 every
second day, and another month when it does not rise
over 70 oftener than twelve days out of thirty-one,
must be immense, and in August the de-
ficiency of heat could not possibly be due to
the rain clouds. The rain which fell in London in
August of this year was no doubt more than the rain-
fall of August, 1884, but still it did not amount to
one-half of the average rain of the month. ;How then
is the cold to be accounted for? No doubt the barren,
dry east winds, which were so prevalent this year,
had something to do with the matter. But still the
result is very curious; and the explanation of our
cold and dry summer may be accepted as a meteoro.
logical puzzle set by the weather to the weather-
wise.
One result it has had already, of which more is
likely to be heard—it has greatly complicated the
agricultural problem in every way. Cattle food will
be very scarce, and fresh grass is not to be had ; as a.
consequence, the price of cattle and sheep, long droop-
ing, is now falling rapidly. And farm labourers, too,
find that most unpleasant results have already fol-
lowed from the cold dry season. The weeds are
killed by the drought, and there is little chance that
they will spring now; the crops, so light in straw, can
easily be carried, and labour is not requed. Alto-
gether it seems likely that all who ha,e to do with
agriculture, and many more besides, will have good
cause to rmember long our cold dry summer.--A.
in the Grc.phi4.7.

"I declare," exclaimed Brown, "I never saw such
a time as you have with servant girls. I don't believe
you will ever be satisfied till you can have one manu-
factured to order." "Nonsense, Brown," said Mrs.
13., "I shall be satisfied when I find one ready
maid."
You smile when you see a child trying to grasp it-1
own shadow; but how many have been grasping
shadows all their lives, and will continue to reach
out and grasp as long as breath and eyesight last.