XVI.-Sanitary Police and the Cattle Plague. By M. Bouley XVII.-Report of the Governors of the Royal Veterinary College to the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society for the year 1871 XVIII.-Report on the Importation of Animals affected with Cattle- Plague during the month of July, 1872. By Professor J. B. Simonds, Principal of the Royal Veterinary College, and Con- sulting Veterinary Surgeon to the Society XIX.-Report on the Exhibition of Live Stock at Cardiff. By Henry XX.-Report of the Senior Steward on the Exhibition and Trials of XXII.-Report on the Plans of Labourers' and Miners' Cottages com- peting for the Prizes offered in connection with the Cardiff XXIII.-Report of the Proceedings in the Court of Exchequer in the case of Kidd v. the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 362 367 373 402 404 480 List of Officers of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 1872–3 i, xxxvii Reports of the Council to the General Meeting, December 7, 1871, and May 22, 1872 Memoranda of Meetings, Payment of Subscription, &c. Distribution of Members and Council iii, xxxix v, xli xii, xiii and from 1st January to 30th June, 1872 Yearly Cash Account, from 1st January to December 31, Country Meeting Account, Wolverhampton, 1871 Cardiff Meeting, 1872: Schedule of Prizes, &c. .. List of Stewards and Judges, and Award of Prizes at Cardiff Agricultural Education: Examination Papers, 1872.. xlviii, 1 xxxiii, xxxv, xciv, xcv xxxvi, xcvii DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. List of Governors and Members at the end. to face 241 339 The Binder is desired to collect together all the Appendix matter, with Roman numeral folios, and In Reprints of the Journal all Appendix matter and, in one instance, an Article in the body of METEOROLOGY; IMPORTATIONS OF GRAIN; SALES OF BRITISH WHEAT; PRICES OF CORN AND OTHER PRODUCE; AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS; AND STATISTICS OF DAIRY PRODUCE. [The facts are derived chiefly from the Meteorological Reports of Mr.. GLAISHER, and the Returns of the BOARD OF TRADE, and of the INSPECTORGENERAL OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.] METEOROLOGY.-1870. First Quarter (January, February, March). The exceedingly cold weather which prevailed at the end of 1870 continued until the 5th day of January, 1871, then somewhat moderated, but continued cold to the 13th. On the 19th the cold weather returned and continued to February 2nd. From the 3rd of February to the 14th of March the weather was mostly mild, and occasionally spring-like. From March 14th to the end of the quarter the weather was very changeable. In January frost and snow stopped all out-door farm work; the mild weather in February melted the snow, and, being accompanied by rain, caused rivers and streams to overflow, and in some cases to destroy a portion of the crops. Field work was all but stopped until towards the end of the month, vegetation was very backward, pastures and grass lands were bare, and the scarcity of fodder was severely felt. Towards the end of February, under the influence of the higher temperature, shrubs, hedges, and early fruit-trees began to bud, and early spring flowers to bloom. All kinds of vegetables were scarce. During the month of March agricultural operations progressed vigorously; the land was found to be unusually free from insects, and at the end of the quarter a very large breadth of land was under cultivation, but vegetation was still backward, having been checked by frequent bleak north and east winds. The corn was spoken of as healthy, but forage and vegetables were very scarce. The mean temperature of January was 33°2 or 3o•1 lower than the average of 100 years; in February and March the mean temperature was 42°4 and 44°.9 respectively, being 3°-9 higher in February and 40 higher in March than the average of 100 years. VOL. VIII.-S.S. A The fall of rain was 0.2 inch in excess in January and 0.5 inch in defect in both February and March. Second Quarter (April, May, June).-With the exception of the period comprised between April 12th and 29th, the weather was cold throughout the quarter. The low temperature was very severe both at the beginning and at the end of June. The month of June, 1860, was of the same low temperature, but previous to that we must go back as far as the year 1821 for one of lower temperature. The deficiency for the whole quarter amounted to more than 11° daily, from the average of 50 years, and there has been no corresponding quarter of as low a temperature at Greenwich since 1860. The unseasonably cold weather which for the most part prevailed throughout the quarter, together with the north winds, the cloudy sky, and scanty sunshine, caused vegetation generally to be very backward. At the end of the quarter cornfields still looked green. The harvest in the southern counties was not expected to begin for five or six weeks, and in the more northern counties, the crops were not expected to ripen until towards the end of August. Hay-making had been frequently interrupted by rain, and much hay was spoiled. The mean temperature of April, May, and June, was 47°7, 51°-9, and 54°8 respectively; in April it was 1°.7 in excess of the average of 100 years, in May 0°7 in defect, and in June it was 3°4 in defect of the average of 100 years. The fall of rain was 1.3 inches and 1.1 inches in excess in April and June respectively, and 1.3 inches in defect in May. Wheat was in ear on the 1st of June at Wisbech; on the 13th at Helston; on the 15th at Cardington; on the 18th at Silloth; on the 20th at Weybridge; on the 26th at Boston; and on the 29th at Hawarden. In flower on the 9th of June at Taunton; on the 21st at Helston; on the 24th at Weybridge and Chiselhurst; on the 26th at Cardington; on the 27th at Silloth; and on the 28th at Hull. Barley was in ear on the 15th of June at Cardington; on the 21st at Weybridge; and on the 24th at Helston. In flower on the 26th of June at Cardington; and on the 30th at Weybridge and Hawarden. Rye was in ear on the 14th of June at Weybridge. In flower on the 18th of June at Weybridge; and on the 20th at Chiselhurst. And on the 1st of July at Hull. Oats were in ear on the 17th of June at Weybridge Heath and Helston; and in flower on the 23rd at Weybridge Heath. Third Quarter (July, August, September).—The cold weather which had been generally prevalent throughout the preceding quarter continued, with the slight exception of the few days from July 14th to 21st, until August 5th. This was followed by a period of 42 days of warm and genial weather, extending from August 6th to September 16th, during which interval the mean excess of temperature above the average was 44° daily. From this time to the end of the quarter the weather was again cold, and heavy rain fell everywhere; the average deficiency of temperature was 31° daily. In the middle of August all crops were backward, but the fine and forcing weather which followed brought them rapidly to maturity almost simultaneously. The gathering in of the harvest, however, was much delayed by the scarcity of labour. By the end of August a large portion of the crops had been stacked. At the end of the quarter the rain was very beneficial in the south of England, but interfered with the completion of the harvest in Scotland, and also in some backward Irish districts. There were considerable complaints about the spread of the potato disease at different times during the quarter, by the completely rotting away of the tuber, so that the stems were left without tubers attached. Generally the wheat crop was considered deficient. The mean temperature of July was 61°7, being 0°1 higher than the average of 100 years; in August it was 64°8, or 4°0 higher than the average; and in September it was 57°4, or 0°.9 higher than the average of 100 years. The fall of rain was 0.7 inch and 1.5 inches respectively in defect in July and August, and 1.7 inches in excess in September. Local reports relating to the harvest were as follows:-At Helston the report of the coming wheat crop, in July, was not encouraging; it was said to be generally thin. Barley was also thin. Oats were better, but not abundant. Hay, though a fair crop, had been badly saved, and much destroyed. Disease had made its appearance in the potatoes since the hot weather set in. At Strathfield Turgiss, in Hants, in July of the previous year, farmers were busy carting wheat, whereas last year none was then ripe. At Halifax, in August, the grain crops were good; in many cases a second crop of grass had been cut and well got in; and the turnip crop was plentiful and healthy. At Miltown, Banbridge, in Ireland, it was reported that the harvest was very good, wheat was a fair crop, oats extremely good, and green crops abundant; the disease had, however, visited the potato crop, which had suffered severely. At Cumberland, in September, local reports stated that cereal crops were rather below the average; turnips, swedes, and mangolds saved. Potatoes much diseased on strong heavy land, fully five-sixths of the crops destroyed; on peaty and sandy soils the result was more favourable. |