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THE DECEMBER WEATHER.
Dr. Hammond sends the following fiites
on the observations taken at 'Samares,
Yarra, for the Commonwealth Meteor
ologist:-The rainfall for this December
was, with the exception of that in 1899, the
smallest for 20 years. In 1899 only 30
points fell. This year the gauge gave 39,
of which 23 belong to the 18th. The Decem
ber average for the period is 1.93 inches.
The total for the year comes to 21.25 inches,
as compared-with a 19 years' mean of 25.16,
a mean for the last ten years of 24,36, and a
mean for the last.jfive years of 22.5. The
past twelve months have been against herb
age of any kind. Other places.do well with
less rain; but the soil of this district needs
not periodical, but constant moistening. Our
amount of rainfall, as an amount, would be
ample were it evenly distributed over the
year, but unless it comes at cefrtain critical
times it fails in its effects. Thus the small
autumn fall militated against "the winter
grass, just as the failure in the spring did
against the usual harvest, It will be interest
ing to note during the coming year the ex
tent to which the late Mr. Russell's t9-year
cycle theory holds good by comparing 19o9
with 1890. In the latter year we had nearly
33 inches of rain, nine of which fell in
March. The mean temperature in Decem
ber, yo.t degrees, was two degrees above
the average, the heat of the last week con
tributing materially to the increase. The
month closed with a register of 98 degrees
in the shade, and 162 degrees in the sun.
The mean temperature for 19o8 was 53.9, as
against 52.7 in 1907, and 55.4 for 19 years.
I hope to complete, as this year goes on, the
2o-years' record for the district.
On Sunday the maximum shade temper
ature at Yarra was. jo8 degrees, the highest
there in 20 years. The nearest reading to
thtis is io5 degrees; registered on December
28, 1I896, December 27, 1899, and January
24, t890o.
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