AND METEOROLOGY OF THE YEAR RELATIVE THERETO. 337 



third diseased beginning of August. Turnip crop 18 tons, good braird, one 

 sowing. Greater damage by weeds than usual. Pastures, average growth 

 and quality. Stock throve well, and were very free from disease. Clip of 

 wool good and an average. 



Upper Ward of Renfrewshire. — No wheat grown ; no barley grown. 

 Oats, average crop of straw, ])ut both were deficient in quality, on account of 

 the wet season. Straw is all consumed on the farms here, and is never 

 weighed. About 20 cwt. and 30 bushels grain ; 5 bushels for seed. Harvest 

 three weeks after last year. The hay crop was more deficient in quality 

 than quantity — the average yield 1 ton 12 cwt. ]Meadow hay is very much 

 deficient in both quantity and quality — the frost in May and June hurt the 

 growth of it. Potato crop — Champion potatoes would average about 7 tons ; 

 earlier sorts, about 3 tons of dressed ones ; the later is very deficient in 

 quality, on account of so much rain and little sunshine. The disease would 

 start about the beginning of September, and the half of them unsound. 

 Turnips would want a third on well-manured light land, but on heavy and 

 wet land they would want a half. They brairded well, but the frosty nights 

 withered them away, and about the half would be so^ti a second time. 

 More injury done by the frost than by the fly. Owing to the wet season, 

 there were more weeds among the crops than usual. Grass was both 

 deficient in quality and quantity. Stock did not thrive so well as last year, 

 and milk cows had to get feeding along with the grass. Cattle and sheep 

 have been free from disease. Wool was deficient both in quality and 

 quantity. 



Renfrewshire (Middle Ward). — Wheat about 20 bushels, of very in- 

 ferior quality ; straw about 2 tons; seed sown about 4 bushels — last or 1880 

 season 40 bushels would be as general as 20 this season, and 5s. per bushel 

 as easily got as 3s. this year. Unless the bad season when wheat was all or 

 nearly so sprouted before being got secured, this is the worst wheat season 

 in this district in my remembrance. Barley is not grown to any extent in 

 this district, but the crop of 1881 was under average in quantity and quality, 

 about 30 bu.shels per acre ; quality secondary or inferior ; straw about 2 tons ; 

 seed sown about 4 bushels. Oats, a fair crop as to quantity; quality inferior; 

 about 40 bushels as against 45 former season ; straw about 2 tons ; seed sown 

 about 6 bushels. Harvest about three weeks later, not general till about Sep- 

 tember 20th. Hay about 2 tons, nearly one-half heavier than last season,, 

 and most secured in good condition. Meadow hay similar to last year, per- 

 haps rather better. Potato crop about 7 tons, unless among new varieties, 

 such as champions, magnum bonums ; disease made sad havock, in my own 

 ca.se, except the two varieties mentioned ; there was not above one-fourth of 

 sound potatoes, and many others were similar ; about one-half sound would 

 perhaps be near an average ; disease was late in appearing, about end of 

 September. Turnip crop about 15 tons; quality superior to la.st season; 

 brairded bad generally ; where first sowing did an excellent crop was the 

 result, from 20 to 25 tons ; sown repeatedly, at least three-fourtlis sown 

 twice, and some places three and four times sowing before a sutficient 

 braird was obtained. Damage by insects greater than I ever remember ; 

 besides damage by insect, frost had also very much to do with the destruc- 

 tion of the young plants where they did braird. Crops injure<l not 

 by weeds as a cause, in solitary cases of mustanl probal)ly as an etfect. 

 Pastures not of average growth or (quality ; with iVu.st nearly always ; when 

 dry not only was growth j)revented, but substance extracted from the pas- 

 tures. Stock throve imperfectly, but were remarkably free from disease. 

 Wool cannot be considered a staple commodity of this district. 



Renfrewshire (Lower Ward). — l>arley is little grown in the district ; 

 (luality inferior. The oat crop of 1881 is deficient in quantity, and will 



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