AND METEOROLOGY OF THE YEAR RELATIVE THERETO. 331 



Renfrewshire (Upper "Ward). — No -wheat grown, and no barley. Oats, 

 30 to 40 bushels ; straw nearly a third deficient ; brairded well, but cold 

 wet weather in June set the growth, and allowed grass and annual weeds 

 to choke it ; about 5 bushels so\\ti ; both grain and straw are deficient in 

 quality, spoiled with wet weather at harvest time. Harvest about ten 

 days late. Hay 1^ to 2 tons ; it was a little deficient in weight, but was 

 well got and good quality. Meadow hay crop would want a third of bulk, 

 but was well got and good quality. Potatoes on good dry sharp soil were 

 an av^erage, but on heavy soil were very deficient ; from 4 to 6 tons ; nearly 

 all Champions grown in this district; very little disease. Turnips brairded 

 well, but the wet cold weather after thinning got soured, and on 

 heavy land was not half crop, but on light soil did not sufter so much. No 

 injury by insects. On account of so much rain, annual weeds got up — red 

 shank, &:c. Pastures average ; not so good as last year. Stock'did very 

 well. Foot-and-mouth disease was on a few farms, but was got stamped 

 out. Not a sheep district. 



Renfrewshire (Lower Ward). — No information given as to wheat. 

 Little barley in the district, but the yield deficient to that of crop 1882, not 

 exceeding 26 to 28 bushels ; from 3 to 4 bushels sown. Oats, after green 

 crop, a very deficient crop ; much inferior to last year ; considerably under 

 the average, both in the grain and straw, and cannot be estimated at more 

 than half a crop. After lea the crop was better than the former crop, but 

 not by any means up to the average ; in some cases, which is pretty general 

 in the liigher districts, the yield being estimated at only 18 to 20 bushels. 

 In the more favoured parts of the lower district the yield is estimated at 

 about 27 bushels. The amount sown is 4 to 5 bushels. The straw after the 

 lea crop, where early harvested, was in good condition, but that of the crop 

 after green crop was overrun with weeds, which got ahead before the crop. 

 Harvest began about the usual time, and was generally a good harvest. 

 The hay crop was not up to the weight of crop 1882, and did not average 

 more than from 1 to 1^ ton, but the quality was good, the weather being 

 favouraV)le for securing it ; cold and frosty mornings checked the growth in 

 May. The quantity of meadow hay was less than last year, but the quality 

 ^ood. The early kind of potatoes yielded a crop of from 4 to 5 tons, but 

 disease destroyed about from 30 to 50 per cent, of the crop. Late kinds — 

 Champions, Magnum Bonums, &c. — were free of disease, but were small, 

 and did not yield more than the earlier kinds. On the whole, however, it 

 was a more favourable season for the potato crop. The turnip crop was 

 hardly up to that of 1882, but in most cases one sowing was sufficient ; the 

 average yield is about 16 tons. Damage by insects did not prevail, and the 

 fly did not trouble the turnips. The wet weather favoured the growth of 

 indigenous weeds, and prevented their being kept under. Pastures were 

 deci«ledly inferior to those of 1882, both in quality and quantity. The 

 stock did not thrive so well in consequence, but were free from disease. 

 Clip of wool an average ; few sheep in the district. The season was dull, 

 little sun, and a heavy rainfall, which reached 68*83 inches. 



Argyllshire (District of Oban). — No wheat sown. ]*>arley so very late 

 sown that no ]»roper return can be given. Oats, about 5 Inishels sown; 

 average return about 4i b(»lls ; both grain and straw about one-sixtli less 

 than last year ; (piality of grain light ; crop did not ripen well. The 

 harvest began about the same time as last year, being about ten days later 

 than the usual time. Ryegrass about 12 cwt. less than last year ; clover 

 much less than last year. Meadow hay about a tlnnl less than last year. 

 Potato crop about 3 tons more than last y»'ar. The disease diil not appear 

 until the end of Sejitember, and had little or no effect on the crop ; ([uality 

 good. Turnip crop, the best for many years as regards quality and quan- 



