392 EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS — BAELEY CROP 1883. 



plots were in very different stages of adv^ancement, and it was 

 evident that the ears of corn on the later plots would not get a 

 chance of filling and ripening properly. 



To add to the mischief done on the 9th, there occurred four 

 days later a renewal of the storm, accompanied by heavy rain, so 

 that during twenty-four hours on the 13th August a rainfall of 1"66 

 inches was registered. The efl'ect of this was not only to beat 

 down still further the fallen corn, but to cause it to stock out 

 afresh, and on the plots most battered a large undergrowth of 

 weak slender plants made its appearance. 



Altogether the season of 1883 was very unfavourable to the 

 barley crop, for, besides the excessive rainfall, the w^eather was 

 cold and sunless. The mean daily maximun temperature at 

 Pumpherston during May was 57° F., and on seven nights there 

 were from 1° to 8° of frost. The mean daily maximum tempera- 

 ture in June was 50° F., in July 67° F., and in August 63° F. 



The state of matters at Harelaw was very similar to the 

 above, but as the crop was much heavier the effects of the storm 

 were even more disastrous on the late manured parts of that 

 station. It was evident that no information could be obtained 

 there regarding the relative value of early and late top-dressings, 

 and in the harvesting this distinction was not maintained, but 

 each plot was cut as a whole. 



The crop at Harelaw was chevalier barley, and that at 

 Pumpherston common barley. 



Table XVIT. gives the details of the crop at both stations. 



Eegarding the crop at Harelaw very little comment is 

 necessary. The yield per acre over the whole is tolerably 

 uniform, except on the plots where one or more ingredients of 

 the manure are omitted. On so fertile a soil the differences 

 between the plots receiving equivalent amounts of manure could 

 only be slight at the best, but the effect of the storm was to act 

 as a leveller of distinctions, for the plots where the growth was 

 heaviest were precisely those which were most battered down, 

 and thus the lighter plots had an opportunity of improving their 

 relative position. On the poorer soil of Pumpherston the same 

 disturbance occurred, but there the differences w^ere too great to 

 be obliterated, and the results of the cropping there indicate 

 plainly enough the relative advantages of the various kinds of 

 manures. 



The half-plots to which the late top-dressing was applied 

 were kept distinct, and the results are given on the right hand 

 side of the table. The differences of the numbers on the two 

 sides of the table are very striking. It is evident that the effect 

 of delaying the application of nitrate of soda until the month of 

 June has been to produce a bulkier crop both in grain and straw, 

 and there can be no doubt that if the corn had been allowed to 



