"zyo Bulletin 261. 



pounds, somewhat less than in 1906. The two plats receiving farm 

 manure yielded, in 1905, an average of 4805 pounds per acre, in 1906 an 

 average of 5885 pounds, and in 1907, 7890 pounds. 



It will be seen that while the check plats and also the plats receiving 

 commercial fertilizers averaged somewhat less in 1907 than in 1906, the 

 plats receiving the stable manure gave their highest yield in 1907. 

 However, it must be remembered that there had been no manure added 

 to these plats from the time of the first application in the fall of 1903, 

 until after the hay was harvested in 1906. On October 2, 1906, the 

 second application was made. This, combined with the residual effect 

 of the first application, is beyond doubt the cause of the increased yield 

 of these plats in 1907 over that of 1906. 



Probably the most potent cause of the increased yield of all plats in 



1906 and in 1907 over that of 1905 was the more favorable seasons for the 

 growth of timothy which these later years presented, although the greater 

 age of the stand might in some measure account for this. That the 

 season of 1905 was not so favorable as the others for the growth of 

 timothy is strongly indicated by the relatively low yield of the untreated 

 plats. If we examine Table B, giving the monthly and annual pre- 

 cipitation at Ithaca, New York, for the years 1905, 1906, 1907, it will 

 be noticed that for the months April, May and June the rainfall was 

 lighter in 1905 than in 1906, while 1907 was quite similar in amount to 



1905- 

 The actual rainfall for these three months during these three years is, 



1905, 11.37 inches; 190^), 12.54 inches; 1907, 11.36 inches. While the 



difference in total rainfall in these three seasons is not great, when 



the distribution of this rainfall (Table C) is considered, we see that the 



seasons 1906 and 1907 were much more favorable for timothy than 



1905. May 1905 was very dry, receiving 1.92 inches rainfall. This is a 



very important month in the growth of timothy. June 1905 had a heavy 



rainfall, 6.81 inches, though not equal to that of the same month in 1906. 



May 1906 received 3.71 inches of rainfall, while June of the same year 



received 7.06 inches. In 1907, the rainfall, though no heavier for the 



months of April, May and June than for the same months in 1905, was 



very favorably distributed, April receiving 3.70 inches, ]\Iay 2.51 inches 



and June 5.15 inches. 



Probably the chief reason why the plats did not yield so heavily in 



1907 as in 1906 was the presence of an abnormally low temperature 

 during the months of April, May and June, 1907, averaging 5.3 degrees 

 below the normal for these months, while the season of 1906 was 

 normal as regards temperature. The season of 1905 for the same time 



