ANNUAL REPORT 



For the Year 1909. 



pHE weather of 1909 was on the whole favourable to growth, 

 * though the constant rains and low temperatures prevailing 

 in the summer resulted in prolonged vegetative development and 

 unripened produce. Up to the end of 1908 the weather was very 

 warm and open, and as somewhat severe weather set in towards the 

 end of January, a good deal of winter killing of perennial plants and 

 vegetables took place, although no very low temperatures were 

 recorded. February was a cold month, indeed the minimum 

 thermometer on the grass fell below freezing point on every night 

 from the 6th of February until the 18th of March, the lowest 

 temperature recorded being 13° on the 5th of March. April and 

 May were favourable months and gave all the crops a good start. 

 From June onwards there was an excess of rain, and particularly 

 of rainy days, with day temperatures much below the average and 

 a lack of sunshine, the exception being a fortnight of very bright 

 weather at the beginning of August, with a maximum temperature 

 of 82° on the 12th. 



The harvest was only got in with considerable delay and 

 difficulty, after which again wheat seeding was much delayed 

 because of the continuance of damp and rainy weather throughout 

 October and November. 



The wheat on Broadbalk field was sown on October 24th, 1908, 

 and grew into a good plant during the warm weather of April and 

 May, 1909 ; later it began to show an excessive development of 

 straw and became a good deal blighted and rusty, so that most of 

 the plots were laid before harvest. The yield of grain was generally 

 below the average, and that of straw was high. The quality of the 

 grain also was poor, as shown by the exceptionally low weight per 

 bushel. The unmanured and partially manured plots suffered most 

 from the season. On the unmanured plot (66th successive crop of 

 wheat, no manure since 1838) only 9*1 bushels of grain and 9'2 

 cwts. of straw were produced. The most noticeable feature in the 

 season was the exceptional reduction of the crop wherever potash had 

 been omitted from the manure. Plot 11, which received ammonium 

 salts and superphosphate, gave a lower yield than the unmanured 

 plot, viz., only 6*2 bushels of grain weighing as little as 55*4 lb. per 



