19 



into the adjacent fields. Oats and barley especially had grown long 

 straw. When, however, the threshing was done the yields obtained 

 were disappointing ; the grain was very low in proportion to the straw, 

 and in spite of the abundant promise of July the yield was only 

 34 bushels of wheat, 34 of barley, and 32 of oats. 



These disappointing results were not uncommon, and they were 

 widely attributed to the cool, sunless June. It would be interesting 

 to examine this question more fully. The early sown wheat in Little 

 Hoos Field proved superior to the later sown, thus again demonstrating 

 the value of early sowing on heavy land like ours. 



The first cut of clover on Long Hoos Field was very big, and the second 

 growth started well. The grass also did well. Swedes and mangolds 

 were good, but potatoes did badly, the yield being only about 4 tons 

 per acre. 



OCTOBER, 1916, TO SEPTEMBER, 191 7. 



This was distinctly a bad season for hay and winter corn, thougl^ 

 unusually good for potatoes and mangolds. 



October was wetter and duller than usual ; the bright sunny- 

 weather was lacking, and instead of an average of 104 hours of sunshine 

 we had 88.5 hours only ; in place of eighteen wet days we had 24 ; the 

 rainfall also was above the average. November was still wetter, the 

 total rainfall being 4.1 inches against 2.6, and to make matters worse a 

 heavy storm of snow and sleet came on the i8th, which was followed 

 by rain, so that drilling and germination were greatly hampered. The 

 winter oats had been sown by the middle of October, and they came 

 through satisfactorily ; but the Rivetts wheat could not be sown till 

 the first week in November ; it went in badly and made no progress at 

 all. At the end of the month the Red Standard was sown. December 

 began with frost and clear weather, but ended with rain, snow, and 

 fog ; it was wetter and much colder than usual, the mean temperature 

 being 34°. 7 F. in place of 38°.3F. During October, November and 

 December there was no less than 10.6 inches of rain, this being 2.2 inches 

 above the average for these months. When the new year began the 

 oats were still looking tolerably well, but the wheat was only just 

 beginning to appear, and some of the clover (Harpenden Field) was 

 suffering so badly and had responded so little to its mending with 

 Trifolium that it was ploughed up and replaced by wheat. 



January was drier than usual, but much colder ; after the first 

 week there was frost every night without exception and this continued 

 throughout February ; this was the longest spell of cold weather since 

 1895. Unfortunately for the wheat, oats and clover there was no 

 protecting layer of snow, and the Rivetts wheat in particular suffered 

 badly and looked pitiable ; towards the end of February the frost broke 

 leaving the ground very cold and wet. Early in March the ground 

 began to dry somewhat, and the men put in overtime to try and make 

 up the arrears of ploughing ; the last of the wheat — Red Marvel — was 

 sown in Harpenden Field on March i6th. The Rivetts wheat looked 

 now as if it might yet recover ; the best was therefore left alone, some 

 was mended with barley and the rest was ploughed up. Unfortu- 

 nately the improvement in the weather was very short-lived, and the 

 promise of better things was not fulfilled ; March remained cold with 

 bitter N.E. winds and frequent snowstorms, and April was no better ; 

 the first half of the month was very cold-, with snow the greater part of 



