74 



before the barley was cut. The Broadbalk field was cleared by 

 August 28th, and stubble cultivation was put in hand at once. 

 Wheat yielded satisfactorily on Great Knott field, where it had 

 been well done (37£ bu.), but on Great Harpenden field, where 

 the record root crops of the previous year had exhausted the 

 land, the yield was disappointing (24 bu.). Oats did fairly 

 well and proved responsive to manures, a dressing of 1 cwt. 

 of sulphate of ammonia and 2 cwt. of superphosphate increasing 

 the crop from 26.4 bu. to 37.3 bu. per acre; while 2 cwt. 

 sulphate of ammonia and 2 cwt. superphosphate pushed up the 

 yield to 46.5 bu. The barley suffered from the drought in 

 June, and the extraordinary lack of sunshine in spring and 

 early summer : it yielded as well as could be expected — 40 bu. 

 on the better land, and 32 bu. on poorer tilths — while the quality 

 was good and distinctly better than in 1922. 



September was a favourable month, harvest was completed 

 and ploughing continued. October set in wet, however, and 

 lfin. of rain was recorded in excess of the average. Root lifting 

 was badly hindered, and the hand digging of potato plots was 

 exceptionally slow and difficult. November brought cold drying 

 weather, and frosts occurred on 23 nights during the month. 

 They were exceptionally severe on the nights of the 25th and 

 26th, when 18 and 19 degrees of frost respectively were 

 recorded on the grass : practically all unharvested mangolds 

 and potatoes were lost. 



In spite of the lack of sunshine, the mangolds on Barn field 

 did well and exceeded their average yield, but a large number 

 of the plants rotted. Swedes, in spite of adequate manuring, 

 were only a fair crop (14 tons) ; a good plant was obtained, 

 but the bulbs failed to fill out. The sheep on the grazing plots 

 did well ; there was plenty of keep and bigger live weight in- 

 creases per acre were obtained than in either of the previous 

 seasons. 



OCTOBER, 1923, TO SEPTEMBER, 1924. 



The season 1923-24 was distinguished by its wetness and 

 by one of the most protracted harvests of recent years. The 

 rainfall of 36.51in. exceeded the average by 7.96in., only two 

 wetter seasons (1903 and 1912) having been recorded since 

 readings were commenced at this station in 1853. It is interest- 

 ing to note that the twentieth century, though only in its early 

 stages, has already produced three years that have been wetter 

 than anything known to the Victorians — wetter even than the 

 notorious year, 1879. Under the wet conditions, weeds got 

 ahead, in many cases smothering the legitimate Icrop, and 

 produced one of the foulest seasons for many years. 



The season opened badly for farm work. October was very- 

 wet and drilling was hindered. The frosts and dry weather of 

 November enabled all the winter corn to be sown by the 21st, 

 but December and January were both difficult months for late 

 sown cereals; Very little flag was made and there was a loss 

 of plant. The land was saturated with water and impossible to 



