108 Report of Experiments on the Groiotli of Barlei/, 
period may be beneficial under bad, and injurious under good 
agricultural conditions. 
Fifth Season, 1856. 
After a wet autumn, and some severe weather in the early part 
of the winter, January 1856 was very variable, but, upon the 
whole, mild, as was also February ; March was dry and cold, 
with piercing north-east winds ; April and May generally cold, 
and May particularly, very wet; June and July changeable as 
to temperature, with little rain, and frequently very cold nights 
until nearly the end of the latter month, which, with the begin- 
ning of August, was fine and hot ; then came heavy thunderstorms 
with excessive rain, but the end of August, and the first half of 
September, were fine, after which again succeeded thunderstorms 
and heavy rain, the temperature being generally low throughout 
the month. The mean dew point, and degree of humidity of the 
air, were above, or about, the average in June, July, and August, 
and somewhat below it in September. 
Thus, after a variable, but upon the whole, mild winter, the 
early spring was dry and cold, the remainder cold and wet, and 
the early summer cold and changeable, with little rain; then 
came a short interval of fine and hot weather, succeeded about the 
ripening period by very heavy rains and prevailing low tempera- 
lures. The harvest period was much broken, generally wet and 
unfavourable, especially in the later districts. 
Wheat was reported to cover a large area ; and shortly before 
harvest it was thought the crop would be over an average. Bar- 
ley and oats were also expected to be over average per acre ; 
though barley was said to cover an unusually small area. Even- 
tually, however, owing to the unfavourable harvest-weather, and 
the deficiency of labour, a considerable proportion of all three 
crops was much damaged and badly got in. 
The experimental wheat crop was, with liberal manuring, in 
quantity of straw over, and in that of grain fully equal to, the 
average ; but it was unevenly and badly ripened, and the weight 
per bushel was low. 
The results exhibited in Table VI. (p. 109) were obtained in 
the experimental barley field. 
The barley was sown on March 8th ; and with, for the most 
part, alternately cold and dry, and cold and wet, spring and 
summer, the amount of total produce was, under all conditions 
•of manuring, very considerably below the average of the 20 
years. The deficiency in quantity of corn was very great, and 
that of straw also great ; though the less the higher the artificial 
manuring. With the farmyard manure, however, the deficiency 
