114 Report of Experiments on the Growth of Barley, 
most of the conditions of manuring, rather more than the average 
quantity of straw, more than the average proportion of corn to 
straw, especially with the most liberal manuring, notably more 
than the average quantity of corn per acre, and generally good, 
and full average, weight per bushel. Thus, under varied con- 
ditions of manuring, the season of 1858 was, in most particulars, 
one of more tlian average productiveness ; but, in quantity of 
total produce, in proportion of corn to straw, and especially in 
quantity of corn per acre, it was considerably below that of the 
much hotter and pre-eminently cora-yielding season of 1857. 
The experimental wheat-crop accorded pretty well in cha- 
racters with that of the country generally ; and the experimental 
barley-crop has much the characters of the experimental wheat- 
crop, namely, greater superiority in yield of corn than in pro- 
duce of straw, when compared with the average ; but the barley- 
crop of the country at large was, according to the reports, by no 
means so good as that in the experimental field is seen to have 
been. 
Eighth Season, 1859. 
The concluding quarter of 1858 Avas much drier than usual, 
and, during a considerable portion of it, it was very cold. The 
latter part of December, however, and January and February, 
1859, were very fine and mild; March was also, upon the whole, 
mild, but with more rain ; in April, too, a good deal of rain fell, 
and the latter part of the month was stormy, wet, and cold. May 
began with cold, dry, easterly winds ; then came a good deal of 
rain, succeeded by fine and hot weather. During June there 
were several heavy thunderstorms, much rain fell, and the air was 
more humid than usual, though there was also some fine warm 
weather. July was, upon the whole, fine, and unusually hot ; 
but there were several severe thunderstorms at the beginning 
and about the middle of the month. August was unsettled, but, 
for the most part, warm, with a good deal of rain. September 
was also unsettled, and cold, with an excessive amount of rain. 
In July the dew-point ranged high, but the temperature rela- 
tively higher; and, throughout the quarter ending with Sep- 
tember, the degree of humidity of the air was below the average. 
Thus, throughout the winter there was very little rain; and, 
with the exception of the early part, the weather was very mild. 
March was mild, with more rain; in April there was a full, in 
May a deficient, in June an excessive, in July a moderate, 
in August a full, and in September an excessive, supply of rain ; 
Avhilst June and July were considerably above the average tem- 
perature, and the harvest period was generally unsettled, with a 
great deal of rain, and for the most part warm. 
