for Twenty Years in succession on the same Land. 
125 
rut on August 15 and carted on August 24. The seed was in, 
therefore, though not early, still in good time ; and, with a mild 
but comparatively dry spring, the plant would probably distribute 
its feeders well through the soil, and with liberal rain in June, 
but no unduly forcing weather at any time, and favourable ripening 
and harvest periods, the result was, though not as with wheat in 
all respects the best crop hitherto, still one much over the 
average. It was so, especially in quantity and proportion of 
grain, whilst in quality, indicated by weight per bushel, it was 
actually the best up to that time ; but, as will be seen, it has been 
exceeded on this point in several seasons since. In quantity of 
straw it was also over average. As in the case of wheat, the 
season was peculiarly favourable for the action of ammonia salts — 
indeed, for all high manuring — the farmyard manure giving not 
only considerably more than average total produce, but, both as 
to quantity and quality of corn, a better result than in any other 
season hitherto. Without manure, or with purely mineral manure, 
the amount of produce of both corn and straw has been exceeded 
in several seasons ; but with mineral and nitrogenous manures 
together, the only years that exceeded or closely approached 1863 
were, in produce of corn, 1854, 1857, and 1864; but, in produce 
of straw, 1854 the most strikinglv, and less so 1855, 1861, 1862, 
1864, 1869, and 1871. 
A comparison between the characters of the seasons of 1854 
and 1863, the former yielding, with high manuring, generally 
fully as much or more corn, and considerably more straw than the 
latter, will usefully illustrate upon what conditions the very 
favourable, but still very different results of the two seasons 
depended. In 1854, which gave much the larger quantity of 
total produce of barley (corn and straw together), the winter 
having been very severe, the land was worked and the seed was 
sown very early ; there was considerably less than half the 
average amount of rain in March, April, June, and July, with 
nearly double the usual amount in May. In 1863, on the other 
hand, the seed was not in so early ; there was only about half the 
usual amount of rain in March, April, May, and July, with 
nearly double the usual amount in June. In both years there 
was in August about the average amount of rain. Almost 
throughout the six months enumerated, 1863 was slightly the 
warmer of the two, though both were rather warmer than usual 
in the early spring, and rather cooler than usual, but with a dry 
atmosphere, in the summer. Thus, both seasons were, throughout 
the greater part of the period of growth, comparatively dry and 
temperate ; but each had, at one period, a large fall of rain, which, 
in 1854, yielding the largest amount of total produce, came in 
May, whilst in 1863 it did not come until June. It is worthy of 
