for Twenty Years in succession on tlie same Land. 120 
•quarter, and especially of April, was, however, the highest on 
record for that period of the year; and the air was pretty uniformly 
much drier than the average; the rain which fell being little dis- 
tributed, coming for the most part in heavy showers. July, with 
an excess of rain, was also warmer than usual. The greater part 
of August was not only extremely wet, but rather colder than 
usual ; whilst September was both the driest and hottest on 
record ; completing, notwithstanding the comparatively low tem- 
perature of August, a hotter period of 6 months than any other 
known. In each month, too (excepting August, when it was very 
high), the degree of humidity of the air was generally very low. 
The winter of 1864-5, though variable, was, therefore, upon 
the whole, very cold, stormy, and inclement ; the early spring 
xinusually cold and backward ; but the remainder, and greater 
part, was very warm, with a dry atmosphere ; though, towards 
the end, some heavy rains fell, and the combined conditions 
brought the crops very rapidly forward. June was also dry, hot 
at the beginning, though afterwards comparatively cool; July 
was hot, with a good deal of rain, but, upon the whole, a dry 
atmosphere ; the greater part of August was cool and very wet, but 
the remainder, and September, very hot and dry, favouring the 
rapid completion of the hitherto much retarded harvest work. 
Thus, after a severe winter and late spring, the growing period 
was characterized by great heat, dryness of atmosphere, and a 
deficient amount and distribution of rain ; the ripening period 
by an excess of rain, followed, however, by an eventually favour- 
able, though late harvest time. 
The wheat crop of the country was reported to be very 
variable ; good on clays and land in good condition, but poor 
on light and badly farmed soils ; in the aggregate about, or 
slightly under, average as to quantity ; variable, and, upon the 
whole, only moderate in quality. Barley was said to be the best 
of the cereals, but inferior on light lands ; oats the poorest crop 
for many years past. 
The experimental wheat crop was, in quantity of corn, much 
below the average on the poorly manured, but considerably above 
it on the highly manured plots. The weight per bushel of 
dressed corn was, throughout, above the average ; but the quan- 
tity of straw was almost throughout considerably below average, 
though proportionally the less so the higher the manuring. 
The results obtained in the experimental barlev-field are shown 
in Table XV. (p. 130). 
The wintry weather of March delayed all spring sowing, and 
the experimental barley was not put in until April 6th. On the 
other hand, the prevailing heat and drought of the spring and 
summer, brought grain crops earlv forward, and the whole of the 
VOL. IX.— s. S. " " K 
