Experimental Plots at Eothamste.^,from 1864 to 1883. 395 
Although the weather was generally too hot and dry for the 
lighter class of soils, the crop was a very large one on those 
of a heavier character. The plot manured with minerals and 
nitrate of soda exceeded 50 bushels per acre, and we have 
therefore the remarkable fact that, in two consecutive years, a 
crop of over 50 bushels per acre has been grown upon land 
which has received only artificial manures for more than twenty 
years. 
Trventy-second Season, 1864-G5. 
After a rather wet September, but a very low aggregate rain- 
fall during the first 9 months of the year, the concluding quarter 
of 1864 was also characterised by less rain than usual. The 
deficiency was very considerable in October and December, 
though there was rather an excess in November. As to tempe- 
rature, the period was very variable, with a good deal of cold 
weather. There were occasionally very high winds ; whilst the 
degree of humidity of the air was unusually low in October, 
and also somewhat low in November and December. In 
January, 1865, there was a considerable, and in February a 
slight excess, but in March a deficiency of rain (including 
snow), though, throughout the quarter, the number of rainy 
days was small. Excepting the first half of January, the greater 
part of which was warm, the quarter was almost throughout 
unusually stormy and cold, with a good deal of snow ; March in 
particular was generally exceptionally cold and inclement. In 
April and June very little rain fell ; whilst in May and July 
there was an excess, and in August a very great excess. In 
September, however, the rainfall was exceptionally small. April, 
May, and the beginning of June, were much warmer than 
the average, but the remainder of June was variable, and, 
upon the whole, rather cold. The mean temperature of the 
quarter, and especially of April, was, however, the highest on 
record for that period of the year ; and the air was uniformly 
much drier than the average, as the rain which fell was not 
much distributed, but came 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 also 
rather colder than usual ; whilst September was both the driest 
and hottest on record, and — notwithstanding the comparatively 
low temperature of August — the average heat over the whole 
period of six months has never been equalled. In each month 
too (excepting August, when it was very high) the degree of 
humidity of the air was generally low. 
The winter of 1864-5, though variable, was therefore, upon 
