Experimental Plots at Rotliatnsted, from 1864 to 1883. 405 
fluctuations, some very warm days, and a warm period of more 
than a week in the middle of December — was very cold and in- 
clement, and especially wintry towards the end of October. There 
were numerous gales throughout the quarter ; while there was 
less rain than usual in October, about the average in November, 
and a considerable excess in December. The falls were heavy 
and continuous at the end of November, and again in the middle 
of December ; while the drains in the experimental wheat-field 
ran frequently from November 28th, 1869, to January 1st, 1870. 
The first three months of 1870 Avere characterised by frequent 
alternations of warm, and very cold weather — the colder periods 
being, however, much the longer, and sometimes very severe ; 
snow was very frequent, but the rain gauge indicated a deficient 
fall in January, in some localities a deficiency in February, but 
a very heavy fall early in the month, and an excess in March. 
From early in April to near the end of the month the weather 
was very warm and dry ; then followed about a fortnight of cold 
and cloudy weather, from which time until nearly the end of 
June it was again very warm, sunny, and dry — the three months 
together being not only warmer than the average, but very 
unusually deficient in rain. The day temperature especially 
was high, though the night temperature in April and May was 
low, but in June high. The end of June and the beginning of 
July were cold and variable, but the remainder — indeed, nearly 
the whole of July, as well as the first half of August — was very 
warm. Then, to the end of September, a period of about six 
weeks, the temperature was generally below the average, though 
the weather continued fine. Thus, the period of drought, which 
had commenced with April, continued to nearly the end of 
August, and even in September there was less than the average, 
fall of rain. The large deficiency of rain throughout five con- 
secutive months was, moreover, accompanied by great dryness 
of atmosphere — the degree of humidity of the air being in 
April unusually low, and in May, June, July, and August, also 
considerably below the average. 
The autumn of 1869, though, as the details show, frequently 
cold, boisterous, and inclement was upon the whole not un- 
favourable for getting in the seed. The winter, though change- 
able, included a great deal of very cold weather. In the early 
spring both field-work and vegetation were very backward, and 
at the end of April grass land was very brown and bare. From 
the beginning of April until harvest the weather — with few ex- 
ceptions of short duration — was warmer than usual, with a great 
deficiency of rain, and a very dry atmosphere. 
The combined heat and drought were even more extreme 
during the months of May, June, and July 1868, than during 
