Experimental Plots at Rothamsted, from 1864 to 1883. 417 
warm and wet. May was warm and wet up to the 15th, when 
a cold period set in which continued until June 19th ; the 
remainder of June was very hot. The rainfall of the quarter 
was more than 13 inches, being about twice the ordinary fall. 
July was rather cold up to about the middle of the month, but 
the latter half was very hot, and fortunately dry weather pre- 
vailed throughout the month. Some heavy thunderstorms 
occurred in the beginning of August and the whole month was 
unsettled. 
Although in no one instance did the produce reach the 
standard of 1877, still the general yield of the crop was very 
much better. The unmanured land — which for the last three 
seasons had not reached 9 bushels — was over 12 bushels, and 
the dunged plot yielded 4 bushels per acre over the produce of 
the last two years. It was estimated that the crop of the 
country was above the average. 
Thirty-sixth Season, 1878-79. 
Up to October 21st the weather was fine and warm, but on 
the 22nd it became cold and wet and remained so until 
December 6th, when severe frosts set in which continued until 
the 26th. After this the weather became unusually warm. 
The character of the quarter may be summarised as follows. 
A good seed time, followed by intensely cold, wet weather 
which hardly ceased until the year ended. In some days in 
December the temperature was 17 degrees below the average, 
and the whole month was 6 degrees below the average. 
January was one of the coldest months ever recorded, the 
thermometer during the whole month being below 32"^ F. ; snow 
covered the ground, the days were nearly sunless, and the wind 
N., N.E. February was also very cold, with a great excess of 
rain, and a great deal of snow. ^larch was first warm, then 
cold, and on the 21st very cold with snow ; but the last days 
of the month were warm. The five months ending March 31st 
may be described as exceedingly cold with much rain and 
snow. The next three months may be summed up in a few 
words as cold, wet, and sunless ; while Mr. Glaisher further 
informs us that for lowness of temperature the eight months 
ending with June have only been once exceeded during the 
one hundred years and upwards which have elapsed since the 
first records were kept at Greenwich. 
J uly was dull, cold, and sunless ; rain fell every day during 
the first half of the month, and frequently afterwards, sometimes 
mixed with snow. August was a very cold, wet month ; there 
were a few warm days, during which no rain fell, and there 
