112 
Report of Experiments on the Growth of Wheat. 
the grain was also considerably lower. The deficiency was not 
only in amount and quality of grain, but, compared with 1847, 
in quantity of straw also. The defective action of ammonia-salts 
when used without mineral manure was already observable in the 
results of 1847, and it is still more marked in those of 1848. 
Finally, 500 lbs. of ammonia-salts, in combination with mineral 
manure containing not only superphosphate of lime, but also 
potass, soda, and magnesia, gave only about the same amount of 
grain in the inferior season of 1848, as 300 lbs. with superphos- 
phate of lime in 1847, or even 2 cwts. with mixed mineral 
manure in 1846. 
Sixth Season, 1848-9. 
The early part of October was fine and mild, but the latter 
part cold, with much heavy rain and wind ; the beginning of 
November was very dry and cold, but the remainder of the 
month, and most of December, were mild, with a good deal 
of rain ; then frost set in, which lasted, with snow and rain, 
till nearly the middle of January, the remainder of which 
month was variable as to temperature, but generally very wet. 
February was, for the most part, fine and mild, until nearly 
the end of the month, when it was much colder, very wet, 
and very windy. March and April were cold, and a great deal 
of rain fell in the latter month. May was also very wet, but fine 
and warm at the close. June was fine and dry, but rather cold. 
July dry and hot until towards the end, when there were several 
heavy thunder-storms. August also was fine, with the exception 
of some thunder-storms. September variable, with a good deal 
of rain in the early part. In June, July, August, and September, 
the dew-point was'below the average ; and the degree of humidity 
of the air was, in June slightly, but in July, August, and 
September, considerably below the average. 
Upon the whole, then, the winter and spring of 1848-9 were 
mild, with a good deal of rain, and the summer and autumn, 
with some exceptions, seasonable and warm. The wheat-crop of 
the season was reported to be very abundant. 
The manuring for the sixth season-was much the same as for 
the fifth ; the chief alteration being the substitution of 400 lbs. 
of ammonia-salts in most cases where 300 lbs. of ammonia-salts 
and 500 lbs. of rape-cake had been used in the preceding year. 
With generally favourable weather throughout, and dry and 
warm weather before and about the time of harvest, the result in 
the experimental field, as in the country generally, was a wheat- 
crop above the average, both as to quantity and quality. The 
amount of produce for a given amount of manure was more than 
in 1848, 1847, or even 1846. The weight per bushel of dressed 
