124 Report, of Experiments on the Growth of Wheat. 
Upon the whole, then, consistently with the character of the 
crop over the country generally, the experimental wheat-crop of 
1854 was as remarkable for superiority in almost every parti- 
cular, both of quantity and quality, as that of 1853 had been in 
the opposite direction. 
Twelfth Season, 1854-5. 
The autumn of 1854 was, upon the whole, fine and season- 
able ; December, and the first half of January (1855), were fine 
and generally mild. Then came severe frost and deep snow, and 
the frost, with occasional snow, rain, and thaw, lasted with more or 
less severity, through February and March. The beginning and 
end of April were also cold and frosty, and the month was more 
or less windy throughout, with dry east winds at the close. May 
and June were for the most part very cold and dry, with the excep- 
tion of a short interval in the middle of that period, and the end 
of June, which was very hot ; July was very variable with many 
fine hot days, but with severe thunder-storms, and, upon the 
whole, a great excess of rain. The beginning of August was 
also wet, but the remainder of the month was fine ; September 
also was fine, but cool. In June, August, and September, both 
the dew-point and the degree of humidity of the atmosphere 
ranged low, but in July both were somewhat in excess of the 
average. 
Thus, the latter part of the winter, and the early spring, were 
extremely severe ; the remainder of the spring and the early 
summer cold and dry ; July was very variable, with a greaf deal 
of rain, and a rather humid atmosphere ; but the maturing 
and harvest periods were more favourable. With these cha- 
racters of season, the wheat-crop of 1855 was reported to be 
much less abundant than that of 1854, and the quality very 
various. 
The experimental crops without manure, by farmyard manure, 
by mineral manure alone, and by mineral manure in conjunction 
with the smaller amounts of ammonia-salts, were fully equal 
to the average of the 12 years in amount both of grain and 
straw ; but those grown under the influence of the heavier 
ammoniacal dressings were below it in both respects. The 
proportion of corn to straw, and the weight per bushel of 
dressed corn, were both rather over than under the average 
of the 12 years. So far as the experimental plots were con- 
cerned, therefore, the season of 1855 was of average produc- 
tiveness with moderate manuring, but it was unfavourable for 
high manuring, and for the growth and maturation of large 
crops. 
