128 Report of Experiments on the Growth of Wheat. 
The extent of land under wheat was reported to be less than in 
1856 ; but throughout the summer the crop promised extremely 
well, and after harvest it was estimated to have been unusually 
productive. 
The character of the experimental wheat-crop of 1857 was in 
many points remarkable, and accorded well with the estimates 
formed of the crop over the country generally. The amount of gross 
produce (corn and straw together) fell considerably short of that 
of either 1854 or 1863, and did not exceed that of several other 
years of much inferior yield of grain ; but the proportion of corn 
to straw was unusually high, being only surpassed among the 
experimental seasons in 1854, and about equalled in 1846 and 
1849, though in neither of these two years was the amount of 
produce per acre at all equal to that of 1857. The quantity of 
straw was, in fact, even below the average, considerably less 
than the amount of 1854, and still more below that of 1863. 
But the produce of grain, especially under the influence of high 
nitrogenous and mineral manuring, was almost identical with 
that of 1854, the two seasons standing in this respect second only 
to 1863 ; whilst, both without manure, and with mixed mineral 
manure alone, the yield of 1857 even exceeded that of the extra- 
ordinary season just passed (1863). 
fc It was, however, especially where the large amounts of am- 
monia-salts, in conjunction with the mineral manure, were 
employed, that the tendency to the production of grain rather 
than of straw was in 1857 so marked, and so much above the 
average. It is further worthy of remark, that both in 1854, which 
was the eleventh season, and in 1857, which was the fourteenth 
season of wheat on the same land, the unmanured produce 
amounted to about 20 bushels, that by farmyard manure to about 
41 bushels, and that by the heaviest artificial manuring to within 
a fraction of 50 bushels per acre. 
Fifteenth Season, 1857-8. 
October, November, and December (1857) were, upon the 
whole, very mild, with unusually little rain during the two latter 
months. January (1858) was also very dry, and during the last 
fortnight cold, with north wind and sharp frost. February was 
also generally cold, with a fair amount of rain, and some snow in 
the earlier part, and sharp frosts and easterly winds in the latter 
part of the month. In March there was little rain, but frost, 
snow, and strong easterly winds in the earlier part of the month. 
The beginning of April was cold, but most of the remainder fine, 
and even hot, and a moderate amount of rain fell in the begin- 
ning and end of the month ; it was also cold in the beginning 
of May, but fine, dry, and hot towards the end, though with 
