Report of Experiments on the Growth of Wheat. 137 
with a considerable proportion of the ordinary wheat-crop of the 
country. 
Twentieth Season, 18G2-3. 
October (18C2) w;is unusually warm, but with a good deal of 
wind and rain ; November was cold, with comparatively little 
rain ; December,and January and February (18G3j, were unusually 
mild, with a fair amount of rain in December and January, and 
but little in February. March was also upon the whole mild, 
with but little rain ; and wheat showed unusually forward growth. 
April was very dry and warm. In May there were some re- 
freshing rains, but the temperature was occasionally extremely 
low, and pretty nearly throughout rather below the average, with 
frequent storms of wind. The temperature in June was also 
generally rather below the average, and there was a good deal of 
rain ; which, though needed, and much aiding growth, was so 
heavy as to lay the most forward and bulky crops. In July 
there was much less rain than usual, with moderately high day, 
but low night temperatures, and some sharp night frosts. August, 
with only moderate temperatures, but less than the usual amount 
of rain, was upon the whole favourable ripening and harvest 
weather. In September a good deal of rain fell, and the 
temperatures ranged rather low. In June, the condition of 
the atmosphere as to moisture was about the average for 
that month ; but, in July, August, and September, both the 
actual amount and the degree of humidity were below the 
average. 
With these characters of the season, the reports were almost 
unanimous that the wheat- crop of 1863 was considerably above 
the average ; and such subsequent experience has proved it to be, 
both in quantity and quality. Izxleed, such a yield, per acre, 
has not been known for very many years. 
It would appear that the extraordinary result was due to 
almost unchecked growth from the first appearance of the 
plant above ground up to the time of harvest, rather than to any 
extraordinary characteristics of season at any one or more parti- 
cular periods. With the extremely mild winter and early spring, 
the plant came early forward, and the rains, though sparing 
upon the whole, came when needed, whilst, though the tempera- 
ture of the summer was seldom high, it was (if we except the 
night frosts of July) generally sufficient, and the condition of 
atmosphere otherwise favourable ; so that it may be said that 
the whole season contributed to a lengthened and almost un- 
broken course of gradual accumulation. 
