Oar Climate and our Wheat- Crops. 
179 
be seen, they were in some points essentially different from one 
another, were nevertheless characterised by yielding very abun- 
dant crops, of very good quality ; some of them, it is supposed, 
the most abundant within the period under review. By the side 
ot the particulars of temperature and rainfall of each of those 
fourteen seasons there are given the mean temperature of 108 
years, the average rainfall of 63 years, and the average number 
of days of rain of 55 years. It will be observed that each 
" season " is here reckoned to include the last three months of 
the year preceding that of the crop, as the characters of the 
autumn and early winter may materially affect the getting in of 
the seed and the early progress of the plant. 
We will first call attention to the characters of four consecutive 
seasons of reputed very high productiveness, which occurred 
before the commencement of the Rothamsted experiments, and 
of which we have only such knowledge as is on record respecting 
them. These are 1832, 1833, 1834, and 1835. Among this 
series 1834 was by far the most abundant ; and it is generally 
referred to as one of the most productive of the century. So 
abundant were these four wheat-crops, that the average price, 
even under protection, went down from 54s. 5c?. per quarter 
over the first harvest-year, to 49s. 9rf. over the second, 41s. 5c?. 
over the third, and 42s. 8c?. over the fourth. The lowest price 
reached was 36s. per quarter in the last week of 1835 and the 
first of 1836. And such was the distress suffered by the agricul- 
tural interest, as the result of abundant wheat-crops, and the low 
prices following, that Select Committees of the House of Lords, 
and of the House of Commons, respectively, were appointed to 
inquire into the matter ; as now we have a Royal Commission to 
inquire into the distress caused, not by abundant, but by 
deficient crops, and large importations, though by no means such 
low prices as during the period of great abundance. 
1832. — The records show considerably higher than average 
temperatures during October, November, December (1831), and 
January (1832) ; a great excess of rain in October, and about 
average amounts in November and December, but a deficiency 
in January. February and March were rather under average as 
to temperature, with fairly average amounts of rain. In April 
the temperature was rather over, in May rather under, in June 
rather over, in July rather under, and in August about average. 
There was a considerable deficiency of rain in April, May, and 
July, and again in September, but a considerable excess in June 
and August. Of this season, Tooke and Newmarch say that 
the winter was open, the spring of medium forwardness, the 
summer unsettled to the end of July, then fine to the end of 
August, when heavy rains damaged the crops still out. Of the 
N 2 
