396 
MESSRS. J. B. LAWES AND J. H. GILBERT ON THE RESULTS OF 
The bottom line of Table XXIX. shows that (excluding the nitrate plot) there was 
an average yield per acre of nearly 4000 lbs. more hay in 1869 than in 1870 ; and 
without manure, and with purely mineral manure, the excess amounted to more than 
the average produce of those plots. 
In the preceding year, 1868, there had been, under most conditions of manuring, and 
especially with high manuring, more than average first crops, but considerably less 
than average second crops. The very limited second growth is accounted for by the 
fact that there had been a great deficiency of rain in May, June, and July, with a 
considerable excess of temperature in each of those three months ; whilst the rainfall of 
August and September, though in excess of the average, was still insufficient to restore 
the balance or to compensate for the previous drought, and there were again, in those 
two months, higher than average temperatures. Indeed, September 1868 ended an 
extraordinarily warm period of nearly nine months’ duration. October and November 
were, throughout, with very few exceptions, colder than usual, both day and night, 
whilst in October there was a deficiency of rain, and in November a very great 
deficiency. So far, then, the period preceding the enormous growth of 1869 was 
unfavourable to luxuriant condition of the herbage. 
From this time, however, throughout the three winter months of December, January, 
and February, there was a considerable excess of rain, with temperatures ranging 
considerably higher than the average. To go a little more into detail, December 
was almost throughout very much warmer than the average, with a very great excess 
of rain, some violent gales of wind, very variable, but upon the whole very low 
barometric pressures, and high degree of humidity of the atmosphere. The average 
temperature of December had, indeed, been exceeded only twdce during the preceding 
98 years, namely, in 1806 and 1852. Again, with the exception of a week after the 
middle of January, 1869, the very warm period con turned until the end of February, 
completing three winter months of average temperature about six degrees higher than 
the average of 98 years ; and, after the enormous excess of rain in December, there 
was again a moderate excess in both January and February. March, on the contrary, 
was several degrees colder than the average, with rather less than the average amount 
of rain. Early in April warm weather again set in, and lasted till nearly the end of 
the month, the temperature during this period being several degrees higher than the 
average, whilst the rainfall was only about the average. May and June were, with 
few exceptions, of short duration, very much colder than the average. Towards the 
end of May the cold was very extreme for the season, and the greater part of June 
was very unusually cold, both day and night; and there was in May a considerable 
excess, but in June a greater deficiency, of rain. 
To sum up : after five months of unusually high temperatures, and unusual drought 
during the first three of them, October and November (1868) were again dry but cold. 
The three winter months were very warm, and all more or less, but December espe- 
