EXPERIMENTS OX THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 397 
cially, very wet. The result was an unusual winter growth of grass. The dry and 
cold weather of March, however, checked vegetation ; but with its early start, and 
marked progress in the winter, it recovered rapidly under the influence of the very 
warm and sufficiently wet weather of April. The two remaining months of the grass 
season were, however, unusually cold, May being at the same time very wet, but June 
dry, a condition which was compensated by the previous abundance of moisture ; 
whilst, although the ruling temperatures were low for those months, they were yet 
actually sufficient for active vegetation. The result was luxuriant, and succulent, 
though not maturing, growth. Indeed, according to notes taken on the ground, the 
plots generally manifested great luxuriance ; but the most prominent plants, whether 
gramineous, leguminous, or miscellaneous, were much more backward than usual at 
the time of cutting. 
It would thus appear that the excessive produce of grass in 1869 was by no means 
due alone, or even perhaps chiefly, to the climatic conditions during the limited period 
of really active accumulation and aboveground growth, which, in fact, were not 
specially favourable; but the result was due to the only moderately favourable 
conditions during that period, succeeding upon very favourable, instead of as usual 
detrimental ones, throughout the three winter months, thus bringing the herbage 
unusually forward, and rendering it the more capable of turning to the best account 
such climatic elements of growth as followed. 
It may here be remarked that this result is somewhat analogous to that observed 
in the case of our experiments on the continuous growth of wheat; the seasons of 
extraordinary productiveness of that crop having been marked, rather by moderately 
favourable conditions throughout, than by specially favourable ones during the period 
of most active above-ground growth. 
Let us now contrast with the foregoing conditions of extremely luxuriant growth, 
those under which the smallest produce of the 20 years was obtained. 
After the enormous first crops of 1869, less than average second crops were grown. 
Not only would there be comparative exhaustion of manurial constituents, but, suc¬ 
ceeding upon the dry weather of June, and the cold weather of both May and June, 
there was a considerable deficiency of rain in July and August, but little more than 
the average in September, and again a deficiency in October; and, with the continued 
defect of rain in July and August, July was warmer, but August for the most part 
unseasonably colder, than usual; whilst September, with its fair amount of rain, 
was generally warmer, and October, with its defect, at times much colder than 
the average. 
The autumn conditions were, therefore, upon the whole adverse to growth. Over 
the five months—November, 1869, to March, 1870, inclusive—the rain gauge indicated 
more than the average total fall, though there was a considerable deficiency in January. 
There were heavy and continuous falls of rain in November and December, with great 
