EXPERIMENTS ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 405 
period antecedent to that of most active growth had. been favourable, so in both those 
of very defective growth they had been very unfavourable. The winter and early 
spring of 1870 had not, upon the whole, been deficient in rain, but the period had been 
extremely variable as to temperature, frequently very inclement, and, upon the whole, 
colder than usual. The herbage was, from these causes, very backward at the com¬ 
mencement of the active growing period. April, May, and June followed, with a great 
deficiency of rain, very high day, and low night, temperatures, yielding very stunted 
and prematurely ripened produce. The winter and early spring of 1874 had, on the 
contrary, been very unusually deficient in rain, whilst the temperatures had ruled 
higher than the average, both day and night, until the end of April. Then followed, 
instead of drought and heat, drought and unusual cold, both day and night, especially 
the latter, and the already backward herbage was very materially damaged, yielding 
not only checked and stunted, but really damaged crops. 
In the discussion of the characteristic effects of the different manures, it has been 
pointed out, in general terms, that both the botanical and the chemical composition 
of the mixed herbage varied very greatly according to the description of manure 
applied ; and the foregoing typical illustrations of the effects of the varying climatic 
conditions of different seasons clearly indicate how different, both botanically and 
chemically, will be the character of the produce dependent on the character of the 
seasons. In fact, a given quantity of gross produce of the mixed herbage may be one 
thing in one season, and quite another in another season, both as to the proportion of 
the different species composing it, and their condition of development and maturity. 
In this place, however, we have to deal with the question of the quantity rather than 
of the quality of the produce, and from this point of view T the few illustrations of the 
influence of season which have been given will suffice. But, in the next section of our 
report—“ Part IT.—The Botanical Results ”—the characters of the four seasons in 
which the botanical analyses of the produce were undertaken will be considered ; and 
then, not only will the effects of variation of climatal conditions on the quantity of 
produce yielded be further elucidated, but an endeavour will be made to trace a 
connexion between the distinctive habits of growth of plants of different orders, 
genera, or species, and the way in which, accordingly, their predominance, and the 
amount, and the character, of their development, are influenced by the characters of 
the seasons. 
