1194 
MESSRS. J. B. LAWES, J. H. GILBERT, AND M. T. MASTERS, 
favourable to the luxuriance of gramineous herbage, the freer growing and compara¬ 
tively surface-rooting and moisture-loving species there prevailing; whilst on the plot 
with nitrate of soda where, besides the free-growing and chiefly surface-rooting Poa 
tmmalis and Lolium jperenne, the deeper-rooting and comparatively drought-resisting 
Bromus mollis had already established predominance, the gramineous herbage, as a 
whole, was not specially luxuriant. The season was not unfavourable for the Legu- 
mrnosse on the plots where the grasses were not forced by nitrogenous manures; but 
where they were so the Leguminosse were much discouraged. Miscellaneous plants 
were a good deal favoured. Where there was no nitrogenous manure Rumex , Plantago, 
and Ranunculus were very prominent; where there was nitrogenous manure and 
coincident free growth of grasses, Rumex was still the most prominent weed, Conopo¬ 
dium denudatum coming next, and with ammonia-salts Acliillea Millefolium, but with 
nitrate of soda Ranunculus (repens and bulbosus ) came third. 
The notes made on the crop before and at the time of cutting show that the herbage 
generally was characterised by abundance of foliage, dense undergrowth and backward¬ 
ness, with comparatively little tendency to form stems or to produce flower or seed. 
The season of 1862 was, therefore, upon the whole, favourable for luxuriance of the 
freer growing species, yielding, however, for the most part, leafy and immature 
produce. 
Season 1866-7. 
In the preceding year, 1866, the first crops had been, upon the whole, over average, 
and the second crops were estimated to be so; but, owing to the wetness of the 
autumn, they had been cut and left to decay on the land. There had been a consider¬ 
able excess of rain in June, July, August, and September, 1866, with on the average 
low temperatures. The concluding three months of 1866 were, however, upon the 
whole, deficient in rain, with higher than the average temperatures, though in Novem¬ 
ber a good deal of rain fell within a short period, causing floods in some localities. In 
January, 1867, the fluctuations were very great. Extreme cold and heavy falls of snow 
alternated with rapid thaws, warm weather, heavy gales, and a good deal of rain, 
though in the aggregate there was not an excess of fall, but there was a considerable 
defect in temperature. The last week of January and almost the 'whole of February 
were unusually warm, with, at the beginning of February, a large amount, and during 
the month an excess, of rain. March, on the other hand, was almost to the conclusion 
very cold and wintry, with a good deal of snow. There was an excess of fall during 
the month, and on the average very low temperatures, and vegetation was much 
checked. April and the beginning of May were very unsettled—stormy, rainy, and 
changeable as to temperature, but on the whole warmer than the average. Later in 
May, besides some very warm, there was a longer period of extremely cold weather, 
with a dry atmosphere and frosty nights, vegetation being again much checked, though, 
during the month, both the fall of rain and the temperatures were above average. 
