ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1197 
far the lowest produce in the entire series. It happens, therefore, that these three out 
of the four intermediate seasons came under detailed discussion when considering the 
seasons of highest, and of lowest, productiveness, in Part I. of this paper. As the 
conditions and results of growth referred to undoubtedly exercised considerable 
influence on the struggle from year to year, it seems desirable to make brief reference 
to the characters and results of those four seasons, before describing those of 1872, the 
season of separation itself. 
The first of the four seasons, 1868, was on the whole the second in productiveness 
throughout the series. “Luxuriant early growth was followed by both unusual 
drought and unusual heat, yielding quantity by virtue of high development and 
maturation, as distinguished from succulence and immaturity.” And the heavy and 
ripe first crops were succeeded by very meagre second growth. 
The season of 1869 was the one of highest productiveness of all throughout the 
series. “ The period prior to that of most active above-ground growth had brought 
the herbage into an unusual state of forwardness; when .... abundance of rain, with, 
upon the whole, low temperatures, gave great luxuriance, but comparatively leafy, 
succulent, and immature produce.” And, as under the very different conditions in 
1868, the second growth was considerably below average. 
The season of 1870 was the one of lowest productiveness throughout the series. 
“ 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 incle¬ 
ment ; and on the average colder than usual The herbage was, from these causes, 
very backward at the commencement 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 drought 
and heat still prevailing several weeks after the cutting of the first crops, the second 
crops (which were cut and spread on the plots) were also very meagre. 
The season of 1871 gave more than the average produce of first crops under all 
conditions of manuring. The second crops were also uniformly above the average, 
and on the nitrate of soda plots very considerably so. The greater part of the 
winter, 1870-1, had been extremely severe, with a great deal of snow, and very cold 
winds. At the commencement of the growing time the plots were very bare and 
backward. With the exception of the latter half of April, that month, May and 
June were unusually cold, and there was an excess of rain in April and June, but a 
deficiency in May. June especially was very unseasonably cold and wet. The dryness 
of May checked undergrowth, and favoured the formation of flowering stems; but 
with the wetness of June a kind of second growth succeeded; and when the crop was 
cut there was, besides the early-formed flower stems and some seed, a large amount of 
leafy matter produced, much contributing to the weight of the crops. 
Thus the first two years since the botanical separations of 1867 had given the two 
heaviest first crops in the series, the third the lightest, and the fourth more than the 
MDCCCLXXXII. 7 o 
