1201 
ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 
The winter of 1872-3 was upon the whole very wet; in the earlier part of it 
warmer than the average, but in February, and also in March, there were deep snows 
and sharp frosts. Then followed a dry grass-growing season, with, for the most part, 
lower than average temperatures. The result was backward growth and deficient 
first crops of hay under every condition of manuring, and very considerable deficiency 
under most conditions. The grasses were dwarfish, yielding but little stem and 
rather thin undergrowth, thus favouring the luxuriance of a few strong growing weeds, 
such as Rumex Acetosa, Centaurea nigra, and Achillea Millefolium; whilst leguminous 
herbage was less prominent than usual. After the removal of the first crops there 
was more than the average amount of rain, there was fairly dense growth on most of 
the plots, yielding two cuttings, one in the middle of August and the other in the 
middle of October, the produce in both cases being spread on the respective plots. 
On many plots Festuca ovina contributed a large proportion of the dense grassy 
undergrowth. 
The winter and early spring of 1873-4.were upon the whole considerably warmer 
than usual, but with a considerable deficiency of rain, so that vegetation remained 
very backward. Then followed continued drought, with unusual cold both day and 
night, and the already backward herbage was very materially damaged, yielding not 
only checked and stunted, but really injured crops. Indeed, the grass-season of 1874 
was the second in order of unproductiveness among the first 20 of the experiments, 
and as such has already been considered in more detail in Part I. of this paper. July 
was hotter than the average, with, however, a sufficiency of ram; August was dry 
but cold; September and October were wet, with rather above average temperatures. 
There was, nevertheless, but little growth after the first cutting, excepting on a few of 
the highly-manured plots. A second crop was cut in the middle of August, and a 
third at the end of September, both being spread on the respective plots. 
The winter of 1874-5 was variable, but included a good deal of severe weather, 
with more than the average fall of rain. There was a deficiency of rain, with lower 
than average temperatures, in February, March, and April; the period being upon 
the whole inclement, cold, and dry, and vegetation was accordingly backward. There 
was an excess of rain in May and June, with at the same time higher than average 
temperatures. May especially was warm, showery, and genial, stimulating the growth 
of most species ; whilst June improved some, but retarded others, the middle of the 
month being stormy and sunless. The produce was, on most of the experimental 
plots, below average; but on a few of those most highly-manured, above average. 
The wet and warm May was specially favourable to such moisture-loving and surface¬ 
rooting plants as Agrostis vulgaris and Poa trivialis , which came much to the front ; 
and the grasses showed such a dense leafy-growth that the leguminous and miscel¬ 
laneous species were less prominent than usual. After the cutting of the first crop 
there was a great excess of rain in July, though with lower than average temperatures 
in that month, but higher afterwards. The result was that the short yield of the 
