ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1203 
1875, and in contrast to the second growth of that season, there was, in 1876, scarcely 
any tendency to formation of stem, and both leguminous and miscellaneous species 
were deficient and backward. The crops were cut towards the end of September; 
but owing to the wetness and coldness of the weather they could not be made into 
hay and removed, and were, therefore, spread upon the respective plots. 
We have now to consider the characters of the season, and the general characters 
of the produce, of 1877 : the fourth and last of the years of complete botanical 
separation. 
In November, December, and January, 1876-7, there was a great excess of rain; 
the total excess in the three months amounting to about 8 inches. There was again an 
excess in each of the months of February, March, April, and May ; the total excess in 
these four months amounting to about 2^ inches. With this great excess of rain over 
seven consecutive months, from the beginning of the winter to May inclusive, there 
was, at the same time, in the first four months of the period, November to February 
inclusive, a considerable excess of temperature, both maximum and minimum ; but in 
the next three months, March, April, and May, the temperatures were for the most 
part unusually low. 
Thus, during the winter and spring the soil was saturated with water, and with 
the warmth as well as wetness of the winter, grass was very green, forward, and 
promising at the commencement of the usual active growing period ; but the cold 
weather of April and May greatly checked vegetation. About the middle of April 
piercingly cold and boisterous winds prevailed, and, although they tended to dry the 
saturated soil, they were otherwise adverse to growth. Early in May the weather 
was extremely cold, with north-east winds, storms of sleet, and severe night frosts. 
Almost all species seemed to suffer, and it was not until about the third week of the 
month that there was genial growing weather, brightening the prospects of the hay 
harvest, but coming too late entirely to overcome the effects of the previous adverse 
conditions. Hence, at the commencement of June the mixed herbage generally pre¬ 
sented a very backward appearance, grasses were short and benty, with little under¬ 
growth ; but, with the abundance of moisture within the soil, and the warm forcing 
weather of the early part of June, rapid growth then set in, and the mixed herbage 
thickened surprisingly, and the grasses especially came quickly to maturity. Eventually 
the weight of produce was over average on most of the experimental plots, and con¬ 
siderably over average on a few of those the most liberally manured. But, as the 
following comments on the herbage of a few typical plots, and the detailed results 
given further on will show, there was considerable irregularity in the condition of 
development of the different components of the mixed herbage. 
Without manure, there was about the average total produce, a full number of species, 
a rather higher than average percentage, and about an average amount of grasses ; 
there was a fair proportion of leguminous species, but less than the average amount of 
miscellaneous herbage. Festuca ovina was the most prominent grass, Agrostis vulgaris 
