1206 
MESSES. J. B. LATVES, J. H. GILBERT, AND M. T. MASTERS, 
second crops of the series of years, but the produce was for the first time removed 
from the land. 
We thus had, prior to the season of separation of 1877, several seasons of more or 
less ungenial weather for the growth of the first crops, actually damaged herbage, in 
one case affecting even the second crop, with, in other cases, comparatively luxuriant 
second growth, and one heavy second crop removed; and such were the conditions 
preparatory to the growth of the crop to be submitted to botanical analysis. Lastly, 
the season of separation itself, following these conditions, was characterised by a 
wet and mild winter and spring, giving early promise ; growth was then checked 
by cold, but eventually luxuriant and heavy crops were obtained, which, however, 
were very variable in character of development according to the character of the 
manures employed. 
The general result was a tendency to an increased proportion of gramineous herbage, 
and a diminished proportion, especially of the miscellaneous species, on most of the 
plots. There was also a tendency to a diminution in the proportion of the leguminous 
herbage on those plots which had been under the same treatment from the beginning; 
but a tendency to increase on some where the manures favourable to such plants had 
not been employed until more recently. Further, with the prevailing wetness of the 
intervening period, the freer-growing grasses gained ground on those plots where the 
manures were the most favourable for the luxuriant growth of gramineous herbage. 
The foregoing review of the characters of the seasons preparatory to, and during 
the actual growth of the four crops submitted to detailed botanical separation, will 
sufficiently show that, independently of the very much more marked influences of the 
different manures in determining the results of the struggle between the members 
of the different Orders, or between the different species referable to the same Order, or 
even to the same genus—the effects of season must be taken account of, as constituting 
one important element among the many influences involved in bringing about the final 
result. 
The Flora of the Plots ; Orders, Genera, and Species represented. 
Under this heading we propose to consider the number and the general character 
of the plants which have been observed during the course of the experiments on all 
the plots collectively. 
Number of Orders , Genera , and Species .—The total number of species observed 
upon the plots is 89, comprised in 63 genera, and 22 Orders. The Dicotyledons 
number 59 species; the Monocotyledons 26; and the Acotyledons (including three 
Mosses but excluding Fungi) 4. The following is a list of the Orders, and of the 
number of genera and species within each, represented on the plots. As will be seen, 
the sequence of the Orders is according to the number of species they respectively 
contributed to the herbage of the plots (see Table XXXV., p. 1207). 
