EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. 207 



Pumpherston, for the soil is deep and finely porous, and moisture 

 is drawn up from a consideraljle depth. 



The first twelve plots at Harelaw, having thus received the 

 double advantage of a fortnight earlier sowing, and fine moist 

 weather to favour germmation, made good root, while the remain- 

 ing plots were struggling for existence, and the effect seen upon 

 the crop all through the growing was very mari<:ed. The con- 

 sequence is that these plots, though comparable among them- 

 selves, cannot be compared with the other plots on the station, 

 except for the purpose of showing how great a difference to the 

 crop is caused by the advantage of a few days' start in the 

 spring. The difference in this case may turn out to be from two 

 to four tons per acre. 



Careful notes were taken about once a fortnight at both 

 stations, and a record kept of the progress of the various plots. 

 On comparing the records of both stations, it is found that they 

 corroborate each other in most particulars. The land at Harelaw 

 is in a high state of cultivation, and the difference in the appear- 

 ance of the various plots was less marked than at Pumpherston. 

 At each inspection a certain numerical value was assigned to 

 each plot, according to its appearance, and these were often 

 taken by two or more independent observers and found sub- 

 stantially to agree. The main facts recorded in these notes may 

 be shortly summarised as follows : — 



Phosplmte Plots, — It will be seen from the chart that the first 

 ten plots received each an amount of phosphate containing forty 

 pounds of phosphoric acid. The odd numbers received undissolved 

 phosphate, and the even numbers dissolved phosphate. It was 

 noticed that the plots under dissolved phosphates took the start 

 of the others, and their tops first met in the drills. Thereafter, 

 the differences between the odd and even plots became less and 

 less. When the bulbs were formed the same difference was 

 apparent in them, but it was not so pronounced as one would 

 have been led to expect, from the appearance of the leaf. At 

 Harelaw, scarcely any difference could be detected in the size 

 and appearance of the bulbs of these ten plots. Plot 11, 

 however, which received no phosphates, looked very poor, and 

 Plot 12, which received bone-ash alone, even poorer. Plot 5 

 (bone-dust) and Plot 6 (bone-dust dissolved) were backward at 

 first, but improved considerably towards the end of the season. 

 The plots with mineral phosphates looked quite as well as those 

 with animal phosphates. 



Nitrogenous Manures. — No difference was noticeable between 

 Plots 13 (nitrate of soda) and 14 (sulphate of ammonia). The 

 shoddy plot (15) was a very poor one, though it began to improve 

 just at the end of the season. Plot 16 (dried blood) was slow to 

 begin, but it unproved very rapidly, and in the end looked better 



