396 Ever-sporting Varieties 



the manured plants one-half gave full crowns, 

 of the non-manured only one-fifth, and on the 

 sandy soil a still smaller proportion. Other 

 trials led to the same results. I have often made 

 use of steamed and ground horn, which is a ma- 

 nure very rich in nitrogenous substances. One- 

 eighth of a kilo per square meter is an ample 

 amount. And its effect was to increase the 

 number of full crowns to an exceptional degree. 



In the controlling trial and under ordinary 

 circumstances this figure reached some 50^, 

 but with ground horn it came up as high 

 as 90^. We may state this result by the 

 very striking assertion that the number of large 

 crowns in a given culture may be nearly doubled 

 by rich manure. 



All other external conditions act in a similar 

 manner. The best treatment is required to at- 

 tain the best result. A sunny exposure is one 

 of the most essential requisites, and in some at- 

 tempts to cultivate my poppies in the shade I 

 found the pistillody strongly reduced, no single 

 full crown being found on the whole lot. Often 

 the weather may be hurtful, especially during 

 the earlier stages of the plants. I protected my 

 beds during several trials by covering them with 

 glass for a few weeks, until the young plants 

 reached the glass covering. I got a normal 

 number of full crowns, some 55;^, at a time when 



