352 EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT 



and, although we have frequently suffered from sprouted samples, 

 we have still adhered to the popular opinion of the district in 

 its favour. No douht the opinion of a large body of men, 

 whether that opinion be prejudiced or not, is not to be lightly 

 thrown aside ; but it cannot be denied that the results of these 

 experiments give abundant encouragement for the prosecution 

 of further trials. 



A deputation from the Highland Society inspected the crops 

 twice in each year, saw that the divisions were properly made, 

 that the seed was true to its kind, and checked the measurements 

 of the plots. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF WHEAT, 



IN 1864 AND 1865. 



By PniPPS Turnbull, Little Pinkerton, Dunbar. 



[Premium — Fifteen Sovereigns. ] 



The farm on which these experiments were conducted is situated 

 in the county of East Lothian, Parish of Dunbar — height above 

 the sea, of fields where the crops were grown, about 180 feet. 

 The ground was carefully selected, and was of uniform quality 

 and condition, being what may be termed a gravelly loam. The 

 field in which the experiment of 1864 was conducted had been 

 barley in 1862 (after grass) ; the ground was manured after the 

 barley was removed with good farm-yard dung, at the rate of 

 fifteen tons per acre ; in 1863 a crop of potatoes was taken, 

 manured in the drill with 4^ cwts. per acre of a mixture of 

 artificial manures. The potatoes were a good crop. 



On 16th November, 1863, the different lots were all sown 

 with a drill machine, the land having been previously ploughed, 

 and manured with finely ground rape dust, at the rate of 5 cwts. 

 per acre. From the schedules annexed, it will be observed that 

 Lot No. 1 of Hunter's was sown one peck per acre thicker than 

 any of the others, the reason being that I found it impossible at 

 first starting to have the machine properly regulated and adjusted 

 to sow the exact quantity intended. 



In order to procure pure seed of the different varieties, I 

 applied to Mr. Patrick Shirreff, Haddington, a well-known and 

 experienced judge of grain ; he, in the course of a few weeks, 

 sent me Nos. 1, Hunter's, 2, Hopetoun, and 3, Shirreff 's bearded 

 white ; No. 4 was also perfectly genuine, being purchased by 

 myself from Mr. Hope, Fentonbarns. The ground was exactly 

 measured and marked off before being sown — a vacant space 

 being left between each lot. 



March 28-9. — Hand-hoed the different lots, there being a 



