398 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 



nothing plots. Bain fell in August 3*4 inches ; in September 

 •28 inches. In October, the general appearance of the plots was 

 very much as it was in August. Rain fell in October 11 inches. 

 The crop was lifted and weighed on the 10th November, and the 

 results are contained in Tables I. and II.* 



Experiments made by Mr. Samuel D. Shirriff, Saltcoats, Drem. 



These experiments were made on a soil which may be de- 

 scribed as a clay loam of uniform character. The previous crop 

 was oats, top dressed with nitrate of soda, at the rate of 2 cwt. 

 per acre. In the year before that the crop was hay, the after- 

 math being eaten off with sheep ; and previous to that the 

 crops, going backwards, were barley, potatoes, aud wheat. No 

 farm yard manure had been applied to the soil since 1854, all 

 the crops having been raised by artificial manures, and up to 

 the pies 'i.t time there have been no indications of diminishing 

 fertility. The land was ploughed with a ten-inch furrow during 

 winter, and prepared for sowing with the two-horse grubber and 

 harrows, having been grubbed twice, rolled, and harrowed. 



The experimental plots were sown on the 18th June, but, 

 owing to the dryness of the weather, they entirely gave way, so 

 that it was necessary to resow them on the 4th July, rather too 

 late to secure a full crop. After this there was abundance of 

 moisture, and the turnips came away rapidly. They were 

 singled on the 5th August by hand, and to a uniform distance 

 of 9 inches, which is less than usual, but was chosen in con- 

 sequence of the lateness of the season. 



The effect of the manure soon began to show itself very dis- 

 tinctly. The plots which had sulphate of ammonia aud glue 

 were far behind ; bone-ash and sulphate of ammonia being the 

 best, the others being pretty equal. All the plots where phos- 

 phates were applied alone improved greatly during the latter 

 end of October. As the season advanced it became obvious that 

 the plots robbed one another, the outer drills of those near par- 

 ticular manures being better than others. This is rendered very 

 apparent by a plan (Table III.) transmitted by Mr Shirriff, showing 

 the position of the plots as they grew, with the weight of each 

 outer drill separately, and that of the two inner ones together. 



From the inspection of this table it is quite clear that in cer- 

 tain cnses the adjoining plots had robbed one another, but there 

 are curious anomalies which it is impossible satisfactorily to ex- 

 p'ain. In the plot 2 for example, the outerdrills have mani- 

 festly been affected by the plots on either side, for the weight of 

 each single drill exceeds that of the two centre ones together ; 

 hut in U 3 the south drill is less than half the weight of 



* For Tables, see end of Article. 



