400 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 



come to be singled. They improved, however, and on the 13th 

 July, one-half the lots were thinned by hand, and hand-hoed 

 between the drills.. On the 19th, the remainder were thinned, 

 and the whole again hoed between the drills. From this time 

 up to the 29th, the weather continued dry and unfavourable to 

 the growth of the turnip, but after that it entirely changed, 

 becoming much too wet, with want of warmth and sunshine. 



The whole of the plots appeared remarkably uniform, and 

 on the 3d November, when they were examined by myself, it 

 was difficult to detect any difference in the appearance of the 

 plots. On those which had got no manure, the leaves were less 

 luxuriant than on the others, but the bulbs were good. There 

 was no appearance of the plots robbing one another ; and the 

 reason for this was abundantly obvious when the crop was 

 weighed, when the differences in weight were found to be very 

 trifling, As there was no apparent difference in the outer and 

 inner drills, Mr. Richardson did not think it necessary to weigh 

 them separately. The crop was weighed on the 10th December, 

 and the results are contained in Tables VI. and VII. 



Experiments made by Mr. Happep, Snawclon, Gifford. 



The experimental plots were laid out in a part of a field of 

 better quality than the great proportion of the farm, but 

 situated at a height of 800 feet above the level of the sea. The 

 soil may be described as good turnip land, though deficient in 

 depth. The previous crops were oats, after three years' grass. 

 Mr. Harper has found, as the result of numerous trials, that the 

 manure best suited to his soil is a mixture of equal quantities of 

 Peruvian Guano, Bolivian Guano, and Dissolved Bones ; and 

 that 6 cwt. per acre of this mixture is sufficient to raise a good 

 green crop. When dung is used, he generally employs 4 cwt. 

 With green top yellow turnips, Mr. Harper's practice is 

 to use dung either in the drill or ploughed in in the autumn, 

 and on land of inferior quality to that in which Swedes 

 are grown. The turnips were sown on the 16th June, under 

 favourable circumstances, a mild gentle shower coming on dur- 

 ing the process. Mr. Harper, however, considers that the time 

 of sowing was too late to secure a good crop, as he always aims 

 at getting his yellow turnips sown as soon after Swedes, and as 

 early in June, as possible. 



The turnips brairded on the 26th ; the nothing plots coming 

 away just as well as those which were manured. There was 

 rain on the 30th, and occasional showers up to the 4th July ; 

 and on the 5th there was heavy rain for some hours. The 

 turnips were thinned on the 18th. Prom this time, and espe- 

 ciallv after the commencement of August, the weather was ex- 



