88 EEPOETS OF EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT TOP-DRESSINGS. 



On August 27th the order of merit was about the same as in 

 July. The sulphate of ammonia with dissolved bones looked 

 about the best. The rainfall this month had been 2 '4 inches. 



The turnips were pulled, shawed, and weighed the last week 

 in November, when the weights of the bulbs alone on each plot 

 were as shown in Table I. 



The weight of the crop on the rest of the field was estimated 

 by taking the average on several plots which were similarly dis- 

 tributed over the field to the experimental plots. The weight of 

 crop per acre is calculated from the average weight on the 

 triplicates, and is shown in Table II. 



In this table it will be seen that of the phosphates the dis- 

 solved bones and Bolivian guano have had the best effect. This 

 may to some extent be owing to their containing more nitrogen- 

 ous matter than the other phosphates. The bone-ash stands 

 next best of the phosphates, and the coprolites is the worst, 

 with only an increased crop of 8 cwts. above the nothing plots. 

 The phosphates in combination with glue have produced a very 

 slight increase above the glue alone. The phosphates in com- 

 bination with sulphate of ammonia have produced scarcely any 

 additional crop above that from sulphate of ammonia alone, and 

 in some cases seem actually to have lessened it. The sulphate 

 of ammonia with dissolved bones is the best. The sulphate of 

 ammonia has on the whole produced about 1 ton heavier crop 

 per acre than the glue. 



From these data it is evident, that on the particular soil in 

 question, and during the season of 1865, nitrogenous manures 

 were of far greater value to the turnip crop than phosphates ; and 

 of the phosphates, that the animal phosphates were more valuable 

 than the mineral. 



III. On Wheat, Crop 1865. 

 {Premium — The Medium Gold Medal.] 



The following experiments on the comparative effect on wheat 

 of phosphates derived from animal and mineral sources, when in 

 combination with nitrogenous manures, and alone, also on the 

 effect of phosphates as compared with ammonia salts, were like- 

 wise conducted on the farm of Fentonbarns. 



These experiments were made with the same manures, and ap- 

 plied in the same quantities, as in the turnip experiments. The 

 plots were the same size, viz., T ^ acre, but as the soil was 

 of very even quality, and the wheat plant also even, the manures 

 were only tried in duplicate. The field chosen lies 100 feet 

 above the sea level. The wheat (Fenton wheat) had been sown 

 on November 10, 1864. The ground had been prepared for it 

 by Howard's steam cultivator on the 8 th. It was very dry, con- 



