PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 229 



darkest colour, and No. 1 stood next. The crop was singled on 

 the 15th. The 16th was very wet, and much rain fell during the 

 remainder of the month, the total rainfall of July having 

 amounted to 6 6 inches, which is far above the average. During 

 August the weather was showery, 2 - 2 inches of rain having 

 fallen, hut the turnips made comparatively little progress. 

 September was very dry, the rainfall being under 1 inch: the 

 land was as hard as iron, and but little growth on the crop. In 

 Ocl ober the turnips grew considerably, but were still a poor 

 crop. Kain, l - 5 inches. November was very dry, only 0"5 

 inch having fallen, and the leaves of the turnips became yellow 

 and mildewed. The crop was weighed on 17th December, and 

 the results are contained in Tables XL and XII. 



In these experiments the effects of the manures are not so well 

 marked as in many others, the soil itself having obviously been 

 in good condition, and producing, even without manure, a corn- 

 pa rati very considerable amount of turnip. The crop, however, is 

 small As on previous occasions, scarcely any effect is produced 

 by muriate of potash when alone, and the same applies in all 

 cases to the purely phosphatic manures. Dissolved coprolites 

 and dissolved guano, whether alone or with muriate of potash, 

 produce a trifling effect, and even ordinary Bolivian, on which 

 farmers in many districts rely with confidence for raising a good 

 crop of turnips, gives only an increase of 7 cwt. when used alone, 

 and 16 cwt. when associated with muriate of potash. The case 

 is very different, however, when nitrogenous matters enter into 

 the manure. The produce then immediately increases, and 

 Peruvian guano, which, with less phosphates, contains nearly 

 twice as much ammonia as any of the other applications, gives 

 the best result. 



Experiments made by Mr Harper, Snawdon, Gifford. 



The experimental plots of this set of experiments w r ere sown 

 on the 15th June, under favourable circumstances, on a field 750 

 feet above the level of the sea, with a northern exposure. The soil 

 is light and free, and well suited for the growth of turnips and 

 barley. The crop was fully brairded by the 24th, at which time no 

 difference could be detected between any of the plots, the nothings 

 coming away as freely as the others. The crop was singled on the 

 15th July, at which time the nothing plots, and those which got 

 Peruvian and Bolivian, guano were markedly inferior to the 

 others. All the plots which got the muriate of potash, on the 

 other hand, were superior in vigour and freshness. Up to this 

 time the, weather though dry, had been mild and warm, and very 

 conducive to the growth of the turnip on high land, but rain fell 

 on the 14th and 15th July. From this time to the beginning of 

 September, the weather, though broken, was on the whole decidedly 



