EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS — REPORT FOR 1879. 



277 



the same ainoimt of phospliates in the dissolved state. The 

 greater size and weight of bulljs is tiierefijre no index of the 

 amount of sdliil matter they contain, nor of their feeding (qualities, 

 and, ill view of that circumstance, it may well be questioned how 

 far we are right in encouraging the growth of these monstrous 

 bulbs which are exhibited at our agricultural shows, and which 

 are commended mainly on account of their enormous size. The 

 smaller bulbs grown with undissolved pliosphates at Harelaw 

 contained about 10 per cent, more solid matter, and the amoimt 

 per acre of solid food grown on the undissolved ];)hospliate jJots 

 exceeded that grown on the others by about 4 per cent. 



This is a subject, however, on which we must not be too hasty 

 in our conclusions, for, on comparing the results obtained at 

 l'uni])herston, we find that while some plots corroborate the 

 Harelaw experiments, others do not, and the average yield of the 

 plots with clissolved phosphates shows an uicrease of solid matter 

 per acre quite proportionate to their increase of total crop. The 

 comparative failure of the crop on plot 5, which received bone 

 dust, is no doubt in great measure tlic cause of the low average 

 of the undissolved plots, and it is highly probable that future 

 experiments on that plot will show a larger crop, when the 

 unexhausted phosphate has had time to come into operation. 

 When we consider, also, the greater evenness of the land at 

 Harelaw, and the more favourable conditions tinder whicii the 

 phosphate plots were sown at that station, we nattirally put 

 more reliance on the results obtained there, and look forward with 

 considerable interest to the information which future experiments 

 will yield reg-arding the effect which the dissolving of phosphates 

 Las upon the total produce of solid matter in the turnip crop. 



Before passing from this subject it may be noticed that the 

 specific gravity of the sap of the turnips grown on all the plots 

 at both stations was carefully determined, and the numl:)ers 

 obtained for the phosphate plots confirm the results obtained 

 above. They were as follow : — 



