rUOCEEDINGS AT GENKKAL MEETINGS. 23 



no phosphates. Having seen that the dissolved j)liosiihates liave produced llie largest 

 cro]), the (piestion naturally arises, What is the increase due to 'I Is it to a general 

 increase of all the constituents of the turnip, or to the special increase of one or more 

 of these constituents i This is a very extensive imjuiry, involving labour ; and its re- 

 liability depends upon the care and accuracy with which it is cairied out. 1 need not 

 here enter into any detail regarding the methods enii)loyed, but will sinii)ly refer to the 

 mode of sampling, ui>on the trustworthiness of which the value of everything else 

 depends. 1 selected from each ]ilot forty turnii)s, rejiresenting, as nearly as the eye 

 could judge, an average growth of turni])s on tliat jilot. 'i'he smaller crojis grown with 

 undissolved manures contained, on an average, 1,^ cwt. total solids per acre in exces.s 

 of the larger cro}is grown with dissolved manures ; that is to say, an increase of 

 .almost 3h l>er cent, in the total solids. To conclude from this, however, that 

 the etlect of applying pliosj)liates in a soluble form was to decrease the total 

 amount of solids in the croj) of turnips, would be to draw a liasty and perhaps 

 erroneous conclusion, for the ground coprolitc plots give an o]iposite indication, 

 and averages drawn from opposing data aie apt to be fallacious. It seems 

 highly ^probalile, liowever, that ilissolved manures tend to increase the amount 

 of water in the crop. It is shown that turnijis grown with dissolved ])liosphates 

 abstract from the soil a greater amount of mineral matter than the others, to the extent 

 in this case of nearly forty pounds per acre, whicli is about 17.] ]ier cent. Whether 

 this excess is due to a uniform increase of all the asli constituents of the turnij), or to 

 some special constituents, 1 have not yet deternnned ; so that I am not yet able to say 

 whether the excess of mineral matter adds mucli to the feeding and nianurial value 

 the turnips grown with dissolved manures. The con.stituent in a turnip which 

 is of most importance in enhancing its feeding value is the albumenoid matter. 

 It exists in turnips in very small (piantity, and it is mainly owing to their 

 deficiency in this constituent that turnijis alone are not a lattening diet, and 

 that cattle, when lieing fed chietiy on turnijis, reijuire to have added to their 

 fodder some highly albuminous substance, such as oilcake, in order fto hee]) them 

 in good condition. It is found in the above crops that where soluble pliosiihates 

 Were aii]ilied the percentage of albumenoid matter is less, and that there is an actual 

 diminution of all)unienoi(l matter per acre to the extent of fully 10 per cent. A 

 different season and a diti'erent -^oil may possibly have a very dilferent tale to tell. 

 Whether that be so or not, we have simply to put on record tliat one of the results of 

 the tirst year's cropping on Harelaw station is to indicate that the use of dissolved 

 lihospliatic manures, while it has the etlect of increasing the weight of the crop, does 

 so maiidy by increasing the water coutaineil in the bulbs, and that it does so to the 

 detriment oi tlie feeding c[ualities of tlie turnip ; and that, on the other hand, the use 

 of undissolved pliosphates, which seems to jiroduce a smaller crop, really produces a 

 crop which is larger, as containing more solid matter and allnimenoid matter per acre, 

 and which, moreover, is less severe upon the land. It remains for future exjieriments 

 to U:>t the truth of these conclusions. I may just refer shortly to tlie miniature plot.s 

 at Harelaw. 'fhe results obtained on these, so far as they are reliable, confirm 

 in some particulars those of the larger plots. Unfortunately the miniature plots 

 sullered a good deal during the long winter. When the snow had cleared away it was 

 found that a colony of rats, driven by scarcity of food, had settled down on two of 

 these plots, and having made them pretty bare, extended their depredations, and 

 visited witli great impartiality the plots on both sides of their headquarters. The 

 pigeons also seemed to take a sjiecial interest in the small plots. They appear to have 

 made very fre(|ueiit visits, and the discrimination with which they selected the best 

 bulbs showed them to be fair judges of turnip. On one jdot there was scarcely one 

 good bulb from which they had not taken a sample. 



AGUiCL'i/riUAL Educ.vtiox. — Professor Wii.sox said — I have to report that the 

 examination of candidates for the diplonni and certificates in agriculture took place on 

 the 31st March and 1st and 2d April, and that the following passed : — For Diploma — 

 John iMalcolm Aitkeii, Crieff; John Craig, Innergeldie, Coinrie ; James Canuau, 

 Uriocli, Castle-Douglas; Arthur E. Brooke Hunt, (B.A., Trinity College, Cambridge), 

 I'eers Court, Dursley, Gloucestershire ; John Wilson, jun., Fairtield, Lorton, Cocker- 

 moutl;. For Fir.sl-Class Ceriijicaie — Michael Falcon, StainV)urii, Workington ; Law- 

 ford 1). Glover, Fiiidoii, Worthing. For Second-Viass L'ertijirate — James M'Laggan, 

 Coblehcugh, Diniiet, Aberdeenshire ; Robert 51. ]\lalloch, Balhaldie, Braco, Perth- 

 shire ; llol)ert jMeiizies Traill, Orkney. The two i>rizes of £0 and £4 given by the 

 Society to the class of agriculture in the Edinburgh Cniversity were this year awarded 

 by special examination to — 1st, William Martin. Uuinlriesshire ; 2d, VV. J. N. Liddall, 

 Edinburgh. Mr Liddall afterwards resigned in favour of Robert Menzies Traill, Kirk- 

 wall ; and R. M. Malloch, Braco, Perthshire. I have further the pleasure of reporting 

 that the Lords of the Committee of Council on Eilucation have been pleased to allow 

 holilers of the diploma of the Society to earn payments on the results of their instruc- 

 tion in the principles of agriculture under the Science and Art Department without 



