92 EXPERIMENTS WITH SOLUBLE AXD INSOLUBLE PHOSPHATES 



sections of 30 drills 54 yards long, containing 1 rood each. These 

 subdivisions were marked off by pins, so as not to interfere with 

 the manuring and sowing of the turnips, the whole length of the 

 drill being covered in by the plough, without turning the horses, 

 after the different manures had been apphed. 



The first and second sections I devoted to artificial manure 

 alone, and had the drills of these partially harrowed down with 

 circular harrows to keep the manure nearer the surface, so as to 

 be witliin easy reach of the young plants. 



To the third and fourth sections I gave at the rate of 20 tons an 

 acre of well-made farmyard manure. The artificial manures 

 applied to these sections were sown broadcast on the top of tliis, 

 after the farmyard manure had been spread. All the various 

 manures were applied on the morning of the 28th May 1879, 

 and immediately afterwards covered up by the plough. The 

 turnip seed (M'Combie's yellow, supplied by Messrs Eoughead & 

 Park of Haddington), was sown a few hours afterwards amongst 

 a moderately dry pulverised soil, at the rate of about 2^ lbs. per 

 acre. Before proceeding to describe the applications to the 

 various plots, I have to mention that the manures had been all 

 carefully analysed previous to application, and that I personally 

 calculated the weights, and suj)erintended tlie weiglmig and 

 application of the manures. 



Section I. I devoted to testing the difference between soluble 

 and insoluble mineral phosphates, also bone meal and dissolved 

 bones, all in comparison with the natural production of the soil. 

 For this purpose I subdivided the section into 6 plots of 5 drills 

 each, equal to one-twenty-fourth of an acre. In applying these 

 manures, each plot got the same weight per acre of phosphates, 

 irrespective of source or solubility. The subjoined table shows 

 the amount of each ingredient applied, and the cost and weight 

 per acre — 



Section I. 



