AND NITROGEN ON THE GROWTH OF TURNIPS. 95 



The oripn of tlic manures iipi)lied to the above plots were — 

 plot 1, ^aouncl coprolite; plot 2, fish guano; plot 3, super- 

 phosphate ; plot 4, bone meal ; plot 5, dissolved bones ; plot 0, 

 farmyard manure alone. 



As I intend to compare, both in growth and ultimate yield, the 

 turnip crop inunediately adj(Mning the experimental pluts (jn all 

 sides, it is necessary to describe the manures applied to it. Tliis 

 crop got about 20 tons of farmyard manure, same as Sections III. 

 and IV. of the plots. The artificial manure applied consisted of 

 coprolite, superphosphate, l*eruvian guano, azote guano, dissolved 

 bones, and sulphate of potash. This mixture contained barely 

 3 per cent, of ammonia, 26-20 per cent, of phosphates, about half 

 soluble and insoluble, and 6-30 of potash, at a cost of about 

 £6, 8s. per ton. About 7 cwt. per acre of this mixture was 

 applied over the dung at a cost of about £2, 4s. lid. per acre. 

 The 5 acres contained in the piece were sown the same after- 

 noon, and brairded about equally; but the fly attacked the 

 north side of the piece from end to end, including almost the 

 whole of Nos. 1 and 2 plots of all the sections. The plants in 

 the other four plots of each of the sections came away healthy, 

 and were thinned at the same time as those in ordinary cultiva- 

 tion (Hitside the plots; there was diversity in tlie size of the 

 plants when thinned, but not to such an extent as to call for 

 special notice. Those in the plot with no manure were notably 

 smaller, and not so healthy looking as the others when thinned. 

 The fly-ljitten plots, 1 and 2 of all the sections, were a week 

 later in coming to the hoe, with the exception of plots 1 and 2 

 of Section I., which were three weeks later and barely sufficient 

 plants. The 1 and 2 plots of the other sections, as well as those 

 in ordinary cultivation, were as badly bitten with the fly as 

 plots 1 and 2 of Section I., but they started to grow earher, and 

 had comparatively few blanks when hoed. On the other hand, 

 the coprolite plots of the first section showed an unmistakablf 

 slow start. 



I carefully examined the various plots on the 1st August, and 

 found them as follows : — 



Section I. plot 5, the dissolved bones leading, followed by the 

 superphosphate and bone meal, which were about equal. The 

 coprolite plots, 1 and 2, were about equal with no-manure plot, 

 which was thinned three weeks earlier, but had almost remained 

 stationary after that operation. In appearance the coprolites 

 and bone meal plots looked healthiest, whilst among the turnips 

 of the superphosphate and dissolved bone plots, some of the 

 leaves were beginning to show an unhealthy green with a yellow- 

 curl at the tips. 



In Section II., plot 5, fish guano led easily ; plots 3 and 4, 

 sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda made good seconds ; 



