EXPERIMENTS ON THE CULTUEE OF TUKXIPS. 243 



ill tlie field, and as they only apply to soils under similar condi- 

 tions, as already stated, they should be repeated in every 

 district. In 1879 I endeavoured to carry out a series of experi- 

 ments on the growth of turnips with artificial manures, both 

 with and without farmyard manure, on soil in fair condition 

 and in ordinary rotation for the growth of the turnip crop. The 

 results of these experiments were published in the fourth series, 

 vol. xii., page 90, of tlie " Highland Society's Transactions," 

 but, owing to the cold and abnormally wet season, they could 

 not be looked upon as being so reliable as could have been 

 wished ; all of them, however, which were comparable, pointed in 

 the same direction as those experiments to which I have already 

 referred, and specially supported the efficacy of potash and 

 nitrogen, in addition to phosphates, as fertilisers for the turnip 

 crop. Not being satisfied with results obtained in so unfavour- 

 able a season as 1879, 1, this season, resolved to make a renewed 

 trial of the main features of my last year's experiments. I 

 decided to confine the trial to the elucidation of the question of 

 soluble versus insoluble phosphates, — both of these with potasli 

 salts added, and with potash and ammonia salts combined 

 added. Tims, each series contained three distinct trials of 

 soluble against insoluble phosphates, showing at the same time 

 the increase obtained by the use of a moderate quantity of 

 potash and ammonia salts. In order to ensure greater relia- 

 bility and wider application of results, I arranged to have five 

 stations, each station to be an exact duplicate of the others. 

 Two of these stations were on Sandyford farm ; one on the farm 

 of Craichie, tenanted by Mr Warden ; one on the farm of 

 Migvie, tenanted by Mr Cowper ; and one on the farm of 

 Auchindorie, tenanted by Mr Soutar. 



These stations have a wide radius, are at different elevations, 

 have been cropped and manured differently during the five pre- 

 ceding years. They are composed of different classes of soils, 

 and taken collectively are a fair average of a wide district, 

 representing soil in the ordinary rotations for the growth of the 

 turnip crop. In selecting the stations great care was taken to 

 avoid irregularities of soil, — such as old furrows, or feerings, 

 extra thin or deep places, old manure stances, and sheltered 

 ]>arts where cattle might have congregated when the field 

 was in pasture. The size of each plot was one hundredth part 

 of an acre, or 5 drills l.S yards long. These small plots enabled 

 me to have the soil as nearly equal as possible, thereby allowing 

 me fair comparison between the competing plots. On three of 

 the stations, the plots consisted of 26 yards of 20 drills; and 

 on the other two, 65 yards of 10 drills, — the comparative 

 plots being in every case placed side by side. 



liefore speaking of the soils of the various stations, it may be 

 of importance to state brieily, in taljulated form, the modes of 



