258 EXPEllDIEXTS OX THE CULTUKE OF TURXIPS. 



plots were removed dnring the last week of October 1879, and 

 the soil ploughed for barley the following April., along with the 

 remainder of the held. The barley crop, including the plots, 

 received a dressing of 2 cwts. 42 per cent, super-phosphate, 

 1 cwt. 77 per cent, sulphate of potash, and half a cwt. sulphate of 

 ammonia per acre. Xotwithstanding this top-dressing, before 

 the barley plants had been three weeks above ground, the two 

 sections without the farmyard manure last year might have been 

 noticed miles away by their deep brown tint amidst the healthy 

 green of the field. Although no mark was left to indicate the 

 precise location of the plots, their appearance a week or two 

 after brairding pointed them out as correctly and neatly as if 

 they had been marked off. During the first week of August, I, 

 along with several practical men, carefully inspected the crop 

 grown on the various plots. I shall give the results we arrived 

 at in regard to weight of crop calculated in tenths, reckoning the 

 general crop of the field as ten-tenths. 



In Section I. no-manure gave three- tenths, ground and soluble 

 phosphates each four-tenths ; dissolved bones, which were almost 

 a failure in turnips last year, grew^ close on five-tenths. In 

 Section II. all the six plots had phosphates, two of them with 

 potash in addition ; the other four with nitrogen in addition, in 

 different combinations. On all the six plots the crop appeared 

 to be almost equal, and did not in any case exceed six-tenths. The 

 nitrate of soda plot of last year came away fully as vigorously to 

 start with as any of the forms of nitrogen ; and notwithstanding 

 the excessively wet season of 1879, had a very marked effect on 

 the succeeding barley crop. The potash salts seem to have had 

 ultimately about as much effect on the barley crop as the 

 nitrogen, but did not start it away quite so rapidly at first ; and 

 1 am firmly of opinion that, had the tv^^o been combined and 

 added to phosphates for the turnip crop, besides giving the best 

 results in weight of turnips, would also have grown the heaviest 

 crop of barley to follow. 



The general crop of the field was a very heavy one, and had 

 the advantage of the plots to this extent. It received last year 

 a liberal dressing of artificial, besides 20 tons farmyard manure, 

 which would probably contain 250 lbs. of nitrogen and an equal 

 weight of potash. In addition to this dressing to the turnips, 

 the shaws were left on the ground, whereas they were carted off 

 the plots. And last, though not least, as afiecting the barley 

 crop, the turnips on the plots were lifted during the last weeK 

 of October, wlnle those on the general crop were lifted later in 

 the season. It is a well-established fact in this district that 

 where turnips and shaws are lifted early, as compared with 

 where they are allowed to remain on the ground a few weeks 

 later, there is almost certain to be a difference, and often a con- 



