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EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS — BARLEY CROP 1883. 



BARLEY CROP, 1883. 



Owing to the extreme severity of the winter of 1882-3, and the 

 consequent delay in securing the turnip crop, it was impossible 

 to repeat the experiment of a winter and spring manuring with 

 the succeeding crop of barley. There was, however, an experi- 

 ment of a similar kind, which it seemed desirable to try as 

 regards the application of a top-dressing. The system of 

 manuring at the stations was favourable for making an experi- 

 ment of that kind, for a large number of the plots annually 

 receive their nitrogenous manure in the form of nitrate of soda, 

 and accordingly it was determined to try what were the relative 

 effects produced by a late and an early top-dressing of this 

 manure. For this purpose the plots receiving nitrate were cut 

 in two as in the previous year, and to the half which had 

 received the winter-manuring for turnips, the whole manure was 

 applied along with the barley seed in April, while to the other 

 half the same manure were applied, with the exception of the 

 nitrate of soda. This constituent was withheld until the braird 

 was far enough advanced to make use of it. In ordinary seasons 

 this would have been about a month after the date of sowing, 

 but owing to extreme drought the seed was slow in germinating. 

 It was not until about the middle of May that the first braird 

 was seen at Pumpherston, and it was fully a week later before 

 the more backward plots could be said to have established their 

 braird. The success or otherwise of top-dressing depends 

 greatly upon the rainfall, and the amount and distribution of 

 the rainfall during the time the crop was growing requires to be 

 noted, in order that the effects of the early and late application 

 of nitrate of soda may be properly interpreted. The following 

 is the record of the rainfall at Pumpherston, from the date of 

 sowing onwards : — 



This carefully kept record shows that the season was altogether 



