EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS — TURNIP CROP 1882. 361 



matter, while in reality it is a complex and laborious operation, 

 requiring several months for its accomplishment. 



It 1878 the crop at Harelaw was swedes, and that at Pum- 

 pherston was turnips. In 1882 turnips (Fosterton hybrid) were 

 grown at both stations. The land was ploughed and harrowed 

 early in January, and ren:ained in that state during the winter. 

 The object of harrowing the land at that early date w^as to 

 enable the manure applied in January to be evenly spread over 

 the soil. The half which was to be manured in May might ha\^e 

 been left unharrowed, but it was necessary that the land should 

 be all treated alike, so that nothing might interfere with the 

 manurial part of the experiments. The manures w^ere applied at 

 Harelaw in the third week of January and in the third week of 

 May, at Pumpherston in the fourth week of January and in the 

 second week of June. The manures w^hich were too drv were 

 mixed with damp earth, and any blowing of manure was further 

 guarded against by the use of screens in the usual manner. The 

 land was drilled up, and sown a few days after the second 

 manuring. The crop brairded well at both stations, and the 

 nitrate of soda was not applied till after all the plots were 

 singled. The latter part of the season was wet, and favourable 

 to the action of insoluble manures. The turnips were sampled 

 at both stations early in November, to avoid the risk of inter- 

 ference from frost or snow. 



Before giving the details of the crop, it is necessary to refer the 

 reader to the scheme of the experiments contained on page 420, 

 where it will be seen that there are chiefly three kinds of manures 

 under investigation, viz., phosphatic, nitrogenous, and potassic 

 manures. Most of the plots receive all three manure constitu- 

 ents, but from some of them one or tw^o constituents are omitted. 



The important thing to remember regarding these constituents 

 is that they are applied in definite quantity to all the plots 

 which receive them. Phosphoric acid is always applied at the 

 rate of 40 lbs. per rood plot, potash at the rate of 30 lbs. per rood 

 plot, and nitrogen at the rate of 10 lbs. per rood plot; unless 

 otherwise indicated. The only dillerences in these substances 

 lie in the form in which they are applied. That being the case, 

 it is not to be expected that there should be any very great 

 diflerence in the results of the plots which receive all three con- 

 stituents in exactly equivalent amounts. 



The following table, No. 1, shows the amount of crop derived 

 from the first thirty rood plots at both stations, and what propor- 

 tion of that was derived from the two halves of each plot, viz., the 

 half which was manured in January and the half which was 

 manured in ]\Iay. 



The weights refer to the bulbs alone, as it was found to be 

 impossible to weigh the tops. These were allowed to remain on 

 the land. 



