278 BOARD OF 'AGRICULTURE. 



cultural College, we sowed a field of turnips. One-half of the 

 field was sowed on the 3d of July, and the balance on the 4th, 

 the seed being- all from the same package, the same drill being 

 used, and the same person running the drill. There was no 

 difference in condition, so far as we could observe, except a slight 

 shower in the intervening night. The result was, that the turnips 

 sowed the first day produced a very large crop ; those .sowed the 

 second day were hardly worth harvesting. There were four or 

 five times as many turnips from the field sowed the first day as 

 those from that sowed the second day. 



This shows that we should exercise great caution in regard to 

 cultivation ; that it should be uniform, not only as to amount,. but 

 as to the particular time of performing the labor. It is important 

 that field crops subjected to experiment should be weighed at the 

 same time. If you have a large number of plats that are to be 

 compared, and these plats are quite large, it must occupy con- 

 siderable time. If so, there will be a difference in the amount of 

 moisture, and this will vary the result. I had a striking illustra- 

 tion of this the present year, in the continuation of some experi- 

 ments we started several years ago. 



A field had been planted with corn for several years in succes- 

 sion, the plats all being treated alike. We found a great variation 

 in the yield. Corn was put on the next year, and there was a 

 great difference in the yield, but the plats that gave the largest 

 yield the first year did not give the largest yield the second year. 



After this, part of the plats were manured, and we followed on 

 through a rotation of crops until we came to the clover crop, 

 which was harvested this year. As soon as the crop was ready to 

 cut, we tried to get enough help do it in a short time. The clover 

 was weighed green. It was then stirred up and exposed to the 

 action of the wind and sun, and put up in cocks. The next day it 

 was spread out again, and when it was supposed to be in a fine 

 condition for going into the barn, the plats were weighed ; but it 

 was afterwards thought there might be some variation from this 

 cause, and they were allowed to remain, and afterward weighed 

 again. At the second weighing it was thought to be dry enough 

 to go into the barn, and not dry excessively afterward. I give 

 the result of the second and third weighings of the same plat : 



