FIELD CROPS. 27 



A test of a 6-year rotation ban been in progress for 4 years, and the yields from the 

 different plats are recorded. The crops in rotation are wheat, clover, barley, sugar 

 beets, oats, and peas. All yields, with the exception of the yield of sugar beets, 

 show an increase in the productiveness of the different plats. 



Brief notes on the work with barley, rye, and root crops are also given. 



The Woburn field experiments, 1899 and. 1900, J. A. Voelcker {.Tour. Roy. 

 Agr. Soc. Enijhdid, 62 {I'JOl), pp. 27,?-2fi9, fig.^. '>) . — The plan of these experiments 

 has been previously described, and the results of former years reported (?]. S. R., 12, 

 p. 132). In this report the results for 1899 and 1900 are tabulated and discussed. 



In the continuous wheat-growing experiments, where the same fertilizers are 

 applied every year, lime proved very beneficial in both years. In 1899 the nitrate 

 of soda plats gave higher yields than the corresponding ammonia salts plats. The 

 omission of nitrate of soda for a single year reduced the yield of grain 31 Im. per 

 acre, and gave a crop only slightly exceeding the yield of the unmanured plats, 

 while the corresponding omission of ammonia salts reduced the yield only 13 

 bu., and a crop of 10 bu. in excess of the unmanured wheat was obtained. The 

 ammonia salts produced a better quality of grain than the nitrate of soda, the 

 poorest grain being produced on the plat which had received nitrate of soda alone. 

 Rape dust used, in quantities furnishing the same amount of plant food as 100 lbs. of 

 ammonia per acre proved more eflicient than barnyard manure, and in each case pre- 

 vious applications of these slowly acting manures showed some effect on succeeding 

 crops. In 1900, the twenty-fourth season of these experiments, the results with 

 ammonia salts and nitrate of soda were relatively the same as in 1899. 



The results of the continuous barley growing experiments in 1899 show that 

 nitrate of soda gave better results than ammonia salts under the same conditions, the 

 yields for both fertilizers being above the average. The use of lime with ammonia 

 salts in these tests showed a very marked and favorable effect on the yield. Barn- 

 yai-(l manure produced a better crop than rape dust, and here also, as in the case with 

 wheat, the residual effects of these manures were quite marked. The quality of 

 the barley as a whole, as well as the yield, was inferior, but the lower grade of barley 

 was produced where nitrate of soda was used alone. The results of 1900 were similar 

 to those obtained the year before. Pot experiments with barley, wheat, oats, and 

 peas grown in soil from the plat on which ammonia salts alone had been used for 23 

 years showed that barley failed to grow, wheat grew fairly well, and oats excel- 

 lently, while peas made only a stunted growth. The addition of carbonate of pot- 

 ash to the soil did not seem to have any effect. 



The tabulateil results of rotation experiments show that in one case wheat was 

 more benefite<l by green manuring with tares than with cruciferous crops, such as 

 mustard or rape, while in another mustard as a green manure was more effective 

 than either tares or rape. The relative manurial value of decorticated cotton cake 

 and maize meal was studied in this connection. In the rotation experiments the 

 difference between manured and unmanured plats was inconsiderable, and the 

 yields in general were lower than in previous years. Kiln-drying barley seed before 

 sowing did not have any particular advantage. The best yielding varieties of barley 

 were Danish, Golden Melon, and (ioldthorpe, in the order given. Lueern on plats 

 fertilized annually with 4 cwt. each of superphosphate, bone dust, and sulphate of 

 potash, and 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, gave much better yields 

 than where other combinations or no manure were applied. A comparison of Eng- 

 lish and French sainfoin seed during the first year of the test did not show a very 

 marked difference. An application of 2 tons of lime per acre in 1893 and 1900 on old 

 pasture gave the best results as compared with other fertilizers. The lime plat pre- 

 sented a much better appearance and produced a decidedly finer herbage than any 

 other plat. Lathijrus sylvestris grown since 1890 continued to yield good crops in 

 1899 and 1900. Spraying with Bordeaitx mix'ture materially benefited the potato 

 crop. In 1900 lime, gas-lime, and basic slag were tried as preventives of the finger- 



