FIELD CROPS. 



253 



Results a/ irlient, hurley, and oats mi soil samples of different degrees of acidity. 



Soil samples and crops. 



Aerated soil: 



Wheat 



Barley 



Oats.. 



Washed soil: 



Wheat 



Barley 



Oats 



Ordinary field soil: 



Wheat 



Barlev 



Oats 



Acid soil treated with calcium chlorid: 



Wheat 



Barley 



Acid soil: Barley 



Length of 



straw. 



Inches. 

 22.7 

 13.2 

 14.7 



16.7 

 16.0 

 11.3 



25.8 

 12.7 

 18.4 



Length 

 of ear 



Inches. 

 2.93 

 1.94 

 4.20 



3. -14 

 3.00 

 3. 91 



2.66 

 2.50 

 5.10 



Number 

 of ears. 



Number Weight of 

 of grains, corn 



169 

 107 

 294 



194 

 258 

 249 



180 

 236 

 199 



1 



"T 



Crams. 

 5.33 

 4.33 

 10.79 



7.54 

 10.92 

 8.91 



6.83 

 10.36 



8. 14 



.02 



".'62' 



Weigh! of 



straw . 



Grams. 

 18.19 

 5. 55 

 12.99 



L9.54 



12.21 

 16.18 



14.48 

 10. 85 

 13.52 



. 58 



The author believes "that the acidity of the soil brought about by the continual 

 use of ammonia salts, or else the condition of soil consequent on its formation, is the 

 cause of the failure of the land to produce barley and wheat." 



In view of the fact that when the acid was removed from the soil it still contained 

 enough lime to produce a healthy crop, the removal of lime from the soil in itself is 

 not 'considered the cause of failure in crop production. The results further show 

 that the acidity produced by continued use of ammonia salts and the consequent 

 loss* of lime from the soil can not be removed by the use of a neutral salt like calcium 

 chlorid, but the author states that this can be accomplished by applications of lime. 

 The acidity seemed to be due, not to soluble mineral acids, but to weak organic 

 acids or to acid salts. 



Experiments with crops and stock in the year 1902-3 {Cambridge [England] 

 Univ., Dipt. Agr.\ R}>t. Expts. Crops and Stock, 1902-3, pp. 27-79, dgm. 1). — The work 

 with crops is noted here. Cooperative fertilizer, variety, and rotation tests with 

 hay, root, and cereal crops are reported. 



In a series of fertilizer experiments on meadows the greatest increase was obtained 

 from the use of sulphate of ammonia and basic slag, and an application of sulphate 

 of ammonia and muriate of potash produced the second best crop. Sulphate of 

 ammonia gave a larger increase in every instance, but the best results were obtained 

 when it was used in combination with basic slag. The phosphatic and potassic 

 manures were quite effective when used alone, and also produced a considerable 

 increase in yield when used with sulphate of ammonia. 



At the university farm 16 varieties of mangels were tested and the chemical com- 

 position of the roots determined. Yellow Globe mangels produced the largest croj), 

 but they were deficient in dry matter. Goldfinder and Long Red mangels ranked 

 first in the production of dry matter, and Lion Intermediate, wdiich produced only a 

 moderate yield, stood first in keeping qualities. 



Taking all the qualities into consideration, the Golden Globe varieties gave the 

 best results. The analyses reported show a close agreement in the composition of 

 varieties belonging to the same group. The variation in the quantity of dry matter 

 varied in the ordinary mangels from 3 to 3.5 per cent, and this was largely due to 

 differences in the sugar content. The percentage of proteids varied from 0.43 per 

 cent in Crimson Tankard to 0.58 per cent in Goldfinder. 



A number of varieties of mangels grown at the Norfolk farms under different soil 

 conditions and fertilizer treatment varied in dry matter from 1.3 to 2.9 per cent. 



