FERTILIZERS. 399 



to nitrate of soda, and superi)liosphate superior to slag'. Ivaiiiit used 

 aloue was iujurious rather than beneficial. 



The results of experiments at Aberystwyth in Cardigan, Wales, con 

 firmed the above results in some respects and contradicted them in 

 others. ISTitrate of soda was more effc-ciive than sulphate of ammonia, 

 probably on account of the dry season, and slag produced better results 

 than superphosphate, due, it is believed, to a deficiency of lime in the 

 soil. Mtrogenous manures ''were more directly profitable'' than phos- 

 phates. Phosphates were most elfective in combination with nitro- 

 genous manures. 



EA'periments on potatoes (pp. 44, 45). — The results of experiments in 

 North Wales on a "poor free- working soil with clay subsoil" indicated 

 that sulphate of ammonia was superior to nitrate of soda, and that 

 bainyard manure alone \\as a very effective fertilizer for i)otatoes. The 

 highest yield was obtained with the following mixture. Barnyard 

 manure, 15 tons; superphos})hate, .") cwt. ; sulphate of potash, 2 cwt., 

 and sulphate of ammonia, 1 cwt. 



Experiments on ruta-hagas (pp. 42-44, 49-54). — Experiments on G 

 different soils — good loam (2), medium loam, iairly strong soil, strong- 

 clay, and light loam with underlying gravel — in Anglesey and Carnar- 

 vonshire, Wales, gave results indicating that phosphoric acid is the 

 predominant element in a fertilizer for rutabagas, that superphosphate 

 and slag are about equally effective, and that, either is superior to dis- 

 solved bone. 



In experiments on different farms in Northumberland, England, 

 the best proportion of nitrate of soda in a fertilizer for ruta-bagas 

 seemed to be 2 cwt. of nitrate to 5 cwt. of superphosphates per acre, 

 and 2 cwt. of kainit; sulphate of ammonia proved more effective than 

 nitrate of soda, and a mixture of the two (5(3 lbs. of nitrate and 43 lbs. of 

 sulphate) more effective than either alone; and applications of kainit in 

 connection with the other manures were profitable except near the sea- 

 coast, where the land had been manured with seaweed or was subjected 

 to the sea spray. The beneficial effect of 10 loads of manure applied 

 in the drill was not increased by the addition of artificial fertilizers, 

 while additions of nitrate of soda and superphosphate to manure 

 applied in the fall largely increased the yield. Spring applications of 

 barnyard manure gave better results in every case than autumn appli- 

 cations. It was further observed in these experiments that nitrate of 

 soda increased the percentage of moisture in the roots from 00.23 per 

 cent to 91.0(5 per cent, while kainit decreased it from 90.22 per cent to 

 89.89 per cent. 



The results of experiments at 6 different points in Durham County 

 confirm in many respects those obtained in Northumberland. Phos 

 phoric acid was clearly shown to be the predominant element in a fer- 

 tilizer for rutabagas on these soils. In comparative tests of both equal 

 money values and equal amounts of phosphoric acid in form of slag and 



