664 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Cooperative field experiments, 1902 (Jour. Dept. Agr. and Tech. Instr. Ire- 

 land, ■> {lUOS), No. .?, jip. 490-52^). — In a fertilizer test with potatoes, the hest yield 

 was obtained on a plat fertilized at the rate of 15 tons of harnyard manure, 1 cwt. of 

 sulphate of ammonia, 4 ewt. of superphosijhate, and 1 cwt. of muriateof potash peracre. 

 The results in general indicate that the use of commercial fertilizers with a moderate 

 application of barnyard manure is profitable. The plat receiving 20 tons of barnyard 

 manure per acre yielded 8.9 tons, and the plat receiving onlj- 15 tons produced 8 tons 

 per acre. In a te.«t of varieties Beauty of Bute, Charles Fidler, Up-to-Date, and Dr. 

 Matthew produced the 1)est yields. In another series of cooperative tests Black 

 Skerries and Champion II proved much superior in yield and quality to Reliance. 



The results with turnips also indicate that barnyard manure and commercial fer- 

 tilizers may be profitably used in combination. Ten tons Ijarnyard manure with 4 

 cwt. of superphosphate gave fully as good returns as 20 tons applied alone. Among 9 

 varieties of swedes Triumph, Best of All, and Magnum Bonum gave the best yields, 

 and of 5 varieties of yellow turnips Centenary produced the heaviest yield. 



In growing fodder beets it was fomid that an addition of 4 cwt. of superphosphate, 

 2 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, and 2 cwt. of kainit to 15 tons of barnyard manure 

 per acre, representing an outlay of 43 shillings for commercial fertilizers, resulted in 

 a profit of 26 shillings. A substitution of 4 cwt. of salt for the kainit in this applica- 

 tion gave somewhat contradictory results, but the average yields are in favor of the 

 salt. 



It was found that complete applications of commercial fertilizers in growing oats 

 are more likely to give uniformly good results than incomplete applications. Kainit 

 when used alone resulted in a loss. Sulphate of ammonia was the only fertilizer 

 which gave a profit when applied alone. Among the varieties tested in 1900 Waverly, 

 Goldfinder, and Canadian Banner led in productiveness. In a second series of coop- 

 erative tests Tartar King gave better satisfaction than Waverly, Goldfinder, and 

 Pioneer. The different varieties of oats are described. A discussion on the use of 

 fertilizers in connection with the different crops based on the results of experiments 

 is presented. 



Tlie Essex field experiments, 1896-1903: No. 2.— On tillage crops, T. S. 

 Dymond and B. W. Bull {Chelmsford, Eng.: Essex Education Committee, 1903, pp. 48, 

 fig. 1, map J). — This is a compilation of results of experiments carried out by 15 

 farmers of Essex. Tabular statements of the data obtained with the various field 

 crops are given, together with brief discussions and summaries of the results. 



Winter beans, spring beans, and clover required, in connection with 12 tons of 

 barnyard manure per acre, an application of 3 cwt. of superphosphate. Without 

 barnyard manure 4 cwt. of superphosphate per acre, or the same quantity of basic 

 slag, on soil deficient in lime gave good results. These applications were also most 

 remunerative at the commencement of rotations beginning with beans or clover. 

 One cwt. of sulphate of ammonia in addition to the superphosphate was found advan- 

 tageous only when the crops were grown for fodder. It has been found that kainit 

 applied with barnyard manure decreases the yield. With peas on clay soil, barn- 

 yard manure and sulphate of ammonia had very little effect. Nitrogenous manures 

 are not recommended for leguminous crops when these are to be followed by cereals 

 in rotation. In a rotation of peas, wheat, barley, and clover, barnyard manure for 

 peas, sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda for wheat, and sui^erphosphate or basic 

 slag for barley or clover are suggested. 



Of 6 varieties of oats, Garton White Abundance led in yield of grain and straw, 

 as well as in weight of grain per bushel. This new variety is considered as having 

 distinct advantages over the older sorts and as being the most profitable for the 



