FIELD CROPS. 767 



tilizers having been applied 5 years ])efore. Tlie results of this season not only 

 showed increased yields as compared with the check tests, but also an imiirovenient 

 in the (luality of the herbage. 



lu'itilizer exi)erinients were also conducted on old pasture with cla}' soil of a brick- 

 earth character and a red-clay subsoil. Barnyard manure and an application of 

 10 cwt. basic slag, 6 cwt. kainit, and 1 cwt. nitrate of soda per acre gave about the 

 same increase over the unmanured plat, but the use of barnyard manure w^as the 

 most expensive. Basic slag was not very effective on this soil, but kainit produced 

 a very marked increase in the yield of grass. 



Field and other experiments, 1902, D. A. Gilchrist {County Councils Cumber- 

 hnnl, Durham, (iiid Ndrthuuilurldiid ll))t. 190^, pp. 129). — This publication is a com- 

 pilation of the results of cooperative experiments with fertilizers and seed mixtures 

 for hay and pasture, together with other fertilizer and rotation tests. Cooperative 

 experiments with fertilizer applications for permanent meadows have been in prog- 

 ress for a number of years, and the results are here tabulated and discussed in detail. 

 In each locality the experiments were conducted on different kinds of soils. 



Of a number of seed mixtures for hay and pasture in one of the tests a mixture 

 consisting of 9.3 lbs. of Lolium perenne, 4.9 lbs. of Dactylis glomerata, 3.1 lbs. of Phleum 

 pratense, 13 lbs. of Festucn pratensis, 0.9 lb. of Poa trimaUs, 2.3 lb. of Trifolium pra- 

 tenM, 2.1 lbs. of T. ]tybridum,5.G lbs. of T. repens, and 0.3 lb. of Achillea millefolium 

 per acre gave the best results. 



An apj)lication of 12 tons of barnyard manure with 1 cwt. nitrate of soda, 1 cwt. 

 sulphate of ammonia per acre, with another hundredweight nitrate of soda as a top- 

 dressing after thinning, is recommended for mangels. The results obtained in these 

 experiments are considered as confirming the general opinion as to manuring the 

 mangel crop. In a test with swedes Fell Bronze Top and Arctic surpassed the others 

 in content of dry matter. Considerable differences in the percentage of dry matter 

 were presented by the same varieties of swedes grown on different farms. The indi- 

 vidual root appeared to be the greatest cause of the difference, while such factors as 

 variety, season, and soil are regarded as secondary. 



Experiments at the County Demonstration Farm, Morpeth ( County of 

 Notihmnberland, Education Coin. Rpt. 1902-3, pp. 19-41). — A sununary of experi- 

 ments on meadows in progress for 6 years shows that the annual application of 8 

 tons of barnyard manure, y\ cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, -^^ cwt. of nitrate of soda, 

 I cwt. of superphosphate, 75 lbs. of slag, and 50 lbs. of sulphate of potash per acre 

 gave the best returns, being followed by the use of 8 tons of barnyard manure alone, 

 with a yield of 5 cwt. per acre less. Complete applications of commercial fertilizers 

 also gave good and profitable results, and giving h, of the nitrogen in the form of 

 nitrate of soda show^ed an advantage over sulphate of ammonia as the only source 

 of this element. When potash was omitted the yield was not decreased, but the 

 (juality of the hay was considerably better when it formed part of the application. 

 The omission of nitrogenous fertilizers reduced the yield of hay about 5 cwt. per 

 acre. 



The results of two 4-year rotations on the same land with different fertilizer appli- 

 cations are given in tables. Turnips, oats, hay and oats were grown in the first 

 rotation, and swedes, l)arley, hay and oats in the second. Barnyard manure wher- 

 ever used in the first rotation gave good returns, and these were best when the 

 manure was applied to the root crop. The highest returns were obtained from the 

 ])lat on which roots received 20 tons of barnyard manure per acre. Practically 

 the same profits were secured from a plat upon which the root crop received a stand- 

 ard application of 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, 5 cwt. superphosphate, and 1.25 

 cw't. of muriate of potash per acre, and where in addition another similar application 

 was divided between the last 2 crops of the course and half of the crop of roots eaten 

 on the land by sheep. The profits as here reported represent the total returns for 



