PROCEEDINGS, 



This interesting meeting was concluded with tea at Croxley 

 Green, in the orchard of the "Artichoke Inn," where, on the 

 proposition of the President of the Society, a vote of thanks 

 was passed to the Director. 



Field Meeting, 16th June, 1906. 

 ROTHAMSTED, HARPEXDEX. 



The members assembled at Harpenden Station and walked 

 to the Rothanisted Experimental Station, the meeting being 

 under the direction of the President, Dr. Morison. 



Mr. A. D. Hall, Director of the Experimental Station, which 

 is now under the administration of the Rothamsted Agricultural 

 Trust, conducted the party round the plots, on which are grown 

 crops with different treatment as to manuring, etc., explaining 

 the methods adopted and stating the results obtained. Wheat, 

 barley, and other crops, and pennanent grass, were observed 

 under different courses of treatment, the effect of various kinds 

 of manure on the growth of grass being specially interesting. 

 Experiments were commenced in the year 1843, but it was not 

 until 1856 that those on permanent grass-land in Rothanisted 

 Park began, fifty years of experimenting on this having been 

 completed in 1905. The plots present a very varied appearance 

 now, and their produce of hay differs greatly both in quantity 

 and quality. The quantity of hay yielded by plots treated with 

 mixed mineral manure is from some of them as much as three 

 and a half times as great as that from plots which have not had 

 any manure for half a century, but the quality with this heavy 

 yield is not equal to that from plots to which farm-yard manure 

 has been applied. Treatment with nitrate of soda alone has 

 been found to produce a great quantity of rank grass with an 

 entire absence of clover, but though it should not be used alone, 

 good results are given by nitrate or ammonia with potash and 

 phosphate, while it has been found to be still better to use this 

 mixture alternately with farm -yard manure. 



The rain-gauges and percolation-gauges were also inspected, 

 the latter, although designed to enable the chemical ingredients 

 of rain-water passing through the soil to be ascertained, rather 

 than the quantity of rain-water, having furnished some valuable 

 information on the proportion which the percolation of water 

 through various thicknesses of soil bears to the total amount 

 of rain that falls. These gauges are, however, purposely kept 

 with the surface of the soil in an artificial state, not having 

 grass nor any crop growing on it, and even being frequently 

 hoed to keep it free from weeds. Consequently the proportion 

 of the rain which percolates is much greater than it is under 

 natural conditions, when growing vegetation absorbs much water. 



After cordially thanking Mr. Hall for his kindness in taking 

 them round the experimental plots and explaining the treatment 



