426 Experiments on the Growth of Swedes, 



Observations. 



No. 3. It must be observed that this experiment, though it will give fairly the 

 comparative value of the manures used, will aflPord no information as to the advan- 

 tages of wide or narrow widths of rows from each otlier : the fact is, that the drills at 

 the IS-inch distance were put in by a borrowed instrument which deposited the seed 

 deep, and that seed came up at once ; while the other rows (viz. those 27 inches apart) 

 did not appear above ground until twenty-four days after, in consequence of the 

 dryness of the soil. 



No. 6. The turnips came up at twice, at least three weeks intervening from the first 

 appearance of plant u.ntil the whole of the seed had sprouted. The turnips of the first 

 crop which were not damaged by the fly became very good plants, whilst those which 

 appeared last, and which became the great body of the crop, never did well. The 

 quantity of rain that fell in the autumn much improved the turnips sown on the dung; 

 the deficiency of heat was more felt by the turnips sown on the bone, Poittevin^ and 

 glue-dross manures than by those on the dung. I had intended to have carried out 

 the experiment in Somerset upon a shallow limestone tract, but the conditions were not 

 fulfilled. A curious fact, hoAvever, came out in the application of diflerent descriptions 

 of bones used at the distance of 27 inches. In the one case the bones were procured as 

 they came from the kennels, with the usual quantity of animal matter adhering to 

 them, and crushed at home ; in the other, they were brought as refuse from a large 

 button-manufactory, after having been thoroughly cleaned for the purpose of manu- 

 facture : the respective proceed was — 



Tons. Cwts. 

 Turnips on bones crushed at home .... 11 8 

 Ditto on ditto from button-manufactory . . IG 10 



No. 7. A large part of the swedes sown with guano did not come up, and it was 

 found that the seed which was encrusted Avith the manure had not germinated. The 

 rows were, therefore, filled with transplanted swedes. The hares selected those plots 

 which were manured with bones and with peat-ashes, and must have diminished the 

 weight. 



From some of the members of the Society who agreed to try the 

 experiment no returns have been received, whilst from others, who from 

 the information given through the medium of the Journal had been 

 apprized of its prosecution, ample details have been collected. It seems 

 to have been tried on various soils with varying effects : its publication, 

 however, may be productive of benefit, inasmuch as it m^ay prove the 

 commencement of a system through which the most accurate details of 

 the cultivation of the same plant in different soils subjected to analogous 

 treatment as far as equal proportions of manures are concerned, may 

 fairly be laid before the agricultural w'orld, thus testing the merits of 

 the treatment much more efSciently than were the results to be obtained 

 from one or two model-farms varying but little in soil or climate. The 

 dissemination of practical knowledge, and the early promulgation of any 

 r\t\N methods of culture which may have been proved beneficial, will by 

 such method be ensured, and the Society will most gladly receive such 

 information from its members, suggesting that in all results recorded 

 the same tabular system may be adopted as in this trial, and that any 

 observations made during the progress of such experiments, and not 

 included in the tabular form, may be separately communicated to the 

 secretary. 



