392 The Wohum Field Experiments, 1911. 



farmyard manure plot (lib), and of plot 11a, where sulphate of 

 potash had been used. It would appear from this latter result 

 that the need of potash is beginning to tell on this land. Rape 

 dust (plot 10b) did not do as well as farmyard manure, this 

 latter giving 20*2 bushels. 



The different samples of corn were valued, as usual, by Mr. 

 T. Smith, junr., of Bedford, on January 24, 1912. The basis of 

 comparison for the year was taken as 35s. ^d. per quarter of 504 lb. 

 at Ridgmont Station. The better samples, among which were 

 those grown with rape dust and with farmyard manure, just 

 came up to this figure, and were described as " useful wheats 

 for the season's growth, condition good, and with plenty of 

 strength." 



The usual features of inferior value, low weight per bushel, 

 and high amount of tail corn, when nitrate of soda alone was 

 used (plots 3a, 3b), were again shown. 



Continuous Growing of Barley {Stackyard Field), 

 1911 (35th Season). 



The land was cleaned and prepared during the winter 

 of 1910. Farmyard manure, giving 100 lb. ammonia per 

 acre (as ascertained by analysis), was ploughed in on March 

 4, 1911, and on April 10, 9 pecks per acre of " Goldthorpe " 

 Imrley were drilled over the whole of the area. Mineral 

 manures were at the same time applied to the plots to receive 

 them, and rape dust spread on plot 10b. The barley came 

 up quite Avell. The nitrogenous top-dressings were applied, 

 the first halves on May 16, the second halves on May 26. From 

 this time, however, the barley hardly seemed to grow at all, 

 and the want of rain Avas most severely felt, there being not 

 sufficient even to wash in the soluble salts such as nitrate 

 of soda and sulphate of ammonia, these remaining visible on 

 the surface for a considerable time after their application. As 

 a consequence of this, the different plots, with one exception, 

 looked very poor, and but small yields were ultimately obtained. 

 The one exception was the farmyard manure plot (lib), which 

 was in striking contrast to all the others, the dung preserving 

 in the soil the necessary moisture, and thus acting in a way 

 that none of the artificial manures could imitate. 



Plot 4 (minerals only) showed the same peculiarity with 

 regard to the presence of the weed " horse tail " that was 

 noticed in 1910. The sulphate' of ammonia plots, 2a, 5a, 8a, 

 and 8b were practically destitute of crop, while on 2b the 

 influence of the lime applied fourteen years previously had 

 ol)viously disappeared. The small dressing of 5 cwt. per acre 

 of lime, given in three different years, however, afforded 

 a certain amount of crop, and this plot looked better than 



I 



