The Woburn Field Experiments, 1911. o99 



On the half sown with liarley there was, however, a striking 

 difference, tlie lucerne coming up almost free from any weed. 

 Although the lucerne grown in the barley was protected by the 

 latter in its earlier stages, yet, when the barley had l)een cut 

 and the lucerne Avas then exposed to the full heat of the sun, it 

 appeared to suffer in the end more than did the crop sown from 

 the beginning without any sheltering crop. 



Of the different varieties, the two that stood out undoubtedly 

 the best were the two American varieties. The Canadian, while 

 fair, did not appear likely to carry out the promise shown in 

 the earlier experiment. 



Experiments on Sugar-beet. 



Although sugar-beet had previously been grown experi- 

 mentally at Woburn, yet the increased interest taken in the 

 question of sugar-beet growing in this country was the occasion 

 of a more detailed series of experiments being carried out in 

 1911. The land devoted to this purpose consisted of 2 acres 

 in Stackyard Field where the soil is a light sandy loam, and 

 also a smaller area on Road Piece Field where the soil is of 

 heavier character, and where mangolds were grown side by 

 side with sugar-beet for purposes of comparison. 



(a) Series B. Stackyard Field. Light Loam. 



The land was ploughed March 24-April 1, London dung, 

 12 tons per acre, being carted and spread April 22-28. On 

 May 4, 3 cwt. per acre of superphosphate and 1 cwt. per acre 

 of sulphate of potash were harrowed in, and sugar-beet was 

 subsequently drilled. 



In Stackyard Field there were three different varieties, all 

 of which had been olitained direct from the Continent. These 

 were : Vilmorin's " Improved White," " Klein Wanzleben N," 

 and "Klein Wanzleben Z." Not only were these three varieties 

 tried, but, in addition, each variety was grown in rows at 

 three different distances apart, namely, 12, 15, and 18 in. 

 The first hoeing was done May 27-30, the second hoeing 

 June 8-30, during which time the crop was singled and set 

 out. A third hoeing followed July 1-7, and on July 14 a 

 top-dressing of 1 cwt. per acre of nitrate of soda was applied 

 throughout to the sugar-beet. 



Despite the very unfavourable weather, a quite good plant 

 was obtained, })ut the subsequent drought caused the growth 

 to be stu)ited, and the crop, though fair for the year, was not 

 what it would have been under ordinary circumstances. This 

 was shown in the tendency of the roots to become "fangy," 

 thereby causing a good deal more earth to attach to them than 

 would have ordinarily been the case. 



