Wednesday/, December 9, 1914. 239 



Heavy rain in March followed by prolonged drought caused a 

 very trying season, on the light land of Woburn, for wheat, more 

 especially in the case of the permanent wheat plots. Barley, 

 however, was more successful. 



There were interesting trials of different varieties of wheat, 

 barley, and oats, and of these the most promising was a Swedish 

 barley, " Svalof Primus," which was very early in ripening. 

 Four different varieties of linseed were also tried ; but, once 

 again, Soya, though sown quite early, failed to bring pods to 

 maturity. The Lucerne plots were carried on successfully for 

 another season, and the Russian (Europe) variety, as before, 

 was the best yielder, followed by the Provence and the Canadian 

 varieties. The clover and grass mixtures, which comprised the 

 comparison of "wild white clover" with the ordinary white, 

 created much interest, and these, as well as the plot of "wild 

 red " clover, showed clearly the different nature and close creep- 

 ing habit of the "wild" varieties. 



Even more striking, because here shown for the first time on 

 the field scale, was the influence of the application of magnesia, 

 in place of lime, on a wheat crop, thereby following up the 

 lessons obtained in the Pot-culture Station. The Green-manuring 

 experiments were continued in Stackyard and Lansome fields, 

 as also the experiments on pasture, in which the influence of 

 lime in different forms is now beginning to be very marked. 



At the Pot-culture Station the Hills' experiments were upon 

 the influence of salts of copper and lead. Other experiments 

 embraced the continuation of the magnesia inquiry, the influence 

 of lime and of chalk on acid soils, experiments with new inocu- 

 lating materials (humus), and with sewage sludge. In the field 

 the successful work of eradicating Wild Onion (the outcome of 

 the Pot-culture work) has been continued at Chelsing, near Ware, 

 Herts. 



The calf-rearing experiments, begun in the spring of 

 1912, were brought to a conclusion in the spring of 1914, the 

 animals being then slaughtered. The results, which will be pub- 

 lished in full in the Journal, bore testimony to the great value 

 of crushed oats with separated milk as a food for young calves. 

 This experiment having been conducted with spring-bom calves, 

 it was decided to carry out another on similar lines, but with 

 autumn-born calves. The new experiment was started in 

 October, 1913, and, so far as it has gone, it has confirmed entirely 

 the former conclusions, the highest gains having been obtained 

 with whole milk and with crushed oats, the latter feeding being 

 much the most economical. 



The work at Woburn, and in particular that of the Pot- 

 culture Station, suffered a most severe loss by the death, early 

 in September, of Mr. H. M. Freear, who for 14 years had been 

 resident in charge of the laboratory and Pot-culture Station. 

 Though never a recognised official of the Society, but acting as 

 Dr. Voelcker's personal assistant, Mr. Freear threw himself 

 heart and soul into his work, and devoted all his time to the 

 interests of the Society and to making the Pot-culture Station 

 a centre of usefulness. Those who have visited Woburn or who 



