The Wohnrn Field E.rperinienfs, 1914. 287 



FIELD EXPERIMENTS, 1914. 



The season of 1914 was marked by the prevalence of extreme 

 drought during the summer and right up to harvest time. 

 After a favourable period for the sowing of wheat, followed by 

 a very open winter, dry weather was experienced throughout 

 January and February, this being succeeded by a very wet 

 March, After this, however, the drought set in and continued 

 right up to harvest time. 



On light land, such as that at Woburn, wheat suffered 

 greatly in consequence, and the yields obtained were consider- 

 ably below the average. Barley, on the other hand, was better, 

 but oats were poor. Considerable difficulty was experienced 

 in obtaining root crops, but, by continuous stirring of the land 

 and keeping it in fine condition, fair crops, more especially of 

 mangolds, were obtained. 



Potatoes proved on the Woburn land a most successful 

 crop, and the returns obtained were considerably in advance of 

 those of recent years. Green crops suffered considerably, and 

 the yield of hay was naturally small, pastures generally suffer- 

 ing much through the prolonged drought. 



Continuous Growing op Wheat {Stackyard Field) 

 1914 (38th Season). 



After cleaning of the land, it was ploughed for the first 

 time September 2 — 10, and for the second time October 

 13 — Kj, 1913. Farmyard manure was ploughed in on plot lib 

 on October 11, 1913. The quantity applied was at the rate of 

 5 tons 8^ cwt. per acre, this being ascertained by analysis to 

 supply 100 lbs. of ammonia per acre. 



Mineral manures were spread on plots 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10a, and 

 11a on October 17, and on the same day the seed ('' Square 

 Head's Master "), previously treated with sulphate of copper, 

 was drilled at the rate of 9 pecks per acre. 



By November 1 the wheat was up, and, an open winter 

 following, the wheat looked quite well until in March con- 

 tinuous rain came. 



In February, 1914, the plots that had been treated with 

 sulphate of ammonia looked very poor, and had a distinctly 

 yellow colour. The farmyard manure plot (lib), as usual, was 

 much the best at this period. 



On April 4 rape dust was spread on plot 10b, the quantity 

 being at the rate of 462 lbs. per acre, which supplied 25 lbs. of 

 ammonia per acre. 



On May 14 — 18 the first lot of nitrogenous top-dressings 

 was applied to all the plots that were due to receive them, and 

 in the case of the plots 3a, 8a, 8aa, and 9a, which were to have 



