298 The Wohurn Field Experiments, 1914. 



Mr. Humphries, however, found both lots to be inert and 

 poor in working, and he was surprised that flours with such 

 Jiigh figures for gluten should yield such poor bread. The 

 real point of interest was that as between the two lots there 

 was substantiallj" no difference in regard to baking qualities. 



Influence of Magnesia on Mangolds. 



In the autumn of 1912 (as described in Journal R.A.S.E., 

 1913, pp. 402-3) two small plots were marked out in Lansome 

 Field, on one of which magnesia, at the rate of two tons per 

 acre, was spread previous to the sowing of wheat, the other 

 being untreated. The wheat crop of 1913 showed very 

 markedly the influence of the magnesia in giving a darker 

 green colour to the wheat, inducing more tillering, yielding a 

 larger crop, and producing a more nitrogenous grain. It was 

 thought well to continue the experiment with the following 

 crop — mangolds — not, however, adding any more magnesia to 

 the land, which then had, approximately, as much magnesia as 

 lime in the first 6 inches of the soil. 



On April 24, 1914, mangold (" Windsor ") seed was sown at 

 the rate of 7 lb. per acre. On July 3, \ cwt. of nitrate of soda 

 and ^-cwt. of common salt per acre were used as a top-dressing. 

 It was noticeable that the leaves of the mangold plants were 

 much darker in colour where magnesia had been used, and the 

 crop generally looked better. The roots were pulled on 

 October 12, and gave the following results : — 



Roots per acre. 

 Tons, Cwts. Qrs. Lbs. 



With magnesia 21 12 2 



Without magnesia 20 18 3 



Thus the superiority shown with the wheat crop of 1913 

 was continued to a slight extent with the root crop of 1914. 



Varieties of Barley {Butt Close). 



Simultaneously with the trial of Swedish and Danish 

 wheats there was carried out in Butt Close a similar one with 

 varieties of Barley. The varieties tried were " 8valof Primus" 

 (Swedish), which had given a germination power of 98 per 

 cent., '• Tystofte Prentice " (Danish), of germination power 

 99 per cent., and purity 99"8 per cent., and "Archer's Stiff 

 Straw " (English). These trials were on ^ acre plots, each 

 being duplicated. 



The barleys were sown on April 2, 1914, at the rate of 

 9 pecks per acre. Of the different varieties, the Svalof was 

 much the earliest. It came into ear on June 13, the others a 

 week later. The Svalof continued to keep ahead of the others, 

 and seemed decidedly the tallest and biggest crop, visitors to 



