948 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 
of experiments was planned and commenced, but owing to various 
causes had to be abandoned, and no opportunity has since occurred 
for recommencing them. 
In the meantime I need not apologise for offering for publica- 
tion a short series of facts bearing on this practically important 
matter. The series of facts is a mere fragment, but is interesting. 
In the year 1894 a series of sixteen plots, variously treated, 
were laid out by Mr. John Goldie, of Port Fairy, and sown with 
sugar-beet. Plots 3, 7, 11, and 14 were without manure, and 
received no special treatment of any kind. ‘The yields from these 
plots were at the rate of 12°86, 12:37, 12-23, and 11:07 tons per 
acre respectively. After harvest, samples of soil were taken from 
these four plots, and on analysis of these samples the following 
results were obtained :— 
Nitrogen. Phosphoric Potash. Lime. Chlorine. 
rie Parts in 100,000. 
Tavern Bb Mori Mobate, bar 525 11s} 120 14,030 18 
Subsoil, 1-2 ft.. Ply 63 243 15,185 29 
Plot 77 Soil; 0-1 ft. ... 463 101 225 15,850 50 
Subsoil, 1-2 ft.. 271 91 125 19,920 20 
PlotAWe Sow Ol eta ee 357 TW 128 25,445 23 
Subsoil, 1-2 ft.. 270 78 WAL 28,420 30 
Plot 14. Soil, Q-1 ft. ... 315 124 156 20,920 4 
Subsoil, 1-2 ft.. 207 40 226 5,550 19 
The most striking of the above figures are the nitrogens of the 
surface soils. It will be seen that there was most nitrogen in the 
most productive of the plots, namely, No. 3; and there was least 
nitrogen in the least productive plot, namely, No. 14. 
Tt may be assumed, not unreasonably, that a greater proportion 
of the surface-soil nitrogen was used by the crop than of the 
subsoil nitrogen, for the beet-roots would extend through the 
whole layer of soil, but not necessarily through the whole 12 
inches thickness which was taken as subsoil. The main part of 
the root goes down only 18 inches from the surface ; moreover, 
the roots grow for a longer time in the soil than in the subsoil. 
They start their growth in the soil, and take time to grow down 
into the subsoil; and moreover, the plant foods in the soil are 
held in looser combination, and are more readily available than in 
the subsoil. It is not, therefore, unreasonable to assume that, for 
instance, in Plot 3 the proportion of the 217 of subsoil nitrogen 
used by the crop may have been only half the proportion of the 
525 of the soil nitrogen used by it ; thus, supposing ;,5)th of the 
525 soil nitrogen were used, we may suppose that only ,,,th of 
the 217 subsoil nitrogen was used. 
