THE PARK 



19 



THE PARK 



Gkass Land Mown for Hay every Year 



Tlie experiments upon grass at Rolhamsted began in 1856, about 7 

 acres of the park close to the house being set aside for the purpose. The 

 land has been in grass as long as any recorded history of it exists, for 

 some centuries at least. It is not known that seed has ever been sown, 

 and at the beginning of the experiments the herbage on all the plots was 

 apparently uniform. 



The plots, of which there are twenty in all, vary somewhat in size, 

 which lies between one-half and one-eighth of an acre. Up to 1874 in- 

 clusive the grass was only cut once, the aftermath being fed off by sheep. 

 Since that time there has been no grazing, and the plots are generally cut 

 twice in the year. The grass is made into hay in the usual way, and the 

 whole produce of each plot is then weighed. 



Table X. 



Manuring of the Permanent Grass Plots per acre per annum, 

 1 856 and since. 



Plot. 



3 



12 

 2 



5-1 



1 



5 

 17 



4-1 



8 



7 

 5-2 



15 



4-2 

 10 



9 



11-1 



11-2 



16 

 14 



Abbreviated Description 

 of Manures. 



j-Unmanured every year . . . . 



Unraanured ; following Dung first 8 years . 



(N. half) Unmanured ; following Am- 

 monium-salts alone for 42 years 



Ammonium-salts alone ; with Dung also 

 first 8 years 



Ammonium-salts alone (to 1897) 



Nitrate of Soda alone 



Superphosphate of Lime .... 



Mineral Manure without Potash 



Complete Mineral Manure .... 



(S. half) Mineral Manure following Am- 

 monium-salts alone for 42 years 



As Plot 7; Ammonium-salts alone first 13 

 years 



As Plot 7 ; Nitrate Soda alone first 1 8 years 



Superphosphate and Ammonium-salts 



Mineral Manure (without Potash) and Am- 

 monium-salts 



Complete Mineral Manure and Ammonium- 

 salts 



Complete Mineral Manure and Ammonium- 

 salts 



As Plot 11-1, and Silicate of Soda 



Complete Mineral Manure and Nitrate Soda 

 Complete Mineral Manure and Nitrate Soda 



Reduced in 1905 to 100 lb. 



