78 



NATURE 



[April 8, 1920 



Nitrogenous — Nitrate of soda, nitrate of lime, sul- 

 phate of ammonia, and cyanamide (nitrolim). 



Phosphatic — Superphosphate, basic slag, mineral 

 phosphate, guano, and bones. 



Potassic — Sulphate of potash, muriate of potash, 

 and kainit. 



Agricultural chemists have worked out the proper 

 combinations for particular crops, and obtained many 

 striking results. 



Without using any farmyard manure they have 

 maintained, and even increased, the yield of corn 

 crops, fodder crops, and hay ; and in the two latter 

 cases there has been an increase, not only in yield, 

 but also in feeding value per ton. In spite of seventy 

 years' experience there is still much to be learned 

 about the proper use of artificial fertilisers, and they 

 may still bring about even fuller yields from the land. 



The yield of corn crops can be increased by 

 artificial fertilisers, but not indefinitely; the limit is 

 set by the strength of the straw. As the plant 

 becomes bigger and bigger, so the strain on the 

 straw increases, until finally, when the plant is some 

 5 ft. high, it cannot stand up against the wind, but 

 is blown down. 



Little is known about the strength of straw. It is 

 a property inherent in the plant itself, and differs in 

 the different varieties. It is affected by the season, 

 beinff greater in some years than in others. It is 

 affected also by soil conditions. At present the 

 strength of the straw is the wall against which the 

 agricultural improver is pulled up. The problem can 

 undoubtedly be solved, and the plant-breeder and soil- 

 investigator between them may reasonably hope to 

 find the solution. 



.Another ?reat effect of artificial fertilisers which 

 has not yet been fully exploited is to mitigate the ill- 

 effects of adverse climatic conditions. Phosphates 

 help to counteract the harmful influence of cold, wet 

 weather ; potassic fertilisers help the plant in dry 

 conditions. The combination of a suitable varietv 

 with an appropriate scheme of manuring is capable 

 of bringing about considerable improvement in crop 

 production. 



A demonstration with the oat crop on these lines 

 was arranged last year in a wet moorland district, 

 and the crops when seen in August were as follows : 



Estimated crop 

 Bushels. 

 Local variety, local treatment ... 27 Harvest late 



phosphatic manuring 45-54 >. earlier 



Special variety "Yielder," phos-\ -._gg / >. earlier, 



phatic manuring / ^^ \ stands up well 



The potato crop is governed by the same general 

 principles as corn crops. It furnishes more food per 

 acre than any other crop, but it is much more expen- 

 sive to produce, and therefore is grown chiefly in 

 districts where the conditions are particularly well 

 suited to it : the Fens. Lincolnshire, the plains of 

 Lancashire, and the Lothians, though smaller quanti- 

 ties are grown in almost every part of the country. 

 The production and consumption are as follows : — 

 Potatoes : Annual Production and Consumption. 



In England and Wales In United Kingdo 



T918 



Consumption Pre-war g Pre- 



1914 ' ^ ^ '9 



6-5 30 4-2 27 7-5 9-2 6-3 



Millions of acres 046 0-63 0'48 i"20 151 i'22 



We are thus self-supporting in the matter of 

 potatoes. We do, however, import about half a 

 million tons per annum of early and other potatoes ; 

 we also export seed potatoes and some for food — in 

 all, about one million tons per annum. 

 (To be continued.) 

 NO. 2632, VOL. 105] 



Notes. 



We regret to announce the death, on April 3, at 

 eighty-four years of age, of Capt. E. W. Creak, C.B., 

 F.R.S., formerly Superintendent of Compasses, 

 Hydrographic Department, Admiralty. 



The following names were inadvertently omitted 

 from the list of Commanders of the Order of the 

 British Empire (C.B.E.) announced in last week's 

 issue of Nature : — Mr. C. E. Fagan, secretary, British 

 Museum (Natural History); Sir W. H. Hadow, Vice- 

 Chancellor of the University of Sheffield ; and Mr. 

 A. R. Hinks, F.R.S., secretary of the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society. 



Lord Sudeley has given notice of the following 

 motion which he proposes to bring before the House 

 of Lords on April 21 : — "To call attention to the 

 decision of his Majesty's Government to discontinue 

 the appointment of an official guide at Kew Royal 

 Botanical Gardens ; and to move to resolve. That the 

 Government be requested to carry out at these gardens 

 the system of free popular guide-lectures on the same 

 plan as adopted with marked success in the Govern- 

 ment museum and picture galleries of the Metropolis, 

 and to take such further steps as after inquiry may 

 be found desirable for developing the resources of 

 these gardens to the fullest extent in the interests of 

 scientific and popular education, together with the 

 recreation of the public." 



The Right Hon. F. D. Acland recently asked in 

 the House of Commons whether the Lord President 

 of the Council " is aware that dissatisfaction is being 

 expressed by scientific workers with the appointment 

 of a man without scientific qualifications as director 

 of research to the Glass Research Association ; 

 whether, as the Department of Scientific and Indus- 

 trial Research provides four-fifths of the funds of the 

 association, the Department was consulted before the 

 appointment was made ; aijd does he approve of the 

 appointment as giving a guarantee that State funds 

 devoted to scientific research will be wisely expended?" 

 Mr. Fisher replied to the question, and his answer 

 included the following statements : — (i) The successful 

 candidate has a wide and successful experience of 

 scientific research into the problems of the glass 

 industry, and is considered by the association to be 

 the man best suited for organising and directing the 

 research needed by it. (2) The responsibility for the 

 selection of a director of research rests in each case 

 with the research association concerned, anfl not with 

 the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, 

 which has no power to approve or disapprove the 

 appointment of any individual. (3) The Department 

 guarantees three-quarters of the expenditure of the 

 research association up to a certain limit, but payment 

 of the grant is conditional, among other things, on 

 the approval by the Department of the programme of 

 research and of the estimate of expenditure thereon. 

 (4) The Advisory Council of the Department, after 

 considering all the relevant circumstances with great 

 care, recommended the approval of the expenditure 

 involved in this director's appointment. 



