OF MAGNESIA ON OATS AND TURNIPS. 133 



being obtained from patches of only l-20th of an acre 

 each. 



3. On turnips a By Mr M'Lean, Braidwood, Mid-Lothian, 

 in 1842 variety, yellow turnips. 



Per acre. 



Farm-yard manure, 30 carts produced . . .24 tons. 



Do., 15 carts, with <| cwt. of sulphate of magnesia mixed 



with it, 25 ... 



This result is very favourable. 



b By Mr Fleming, Barochan, Renfrewshire, in 1842 variety, 

 early Liverpool yellow turnips. 



Nothing, 1st plot, 

 2d plot, 



Sulphate of magnesia, 1 cwt., 

 Sulphate of ammonia, 1 cwt., 

 Nitrate of soda, 1 cwt., 



1 1 tons 8 cwt. of bulbs. 



12 ... 17 



14 ... 17 



24 ... 11 



27 . 2 . 



This field was trenched out of grass, and received no farm- 

 yard manure. Nothing shows more clearly the difference in 

 the quality of land than the small crops of turnips, which I have 

 had occasion, in my previous sections, to quote as being pro- 

 duced, even after the application of manure, compared with the 

 production of nearly 13 tons by this field without any manure. 

 The doctored returns, however, especially those obtained by the 

 use of the sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda, are suffi- 

 ciently surprising, and cause us to regret that the experiments 

 were not made so carefully, in duplicate or triplicate, as to 

 justify us in placing complete reliance upon them. I trust, 

 however, they will awaken in others a desire to repeat them on 

 land similarly treated. 



4. For potatoes sulphate of magnesia has lately been much 

 lauded. The following are the only two experiments having 

 pretensions to accuracy which have as yet come under my 

 notice. They were made by Mr Fleming of Barochan in 1842, 

 and were intended to test the comparative advantages of this 

 substance when applied as a top-dressing to the young plant, 

 and when mixed with the manure at the time of its application. 

 The results were, per imperial acre 



