ON AGRICUI.TURE TO DENMARK 27 



The Askov Agricultural Experiment Station 



The Agricultural Experiment Station at Askov is the largest 

 and most fully equipped in Denmark. It was founded in 1885, 

 and it occupies an area of 40 acres. The staflf consists of a 

 director, who is also the owner of the land and the buildings, and 

 five other members, of whom one is a botanist and one a chemist. 

 The station receives an annual subsidy from the State of over 

 £800, out of which is paid to the director a salary of £160, and 

 to the other members of the staff from £50 to £100 each, out of 

 which they have to provide their own housing and board. There 

 is an annual inspection by the State, but otherwise the station is 

 entirely under the control of the director. It is visited regularly 

 by farmers to the number of about 2000 annually. The soil of 

 the station is of variable character, one part consisting of medium 

 and the other of very light land, while there is also a section 

 of moor. The whole of it received a dressing of marl about 

 twenty-five years ago. The field is divided for experiment pur- 

 poses into a large number of plots, of which the largest are of the 

 size of l-60th part of an acre, while many do not exceed the 

 1 -200th part, and some have an area of as little as 6 square yards. 

 Many experiments are carried out, of which the following is a 

 partial list : — 



1. An experiment to determine the best time for the sowing 



of rye seed. 



2. An experiment to determine the best quantity of rye seed 



to sow. 



3. An experiment on the comparative merits of varieties of 



barley for brewing purposes and also for feeding. 



4. An experiment to determine the effects of the growth of 



various root crops on the subsequent crops of a 

 rotation. 



5. A rotation experiment with manures to determine the best 



method of manuring for a five-course rotation. 



6. An experiment on the autumn versus the spring application 



of farmyard and of artificial manures. 



7. An experiment on the comparative merits of varieties of 



mangel. 



8. An experiment on the comparative merits of rye. 



9. An experiment on the comparative merits of varieties of 



potatoes. 



10. An experiment to determine the best depth at which to 



plant potatoes. 



11. An experiment to determine the best time at which to 



plant potatoes. 



12. An experiment to determine the effects of methods of 



keeping on the composition and value of farmyard 

 manure. 



