16 



4 times, sown with disc drill, harrowed again with, chain harrows 

 and rolled. Manured with 1^ cwt. sulphate of ammonia per 

 acre when sowing, and about 3 stones nitrate of soda 6 weeks 

 after sowing. Crop very satisfactory. 



No. 18. A field of 22 acres light loam, which had been in grass 

 over 50 years, and was growing gorse, rushes, bracken and 

 bent, was taken in hand in 1915. The old gorse was pulled up 

 by horses; the smaller bushes stubbed by hand.. The land was 

 ploughed in January, 1915, and rolled, but not pressed ; harrowed 

 (twice in some places) ; oats sown broadcast ; harrowed and chain 

 harrowed. The seed was sown first week of April, but the crop 

 was a failure, producing less than 12 bushels per acre; the failure 

 being due to the very dry season, and the roughness of the turf. 

 The reporter states that had the land been ploughed earlier, and 

 further consolidated, success might have been expected. Oats 

 were sown again in 1916 on part of the field, and produced a 

 splendid crop. 2^ acres were planted with potatoes, yielding 10 

 tons pep acre ; and 7^ acres, sown with swedes, gave an average 

 crop. This year 4 acres of POTATOES are growing on the land 

 growing swedes last year, 14 acres are under SWEDES, and 4 

 acres under OATS. 



YORKSHIRE (22 reports 10 successes, 9 failures*). 



No. 19. 14 acres OATS sown in April on good deep soil ploughed 

 in January and February out of old grass. Ploughed to a depth 

 of 6 inches ; harrowed frequently in some places as often as 12 

 times with a spiked harrow'. (Long tines were avoided, as they 

 would pull the turf out.) Crop a great success, estimated at 

 10 qrs. per acre. It is remarked that nothing pays so well ns 

 ploughing up old grass-land, if the field is properly cultivated. 

 The success is attributed to the frequent harrowing and the 

 treading with horses. " You must tread the turf well with horses, 

 or else you will have trouble." 



No. 20. 42 acres of deep warp-land, under grass for probably 

 100 years, were drained and ploughed in January. 1916, the 

 furrows, which were only 2 inches deep, being laid over flat, and 

 heavily rolled immediately after ploughing. This land was 

 ploughed three times in all, the first time to a depth of 2 inches, 

 next 8 inches, and then 9 inches. The land was dragged across 

 the furrow several times, then ridged up for POTATOES. Crop 

 good, and although the work was done late in the season the 

 turf gave little trouble. The reporter remarks he considers it 

 a very great mistake to plough up grass too deep in the first 

 ploughing : the turf should be ploughed down by stages. 



No. 21. 10 acres OATS sown first week in May on a good soil 

 ploughed out of very old grass in February. The land was 

 pressed, some of it twice, before sowing. Oats sown broadcast, 

 rolled, harrowed along the furrows, then harrowed three times 

 across the furrows, and again rolled. Half the crop the portion 

 which had been twice pressed was very good. Wire worms were 

 troublesome on the remainder of the field. 



* The few doubtful cases in this and other counties, are not included. Their 

 number is shown by the difference between the total number of reports and the 

 sum of the successes and failures. 



