21 



No. 48. 8 acres MUSTARD sown in May on heavy land overlying 

 Boulder Clay. Ploughed by tractor on March 31st out of 35-years 

 old grass. The grass had been mole drained* in March, the bushes 

 stubbed and the rough surface burnt. After ploughing, the land 

 was disc harrowed many times. Crop a failure. Dry weather 

 prevented growth, and rooks pulled up many of the plants when 

 looking for wireworm. Failure also attributed to the poverty of 

 the land, late working, and the fact that, owing to the surface 

 being covered with bushes, the plough could not properly invert 

 the furrow, so that the surface was left open and the soil speedily 

 dried out. 



DERBYSHIRE (6 reports 3 successes, 2 failures). 



No. 49. 13 acres OATS sown on March 12/13th after old and 

 very poor pasture on light loam soil on the Middle Coal Measures. 

 Ploughed in February ; disc harrowed twice ; harrowed with light 

 harrows, and rolled with heavy "Cambridge roller. Lime was 

 applied to the land a year before ploughing, and 1 cw. sulphate 

 of ammonia with 2 cwt. bone dust per acre when drilling. Crop 

 excellent. The reporter remarks that experience has shown the 

 necessity of using artificial manures to start the crop on the poor 

 grass land of the district. The disc harrow is invaluable for 

 making a good seed bed and, at the same time, keeping the turf 

 at the bottom. Heavy rolling is necessary, and may be resorted 

 to earlier than on ordinary arable land, as the turf keeps the 

 Ir.nd open. 



No. 50. A 9-acre field of gravelly soil, under grass for many 

 years, was broken up in March and April. 5 acres were broken 

 up by horse plough and sown with BARLEY ; 4 acres with tractor 

 plough and sown with OATS. Horse ploughing was to a depth of 

 4 inches, tractor to 6 inches, but the furrow left by the latter 

 was not. thoroughly turned, and made an inferior seed-bed. The 

 soil was worked by drag and disc harrows, and the seed drilled 

 with a disc drill. ^ cwt. sulphate of ammonia per neve was 

 applied. The barley is very good, the oats moderate. Reporter 

 remarks that the main reason for the difference was the plough- 

 ing ; this land was in ridge and furrow, and not suited for tractor 

 work ; he expresses the opinion that tractors should be restricted 

 to level land, and that horses should be employed to plough 

 high-backed grass ridges. 



No. 51. Part of a 7-acre field was ploughed out of 20-years- 

 old grass in April, sown with OATS, and rolled. 1 cwt. sulphate 

 of ammonia per acre applied. Crop a failure. Result attributed 

 to late ploughing, very dry weather, and cold east winds after 

 sowing. 



STAFFORD (3 reports 3 successes). 



No. 52. 15 acres OATS sown on a Red Sandstone soil ploughed 

 in March out of grass 40 years old. Rolled w r ith heavy roller, 

 harrowed three times, drilled, harrowed twice, and again rolled. 

 Successful crop, attributed to a suitable season, flat furrow, and a 

 succession of heavy rollings. 



No. 53. 20 acres OATS sown April 6th on medium loam soil 

 ploughed in March, 1917, out of 13-years-old grass to a depth of 

 6 inches. Harrowed and cultivated along the furrow, seed 

 drilled, harrowed, rolled with Cambridge roller. Crop a 



