25 



BUCKINGHAM (4 reports 4 successes). 



No. 72. 25 acres OATS sown April 1st on a light sandy soil over- 

 lying gravel, 600 feet above sea level. The land had " tumbled 

 down to grass " 30 years previously, and had since been grazed and 

 mown alternately. Herbage was mostly weeds and of little value. 

 Ploughed in February by tractor. Oats sown broadcast on the 

 crested furrow, harrowed five times, rolled immediately after 

 harrowing with heavy Cambridge roller attached to the tractor, 

 and again when the plant was 2 inches up. Crop very good. 

 It was attacked by wireworm in the early stages, but the second 

 heavy rolling prevented serious damage. 



On the same farm a 10-acre field treated in a similar way in 

 1916 was planted with POTATOES in 1917. The land was ploughed 

 by tractor in March, drag-harrowed, harrowed, ridged, manured 

 with farm manure, chain-harrowed, dressed with artificial 

 manure, potatoes planted 20th April, ridges split, chain-harrowed 

 again 14 days later, and ridges re-fdTmed. Crop excellent. 



No. 73. A field of 11 acres was broken up out of 20-years-old 

 grass on shallow gravel soil. Winter _OATS were drilled early in 

 March, and the land harrowed and rolled. Crop very successful. 

 Results attributed to the use of a skim coulter on the plough, and 

 to the harrowing, rolling and treading by horses. The field in 

 question had previously " tumbled down to grass," and the land 

 was particularly thin and poor. 



OXFORD (25 reports 20 successes, 5 failures). 



No. 74. 27 acres OATS sown March 30th on shallow brashy soil 

 overlying Oolite. Ploughed in January by tractor out of 20-years- 

 old grass, drag-harrowed twice along the furrow, double harrowed 

 across the furrow, drilled across the furrow, again harrowed, and 

 rolled with a heavy Cambridge roller. Crop successful. Wire- 

 worms were present, but they did little damage owing to the 

 thorough consolidation of the seed bed. 



No. 75. 27 acres WHEAT sown in mid-November on sandy loam 

 soil on the Corn Brash, 350 feet above sea level. The land had 

 been in grass over thirty years, and was ploughed (skim coulter) 

 in July and August. It was not pressed, but was dragged and 

 harrowed. Crop satisfactory. 



No. 76. 20 acres BARLEY sown first wook of May on peaty 

 alluvial soil overlying Oxford Clay. Ploughed (skim coulter) 

 December /March out of 10-years-old grass, pressed with Cambridge 

 roller, harrowed several times, seed sown, harrowed 34 times 

 and rolled. 7 acres which were wet received 1 cwt. per acre 

 nitrate of soda, without effect. 14 acres of this field were ploughed 

 in March. On this portion the crop was good ; the part ploughed 

 earlier was not so good. 



No. 77. 16 acres WHEAT sown last week of October on deep 

 sandy loam, ploughed in August/ September, 1916, to a depth of 

 6-7 inches, plough fitted with a disc coulter. The land had been 

 in grass for at least 100 years, and was moss-covered and full of 

 sorrel. Wheat was drilled across the furrows, land subsequently 

 harrowed and rolled in April with heavy Cambridge roller well 

 loaded. Crop good, except on part of the field which was rather 

 lo -'yine and wet. 



