No. VIIL] EXPERIMi-NTS ON TURNIPS. 43 



failures, that therefore they are of no value. On the contrary, they so far satis- 

 factorily answer the questions they were intended to solve. They show 



1°. That saline manures in that locality cannot economically take the place 

 of farm-yard manure, even for a single season, 



2°, That saline manures are even hurtful in the present condition of the land, 

 when employed alone — producing a smaller crop than if no manure had been 

 applied at all, and some of them in a remarkable degree. This appears to be 

 especially the case with common salt, which at the rate of 1 cwt. an acre reduced 

 the crop of bulbs nearly to one-half of what was yielded by the unmanured por- 

 tion of the field. It is still more striking that nitrate of soda applied at the same 

 rate should diminish the crop though in a less degree than common salt — and 

 that soot should almost kill it entirely, and that 15 cwt. of rape-dust per acre 

 should produce scarcely any effect. In regard to guano, it was applied in too 

 small quantity to do all the good of which it was capable had it been laid on 

 more largely. If 6 or 8 cwt, instead of IJ cwt. per acre had been used, the crop 

 would probably have equalled that obtained by the use of farm-yard manure. 



There is no doubt that to the extreme drought of the season, as Mr. Goodlet 

 observes, must be ascribed the injury or actual lessening of the crop, in this case, 

 by the use of saline manures. The drought brings up the saline matters to the 

 surface, and thus enables it to encrust, and weaken, or entirely kill, the growing 



giants. The want of rain in 1842 w^much more felt in the Eastern part of 

 cotland than in the West, where the greater part of the succeeding experi- 

 ments were made, and where occasional showers refreshed the land. 



One other observation I may make. Had the saline matters been mixed 

 with a fair proportion of farm-yard manure, it is probable that even on this field 

 the effects would have been very different. One reason for this expectation is, 

 that the plants being kept in a rapidly gi-owing state — partly use up, and even 

 eagerly appropriate, a large portion of the saline matter as it rises to the surface 

 — and by their strength are enabled to resist the injurious action of any excess, 

 which in ordinary circumstances is likely to remain. The reader, however, 

 will not ask why the experiments were not so made — for he has already seen 

 that their object was to ascertain the effect of saline manures applied ahne. 

 From their results, however, he will draw for himself the important practical 

 rule, that in ordinary circmnstances it is imsafe to trust his turnip crop to sali^ie 

 manures alone — that they may assist the action of farm-yard or other similar 

 mixed manures, but cannot supply their place. But upon this point the suc- 

 ceeding series of experiments throw much further hght, 



II. The special object of the following four series of experiments was to as 

 certain — 



1°. The relative effects chiejiy of various mixed manures upon several varieties 

 of turnips; and 



2°. Whether any of these mixtures could alone be economically used to supersede 

 farm-yard manure. 



They were made at the home-farm at Barochan, near Paisley, under the 

 direction and superintendence of Mr. Fleming, whose excellent experiments, 

 made in 1841, are recorded in a previous part of this Appendix (pp. 17 to 24). 

 Mr. Fleming describes himself as much indebted to his overseer, Mr. Gardiner, 

 without the aid of whose zeal, intelligence, and careful superintendence, so 

 numerous a body of experiments could neither have been made, nor the results 

 accurately ascertained. 



1°. Comparative Experiments writh various substances used as manures, for growing 

 Swedish Turnips : seed sown 6th June, bulbs lifted 25th Nov., 1842. 

 Remarks.— The land is a light loam, loose in texture, and of a light brown colour. Sub- 

 soil hard, and full or small stones : it is of as nearly as possible the same quality. The tur- 

 nip seed was all sown upon the same day. Rain came on the night after sowing, and in 

 consequence the crops brairded well, and came away strong. Those which show the great- 

 est weight in the Table kept the lead of the others all the season. The numbers of the 

 plots in the Table are placed in the order in which they followed each other on the ground. 

 The crop would probably have been larger bad there been more rain. 



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