4b 



EXPERIMENTS ON TURNIPS. 



[Appendix^ 



49. Results of Experiments with different mixed manures, in growinjT White Globe Tur- 

 nips, on new trenched land, Bucklather Field. Sown 13th July, aiid liUed IGth December, 

 1842. 



Description of Manure used. 



TurnbuU's Humus 



TurnbuU's improved Bones 

 3 Barochan artificial Guano. . . . 

 4lNatural Guano 



Quantity 



per 



imperial 



Acre. 



60 bush. 

 5 cwt. 

 5 cwt. 

 5 cwt. 



Price of 



Manure 



per 

 Acre. 



Weight in 

 imperial 

 pounds pr. 

 >sth Acre. 



£. s. d. 



3 



1 10 



2 10 

 6 5 



Weight in, 

 Tons, &C.1 

 per impe- 1 

 rial Acre. 



lbs. 



5950 



4900 



6300 



9170 



tons. cwL 



21 5 i 

 17 10 I 



22 10 I 

 39 15 1 



The Natural Guano was purchased December, 1841, when the [.rice was jE25 per ton. It 

 can now be had for jei2. 



Remarks. — The land was trenched 18 inches deep, and completely drained at the dis- 

 tance of 18 feet, with tile drains laid 30 inches deep, in Feb. 1842. Previous to this it was in 

 a wet, sour state. It was again pointed over with the spade, and the drills made for the 

 manures with the hoe upon the level surface. The manures were then sown in the bottom 

 of the drills with the hand, and a little earth being put over them, the seed was sown, 

 covered, and rolled. The weather had been dry for some time before sowing, but rain 

 came on that day , they brairded quickly, and continued to grow till lifted — the field being 

 well sheltered. The tops of Nos. 2, 3, and 4 were of a dark green colour, and remarkably 

 luxuriant, many of the bulbs weighing from 5 to aibs. No. I was of a lighter green, but 

 strong and healthy, and many of the bulbs of this lot were 5 and 6 lbs. The bulbs of all of 

 them were finely shaped. 



III. The object of the two following series of experiments was the same as in 

 those of Mr. Fleming. 



1°. Results of comparative experiments upon Swedes and other Turnips made 

 on the home farm of Mr. Alexander, of Southbar, near Paisley, in 1842. 



The soil of the field was a deep loam, with a slight admixture of peat — the 

 subsoil was partly a light clay and partly a sandy gravel. It was thoroughly 

 tile-drained and subsoiled to the depth of fourteen inches. 



No. 



Kind of Manures. 



Quantity 



per 



imperial 



Acre. 



Swedes, sown Sth May. 



Bone-dust i32bush. 



Bones il6 bush. 



Ash-dung 1 12 tons. 



Farm-yard dung 32 tons. 



Mixture of Yellow if White, sown 2Qth July. ' 



Guano I 3^ cwt. 



Guano 2 cwt. 



Farm-yard manure 8 tons. 



Cost per 



imperial 



Acre 



£. 8. 



4 8 



5 8 

 11 4 



3 10 

 ' 4 16 



Produce 

 in bulbs 



per imp. | 

 Acre. I 



24 tons. 

 28 tons. 

 30i tons. 



20 tons. 

 24 tons. 



Mr. Alexander adds, I must here notice particularly the result of the last two experi- 

 ments. The seed sown was a mixture of yellow and white, and I he period of sowing as 

 late as the 10th July. The weather at the time being favourable, they brairded quickly, 

 grew with great vigour, and when all the other turnips in the field became affected with 

 mildew they stood as green as ever. This (viz., the non-mildewing) I attribute greatly to 

 the guano, as well as to the late sowing, never before having seen such a weight of turnips 

 produced, sown so late in the season. I applied other artificial manures on both of these 

 fields with a due proportion of dung, varying the quantities and modes of application, as ap- 

 peared to me best to test their qualities, but as the comparative effect is so difficult to decide 

 upon, I can only here observe, with any certainty, that though the turnips brairded quicker 

 when the dung was assisted with these manures, particularly where TurnbuU's humus was 

 applied, the crops afterwards did not appear tome to be materially aided. 



2°. Result of experiments upon Yellow Turn-ips made by Mr. Alexander, of 

 Southbar, at Well wood Farm, Muirkirk, Ayrshire, 1842. 



The nature of the soil on which the experiments were made was reclaimed moss 

 (then about 2 feet deep), having a clayey subsoil, but which had been thoroughly 

 drained with tiles at fifteen feet apart. The field had produced white and hay 



