No. VIII.] EXPBniMENTS UPON MIXED CROPS. 67 



G.— EXPERIMENTS UPON MIXED CROPS. 



The following interesting experiment was made by Mr. Alexander, for the 

 purpose of ascertaining the effect uf a mixture of gypsum and common salt upon a 

 mixed crop of oats, beans, and peas : — 



Result of an experiment upon the effect of gypsum and common salt, applied 

 as a top-dressing at Wellwood, Muirkirk, 1842. 



Four Scotch acres of strong soil, bordering on clay, broken up ft-om two-year- 

 old pasture, were sown with oats, beans, and peas (which is called in Scotland 

 mashlem, and is a first-rate fodder for dairy stock). They all came well up, but 

 worming and other causes injured the crop so much that I had serious intention 

 of ploughing it up, and sowing turnips. Instead of doing so, I top-dressed the 

 whole four acres with the following substances, well-pounded and mixed to- 

 gether, and this being done immediately before copious rains, the mixture was 

 washed into the soil : — 13 cwt. gypsum (from TurnbuU), which, with carriage, 

 cost 8s. ; 4 cwt. common salt, which, with caniage, cost 8s. ; — this and the 

 gypsum, 16s. Cost of top-dressing, 4s. per acre. 



The effect was like magic ; the plants immediately assumed a deeper green 

 colour, and grew wonderfully, and this field took the lead of all my other oats, 

 and when reaped the field generally was the best I had. Oats, beans, and peas 

 were all particularly well filled. I may state further, that after the dressing it 

 stood the severe drought better than any of my other crops. Wellwood is 23 

 miles from the sea, and 550 feet above it. 



From other experiments which I had before made, but which I shall not fur- 

 ther enter on here, I am convinced that common salt is a great auxiliary in that 

 locality (if not to most others distant from the sea), and it ought to be far more 

 extensively used. 



H.— EXPERIMENTS UPON BEANS. 



The following experiments were made by Mr. Alexander, of Southbar, at his 

 farm of Wellwood, m Ayrshire, with the view of ascertaining the relative appa- 

 rent effects of different saline top-dressings upon beans at different periods oj 

 their growth : — 



Experiments made at Wellwood upon a crop o? beans (1842). 



The ground was manured, previous to sowing, with 15 tons of farm-yard 

 dung per Scotch acre, and the other manures applied when the beans tCere about 

 two jn/:hes high (they were sown in broad-cast). The extent of ground was 2^ 

 acres Scots measure, divided into four equal proportions. 



No. 1. Dressed with § cwt. of sulphate of soda, i cwt. of nitrate of soda. 

 Result. — The effect of the dressing was seen soon after application, by deep- 

 ening the colour of the plants. The beans were deficient in straw, but remark- 

 ably well podded and filled. 



No. 3. Dressed with ^ cwt. of sulphate of soda, 1 cwt. of gypsum. Result. 

 — More straw than the foregoing, and rather better crop. 



No. 3. Dressed with i cwt. improved bones, i cwt. artificial gl^ano, 3 bushels 

 TurnbuU's humus. Result. — About the same as No. 1. 



No. 4. At first not dressed ; but, in consequence of being weakly, was after- 

 wards top-dressed with 3 cwt. of gypsum, and 1 cwt. of common salt, done in 

 consequence of the highly beneficial effect produced on the four acres of mashlara 

 crop above alluded to. Result. — Though done so late that, the beans were already 

 coming into flower, it helped them much, and they ended as well as any of the 

 above. It may here be remarked, that all the beans were, particularly for that 

 high district, heavy, being on trial soon after mowing 65 to 66 lbs. per bushel. 



I. Observations upon the effect^ the top-dressings applied m 1841 upon the crop 

 ^ 0/1842. 

 The following remarks are quite as interesting as any thing contained in the 

 numerous experiments made this year at Barochan by Mr. Fleming's skilful 



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