PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS 119 



PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS 



Looking at the results of the experiments at Rothamsted 

 on the continuous growth of mangolds with various manures 

 for over forty years, from the point of view of the practical 

 farmer the following general conclusions can be drawn : 



1. Mangolds can be grown continuously on the same land 

 without injuring the tilth of the land or the health of the crop. 



2. A liberal dressing of farmyard manure forms the best 

 basis of the manure for mangolds. 



3. The crop will further respond to considerable additions 

 of active nitrogenous manures to the dung, particularly of 

 nitrate of soda. 



4. A free supply of potash salts is essential to the proper 

 development of the mangold, hence a specific potash manuring 

 is desirable even when dung is used in large quantities, and 

 on a strong soil initially rich in potash. When nitrogenous 

 manures are used in addition to dung, the potash salts should 

 be increased pro rata, in order to maintain the health and 

 feeding value of the crop and to bring it to maturity. 



5. Superphosphate or other phosphatic manure is less 

 necessary with dung, especially when the crop is grown in 

 rotation. 



6. Since soluble alkaline salts are beneficial to the mangold 

 crop, either as direct foods or as economisers of potash, a 

 dressing of salt should always be included among the manures 

 for the mangold crop. 



II. EXPERIMENTS UPON TURNIPS, BARN FIELD, 1843-70. 



The experiments upon turnips may be divided into four 

 series, the two earlier dealing with Norfolk white turnips, the 

 two later with Swedes. The chief difference between these 

 two crops lies in the greater proportion of leaf and the more 

 watery nature of the white turnip. 



It will not be necessary to give the results obtained in the 

 first trial 1843-6, but the three later experiments were set out 



