Hill. It consists of a completely equipped laboratory, a conser- 

 vatory and a wired-in space, and is devoted to the examination 

 and analysis of soils and agricultural products. Here also expeii- 

 mental work is carried out in conjunction with the field experiments. 

 The rarer constituents of the soil, their action on plant life, the 

 extermination of weeds and fungoid pests, etc. have been invest- 

 igated and reported on. 



The soil of Woburn is deficient in lime and many interesting 

 experiments in connection with this fact have been made. The 

 original idea of the experiments was to ascertain if the results ob- 

 tained by Gilbert and Lawes at Rothamsted would be borne out 

 by those at Woburn for 34 years, the manurial constituents being 

 the same from year to year. 



In the wheat experiments the crops derived from unmanured 

 land averaged during the 20 years between 1877 and 1896, 14.7 bu- 

 shels per acre (13.23 hectl. per hectare), during the next ten years, 

 1897 to 1906, 8.6 bushels per acre (7.74 hi. per hect.), and during 

 1909 a further drop took place to 7.5 bushels per acre (6.75 hi. 

 per hect). 



Mineral manures alone have had a very poor effect, whilst when 

 applied with nitrogen as nitrate of soda the crops have been nearly 

 doubled. With mineral manures and half the quantity of nitrogen 

 derived from sulphate of ammonia the yield was more than doubled. 

 The continued use of ammonium salts, for 20 years gave similar 

 results to those produced by nitrate of soda. After that time the 

 soil had become acid and the crops rapidly dwindled away, the 

 yield being at once restored by the application of lime. 



The deteriorated condition of the soil exhibits itself at Woburn 

 in the production of the weed spurrey (Spergula arvensis] which 

 however disappears on the application of lime. The quantity of lime 

 used was 2 tons per acre (5 ooo kgr. per hect.). 



The study of the different nitrogenous manures has been continuous 

 at Woburn. Sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, rape dust and 

 farmyard manure have been compared. 



In determinating the value of inexhausted manures recourse is 

 generally ruvd to the tables constructed by Lawes and Gilbert. P^x- 

 periments were instituted to confirm of if necessary alter the above 

 tables. The exact composition of the cakes and meal fed to the 

 animals on tne farm, of the manure obtained and of the resulting 

 produce had to be ascertained, thus entailing a long and interest- 

 ing work. 



