in the course of their work. These developments have necessitated 

 a considerable extension of the Laboratory and of the farm. For 

 this purpose a grant of ;^3,000 was promised by the Board of Agri- 

 culture out of the Development Fund on condition that an equal sum 

 was provided by the Committee, and this amount has been raised by 

 the Society for Extending the Rothamsted Experiments. 230 acres 

 of land have been taken on a 77 years' lease which, together with 

 the Trust land, give a self-contained farm capable of being worked 

 with great advantage to the experiments. The new Laboratories 

 will shortly be ready for occupation. 



The condition of the old Laboratory, however, gives cause for 

 considerable anxiety. It was built in 1855 and some years ago 

 began to reveal certain structural defects. The Committee are 

 advised that it may not last much longer, and as it is in any case 

 not well suited for modern requirements, some definite action will 

 soon have to be taken. 



The field experiments, which began in 1843, have on some of 

 the plots been continued without break or alteration up to the 

 present day ; on the Broadbalk Wheat Field certain rearrangements 

 were made in 1852, in which year also the Barley experiments on 

 the Hoos Field began. The leguminous crops oq the Hoos Field 

 were started in 1848, the experiments on Roots have been continued 

 on the same field since 1843, and on the same plan since 1856. The 

 grass plots began in 1856, and the rotation experiments in 1848. 



It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of continuing the 

 experimental plots at Rothamsted without any change, as nowhere 

 else in the world do such data exist for studying the effect of season 

 and manuring upon the yield and quality of the crop, and for 

 watching the progressive changes which are going on in the soil. 

 Year by year these plots are found to throw light upon new problems 

 in Agricultural Science ; in all directions they continue to provide 

 material for investigations upon points which were not contemplated 

 in the original design of the experiments, so that it is impossible to 

 foresee when and how they will not become useful and provide 

 indispensable material for the solution of problems undreamt of at 

 the present time. 



The maintenance, however, of the old data throws a heavy 

 burden on the Experimental Station. There are 210 plots, and 

 every year 243 samples have to be taken with proper precautions 

 and put into store for future reference. In addition there are made 

 486 determinations of dry matter, 243 of ash, 170 of nitrogen, 50 of 

 phosphoric acid, and 24 of potash, also 180 determinations of nitrates, 

 etc., in rain and drainage waters, and 17 botanical analyses of hay. 

 This does not include examinations of st)ils, the complete grass 

 separations, and other extensive series of determinations which are 

 made at longer intervals. All the above determinations, however, 

 are part of the necessary routine which must be completed before 

 any new investigations can be undertaken. 



It should be remembered that the object of the Rothamsted 

 Experiments is to ascertain "how the plant grows," and only 

 indirectly to find the most paying method of manuring ; hence 

 neither the nature nor the quantities of material applied are to be 

 taken as indicating the manures which should be used in practice. 



