THE 



ROTHAMSTED EXPERIMENTS. 



I.-INTRODUCTORY. 



THE history of the oldest agricultural experimental station in 

 the world is soon told. Sir (then Mr.) John Bennet Lawes, 

 Bart., entered into possession of his hereditary property at 

 Eothamsted, Hertfordshire, in 1834, and soon afterwards 

 commenced that unique series of experimental investigations 

 which are still in progress, and for which, through the muni- 

 ficence of their originator, provision has been made for the 

 continuation in perpetuity. In June, 1843, Dr. J. H. Gilbert 

 became associated with Mr. Lawes, and undertook the direc- 

 tion of the chemical laboratory ; at this time, also, the more 

 systematic field experiments were commenced. The general 

 scope and plan of these field experiments is stated in the fol- 

 lowing words : To grow some of the more important crops 

 of rotation, each separately, year after year, for many years 

 in succession on the same land, without manure, with farm- 

 yard manure, and with a great variety of chemical manures ; 

 the same description of manure being, as a rule, applied year 

 after year on the same plot. Experiments on an actual course 

 of rotation, without manure, and with different manures, have 

 also been made. In this way field experiments have been 

 conducted with wheat, barley, oats, beans, clover, various 

 leguminous plants, turnips, sugar beet, mangel wurzel, 

 potatoes, and permanent grass. Comparative experiments 



