212 



Experiments with Barley. 



[JULY, 



It will be seen that the system adopted was to double the 

 amount of one or more of the manures applied to Plot 9, and 

 a careful comparison of the results shows that the effect of 

 doubling the nitrate of soda was to increase the average yield 

 of grain by 3 cwt. 47^ lb. ; the application of twice the amount of 

 kainit only increased the crop by 85^ lb. ; while a doubling of 

 the superphosphate actually produced a diminution in the crop 

 of 25J lb. The unsatisfactory average return from the larger 

 dressings of phosphate is one of the most striking features of 

 the trials. Attention was drawn to this in the barley experi- 

 ments carried out by the Midland Institute in 1901, and it was 

 then suggested that the cause of the smaller yields was an excess 

 of phosphoric acid. 



The largest crops were obtained on Plots 8, 6, 2, and 5, where 

 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda was applied in each case. The apparent 

 excess of superphosphate on Plot 5 reduced the yield below that 

 of Plot 2, and thus made this plot much less profitable than the 

 other three. The dressing of Plot 2 showed 3s. 9d. more profit 

 than that of Plot 6 with a larger crop, and 4s. 2d. more than 

 Plot 8 with a still larger crop^; that is to say, the differences in 

 the cost of the manurings were not fully paid for by the increased 

 yields. But these larger yields can only have used a small pro- 

 portion of the extra manures, and they consequently may have 

 a considerable residual value. 



With regard to the effect of the manures on the quality of the 

 barleys, it is observed that " it seems quite impossible to detect 

 any difference in quality or value between the produce of the 

 differently manured crop of the same trial. The quality appears 

 to be virtually identical so far as appearance goes ; whether 

 chemically it would be the same is a matter for careful enquiry, 

 particularly as from the point of view of yield the trials go to 

 show the advantage of heavy nitrogen manuring. Whether the 

 barley grown on these lines would yield a malt containing 

 a higher percentage of nitrogenous matter is an important 

 consideration and should receive investigation, as it would 

 materially depreciate the value of the barley for malting and 

 brewing purposes." 



Experiments have also been carried out by the Yorkshire 

 College* with a view of testing the same point as in the above 



* Yorkshire College, Bulletin No. 37. 1904. 



