706 



Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [dec, 



EXPERIMENTS WITH VARIOUS FODDER CROPS. 



Kohl Rabi {Univ. Coll., Reading, Exftls. at College Farm, 1907).- — Kohl 

 Rabi was drilled on one plot on May 10th, and yielded 20,904 roots, or 

 19 tons 4^ cwts. per acre. Another plot was planted on June 25th, with 

 thinnings from the first plot, and yielded 12,536 roots, or 16 tons 5^ cwts. 

 per acre. Both plots received 10 tons of dung and 3 cwts. of superphosphate 

 per acre. 



Manuring of Kohl Rabi (Camb. Univ. Dept. oj Agric. Guide to Expts., 

 1907;. — This was an experiment to test the value of calcium cyanamide com- 

 pared with other nitrogenous manures, and the figures indicate that calcium 

 cyanamide is a useful manure for Kohl Rabi 



Manuring of Lucerne (Camb. Univ. Agric. Dept. Guide to Expts., 1907). 

 — Experiments have been carried out at the East Suffolk County Council 

 Experimental Stations at Bramford and Saxmundham ; at Bramford they 

 were made in the six years 1895 -1900, and at Saxmundham they were begun 

 in 1903 and are being continued. They show that the Lucerne crop is 

 peculiarly dependent for success upon abundant supplies of both phosphates 

 and potash in the soil, and that if either of these be deficient (as was potash 

 at Bramford and phosphates at Saxmundham), a satisfactory crop cannot 

 be expected until manures are applied. Further, these experiments show 

 very distinctly that the right manure for one soil may be the wrong manure 

 for another, and, in growing Lucerne, farmers ought to ascertain by trial 

 what manure the crop needs. The following simple trial is suggested: — 

 Mark off four plots of one-twentieth of an acre. To plot 1 apply nothing ; 

 to plot 2 apply 20 lbs. of superphosphate and 10 lbs. of muriate of potash \ 

 to plot 3, 20 lbs. of superphosphate only ; to plot 4, 10 lbs. of muriate of 

 potash' only. The crop will soon show whether one or both of these manures 

 should be employed in growing Lucerne. It may be noted that at Bramtord 

 the best relative result (61 cwts. of hay per acre) on the average of six years 

 (12 cuttings), has been obtained on the plot receiving 1 cwt. muriate of potash, 

 though the plot receiving 2 cwts. nitrate of soda, 2 cwts. superphosphate, and 

 1 cwt. muriate of potash has yielded 62 cwts. At Saxmundham, on the 

 average of four years (8 cuttings), the best result (67 cwts.) was got from a 

 plot receiving 2 cwts. superphosphate and 1 cwt. muriate of potash, while the 

 plot receiving 2 cwts. nitrate of soda in addition has yielded only 60 cwts. 



Man 111 ing of Lucerne {Journal of Roy. Agric. Soc. of England., Vol. 68, 

 1907). — These experiments have now been conducted at Woburn for six 

 years, and various manures were applied in 1902, 1903, 1904, and 1906, 

 nothing being given in 1905 and 1907. The heaviest yield (green fodder) from 

 three cuttings (19 tons 16 cwts.) was obtained from the plot receiving 4 cwts. 

 superphosphate, 4 cwts. bone dust, 4 cwts. sulphate of potash, and 2 cwts. 

 nitrate of soda per acre. The second best plot (17 tons 9 cwts.) received 

 similar manures except that 2 cwts. sulphate of ammonia was substituted 

 for the nitrate of soda. The unmanured plot produced 1 1 tons 6 cwts., 

 while applications of phosphates, potash, or nitrogen alone either gave no 

 increase or seemed actually to result in a diminished yield. 



Varieties of Lucerne (Journal of Roy. A^ric. Soc. oj England, Vol. 68, 

 1907). — Seed from America, Provence, and Canada was sown in 1905. The 

 Canadian variety gave considerably the highest yield both in 1906 and 1907. 

 The Provence seed was slightly better than the American in 1907, this being 

 the reverse of the position in 1906. 



