1909.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 957 



Spraying of Charlock (Univ. Coll. of North Wales, Bangor, 

 Bull. VII., 1907). — The experiments and demonstrations in charlock- 

 spraying at this centre have extended over ten years, and this bulletin 

 gives the result for 1907. In the moist climate of Wales a 4 or 5 per 

 cent, solution, applied at the rate of 50 gallons per acre', has been 

 found more reliable than a 3 per cent, solution. 



Spraying of Charlock (Field Expts., Harper-Adams, Agric. Coll., 

 Report, 1907). — A spraying machine was lent to farmers at a nominal 

 charge, and reports of some of the results obtained are given. 



Destruction of Spurrey in Corn (Univ. Coll. of North Wales, Bangor, 

 Agric. Dept., Bull. IX. 1906; Bull. VII., 1907). — It was noticed that 

 spurrey was very abundant in a field at Woburn that had received 

 repeated dressings of ammonia manures, and it was thought that the 

 repeated manuring had made the soil acid and favourable to the 

 growth of spurrey. When part of the field was treated with lime, the 

 spurrey disappeared. The effect of similar treatment was tried on 

 two plots near Capel Curig, which were dressed with 10 cwt. and 1 ton 

 of ground lime respectively before the corn was sown. At harvesting 

 there was practically no difference between the untreated plot and those 

 dressed with lime. Another plot was sprayed after the corn and 

 spurrey had made some growth with fifty gallons per acre of a 5 per 

 cent, solution of copper sulphate, with the result that the spurrey was 

 completely destroyed. A similar result was obtained in 1907 at 

 Bodorgan, where a considerable quantity of spurrey appeared in one 

 of the fields. Solutions of 3, 4, and 5 per cent, were used, and all 

 were more or less effective. Where the 3 per cent, solution was applied, 

 about half the spurrey plants formed seed, while on the other plots 

 all the spurrey plants were greatly weakened, and not more than 20 per 

 cent, of them formed seed. 



Prevention of Damage to Red Clover by Pear-shaped Weevil (Univ. 

 Coll. of North Wales, Bangor, Agric. Dept., Bull. XL, 1907).— The 

 weevil in question is Apion apricans, which causes much damage in 

 the Vale of Clwyd. Five small plots were dressed with slaked lime and 

 flowers of sulphur, Bordeaux mixture, or solutions of lead nitrate. On 

 none of the plots was the treatment very successful, but the dusting 

 with 100 lb. lime and 20 lb. flowers of sulphur per acre gave the 

 best results. It is probable that if three or four dressings were given 

 in the flowering period at intervals of a week, the damage might be 

 further diminished. 



rr Blindness " in Barley (Hehninthosporium gramineum) (Camb. 

 Univ., Dept. of Agric, Guide to Expts., 1907). — Seed barley was steeped 

 in various solutions. The experiment was described in the Journal, 

 February, 1908, p. 670. The treatment recommended is to steep the 

 seed in water containing formalin in the proportion 1 to 160 or 200 parts. 



Prevention of Clover Sickness (Essex Educ. Comm., Field Expts., 

 1906). — This investigation was carried out in a district where it is 

 usually considered unsafe to grow clover more often than once in eight 

 or even twelve years. Ten plots were treated with various manures and 

 with sulphur, peroxide of hydrogen, " nitragin," and lime. The best 

 results from a practical point of view, were obtained from the use of two 

 tons of ground lime per acre. Clover was grown in 1904 and 1906, and 

 in 1904 75 per cent, of the " plant " on the lime plot survived, while 

 in 1906 it was practically a full " plant." No clover disease (Sclerotinia 



