1909.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 67 



therefore, arose how this thick plant was caused. The number of 

 grains to the bushel were found to be 694,983 in the case of Red Fife, 

 and 567,831 for the other variety, so that a portion of the thicker 

 plant appeared to be due to the smaller seed and the greater number 

 sown, and the remainder to the higher tillering power. 



Four plots, measuring \ acre each, were drilled at the rate of 

 1, 2, 3, and 4 bushels per acre, six inches between the rows; and 

 one plot of \ acre was drilled at the rate of 2J bushels per acre, twelve 

 inches between the rows. The results as regards yield and straw 

 were as follows : — 





Seed 



Yield of 







per Acre. 



Whole Grain. 



Straw. 



Plot. 



Bush. 



Bush. 



Cwts. 



I 



4 



55 



46 



2 



3 



Si! 



43 



3 



2 



48 



36* 



4 



1 



4ii 



30 



5 



2i 



44i 



35* 



The straw was thickest and of the best quality on Plot 5, Plot 4 

 taking the second place, and Plot 1 being the worst. This appears 

 to show that space improved the general quality. The ears were larger 

 in the thinly sown than in the other plots, the latter having numbers 

 of small sterile ears, and it may be inferred that thin-sowing encourages 

 and promotes tillering, and favours size in the ears. As will be seen, 

 however, the highest yield, both as to grain and straw, was obtained 

 from the thickly sown plot. Another experiment was carried out to 

 compare the tillering properties of Red Fife with those of an English 

 wheat. 



Varieties of Wheat (Beds. C.C. Educ. Comm., Bull. No. VII. Report 

 on Wheat Plots, 1908). — Fourteen plots of £ acre were drilled at the 

 rate of 2 bus. per acre, and the following were the best yields obtained 

 in bushels per acre : — Rivett, 67; Kinver Red, 54; White Stand-up, 52; 

 Red Stand-up, 52; Squarehead's Master, 49; Red Standard, 48. Red 

 Fife gave 38 bushels, the low yield being partly due to the fact that 

 it was the earliest, and was consequently badly attacked by sparrows. 

 To test the effect of thick seeding of Red Fife, two other plots were 

 sown, one at the rate of 3 bus. per acre, the yield of which was 

 41 bushels per acre, and the other at the rate of 4 bushels per acre, 

 the yield of which was 36 bushels, as compared with 38 bushels from 

 drilling 2 bus. per acre. The use of 4 bushels per acre here resulted 

 in a lower yield, the reverse of the results at Wye, which are referred 

 to above. 



Manuring of Wheat and Barley (Rothamsted Exper. Stat., Ann. 

 Supplement for 1908). — This publication gives the yields per acre for 

 1907 of the experimental fields at Rothamsted. 



Varieties of Barley (Midland Agric. and Dairy Coll., Reports on 

 Experiments, 1907-8). — These trials have been carried on for three years 

 in Lincolnshire. In 1907, Hanna, Binder, and Archer's Chevallier, 

 which gave the best results in the previous years, were again tested, 

 and Danish Archer was tried for the first time. Danish Archer and 

 Archer's Chevallier produced the most valuable crop per acre. Binder 

 was the only variety that produced a malting sample. It is observed 



F 2 



