676 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [nov., 



been conducted for several years, it is concluded that salts of lithium, 

 supplying the lithium in not greater quantity than 0*002 per cent, of the 

 soil will do no harm, but that when given above that quantity they will 

 have an injurious effect on the wheat plant. Caesium salts, on the 

 other hand, would so far appear to have no injurious effect, even 

 when used in amounts to give 0*0036 parts of the metal to 100 parts 

 of soil. Zinc oxide, chloride, sulphate and carbonate, in such amounts 

 as to supply 0*04 parts of zinc per 100 parts of soil, were found to exert 

 a toxic effect, the injury being the greater with the more soluble salts. 

 Experiments with iron and manganese have shown that small quan- 

 tities of these metals have a distinctly stimulating influence on barley. 



The experiments as to the influence of lime and magnesia in different 

 forms on wheat showed burnt lime to be inferior to ground lime- 

 stone, whether coarse or fine, and magnesian limestone, whether 

 burnt or not, to be inferior to pure carbonate of lime. 



With regard to the influence of lime on a soil rich in magnesia, 

 a soil was selected containing 2*29 per cent, of magnesia and 0*83 

 per cent, of lime. The addition of lime to the soil to make the total 

 amount equal to 1*50 per cent, had no effect on the yield of grain, 

 and additions of lime beyond the amount decreased the yield. 



The result of adding magnesia to a soil on which clover and beans 

 were grown was to lower the produce from these crops. 



Experiments in 1908 showed that an alteration in the consolidation 

 of the soil, produced by the addition of materials, such as silicate 

 of alumina and silicate of soda, exercised a marked influence in 

 bringing out the benefit of the previous green manuring, and this was 

 confirmed in 1909. 



Pot experiments on the comparative values of sulphate of ammonia, 

 nitrate of soda, calcium cyanamide, and nitrate of lime as top-dressings 

 for wheat and barley led to the conclusion that, provided the same 

 amount of nitrogen is supplied, there is little to choose between the 

 four manures. 



The results of experiments with inoculating materials on leguminous 

 and non-leguminous crops were variable in character : on the whole, 

 there was nothing to indicate an improvement from inoculation. 



Manuring of Old Pasture (Rept. on the Woburn Field Expts., Jour. 

 Roy. Agric. Soc, Vol. 71, 19 10). — These experiments have been carried 

 out in Broad Mead since 1901, the manures being applied in 1901, 1904, 

 1906, and 1909. The yields in 1910 were as follows : — 



Cwt. 



per • 

 acre 



No manure 2 5 



12 tons farmyard manure 3& 



10 cwt. basic slag, 1 cwt. sulphate of potash 35 



5 cwt. mineral superphosphate, 1 cwt. sulphate of potash 27 



10 cwt. basic slag, 1 cwt. nitrate of potash 3 2 



2 tons lime ... ... ... ... ... ••• ••• »•• 22 



The hay on the farmyard manure plot was coarse, with little clover 

 in it. The results of the botanical examination of the herbage were 

 similar to those of previous years, the highest proportion of leguminosae 

 being found on the plots to which sulphate of potash had been applied, 

 and the lowest on the nitrate of potash and basic slag plot. 



