i9i i.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 677 



Green Manuring (Rothamsted Expt. Station, Annual Report, 1910). 



For some years on the same field, plots of mustard, vetches, crimson 



clover, and rape have been grown and ploughed in, in order to ascer- 

 tain which would have the best effect in preparing the ground for a 

 subsequent straw crop. The last straw crop was in 1907; the green 

 crops were repeated during 1908 and 1909, and wheat was again taken 

 in 19 10. The yields of wheat after the various green crops were as 

 follows : — Mustard, 19*6 bush. ; rape, 20*8 bush. ; crimson clover, 30^8 

 bush. ; vetches, 34*4 bush. The yield after vetches was greater than on 

 any other experimental plot in 19 10. As in the previous trial the 

 value of the leguminous crops as a preparation for wheat was very 

 marked, the yield of grain "being 60 per cent, better after either vetches 

 or crimson clover, than after rape or mustard. The yield of straw 

 was even more favourable to the leguminous crops, and it was notice- 

 able that on all these plots following green manuring there was none 

 of the blight which characterised the wheat elsewhere. 



Manuring of Mangolds {Lanes. C.C. Educ. Com., Agric. Dept., 

 Farmers 1 Bull. No. 19). — Trials with farmyard manure and artificials 

 for mangolds have been carried out since 1907 at different centres on 

 plots of acre in size. A large dressing of farmyard manure (25 tons 

 per acre) did not give a sufficient increase in yield over a medium 

 dressing (15 tons) to pay for the extra manure. Farmyard manure 

 (15 tons) and artificials compared with farmyard manure alone resulted 

 in a profit of 195. Sd. per acre, after paying for the extra cost of the 

 artificials. Incomplete dressings of artificials have not given so much 

 profit per acre as complete dressings, e.g., the profit after deducting 

 the cost of the manures was 315. id. per acre in the case of a com- 

 plete dressing of nitrate of soda, superphosphate, and kainit, while the 

 effect of omitting kainit or both kainit and superphosphate was to reduce 

 the profit to about 135. per acre. Doubling the dressing of nitrate of soda 

 (2 cwt. instead of 1 cwt.) in the complete dressing of artificials pro- 

 duced no result. The addition of even a small dressing of salt costing 

 only about a shilling, raised the yield and profit per acre considerably. 

 It must be borne in mind, however, that the addition of salt may 

 cause an actual reduction in the crop on some soils, especially if the 

 amount of kainit in the dressing be large. 



Manuring of Mangolds (Roy. Agric. Coll., Cirencester, Scientific 

 Bulletin, No. 2, 1910). — An experiment was carried out on six farms 

 with farmyard manure alone, and also with artificials. 



Improvement of Old Pasture (Edinburgh and East of Scotland Coll. 

 of Agric, Report xxiii). — These experiments were carried out from 

 1908 to 19 10 in Mid-Lothian on a raw boulder clay soil situated about 

 500 ft. above sea-level, thickly covered with soft inferior herbage 

 composed chiefly of bent, Yorkshire fog, ryegrass, and moss, and a 

 good sprinkling of stunted clover plants. 



It was not sought to ascertain the best manure, but to determine 

 the improvement effected by a liberal dressing of superphosphate and 

 potash. For this purpose two plots of four acres each were selected 

 in the same field, and these plots were divided into two, one-half 

 being manured in four sections with different dressings, and the other 

 half unmanured. The whole of the manured portion received in 

 February, 1908, 6\ cwt. 30 per cent, superphosphate (100 lb. phosphoric 



