191 1.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 243 



ing per acre being 5 bushels, and in 1910 of Banner, Wide Awake, 

 Beseler's Prolific, Goldfinder, Abundance, and Thousand Dollar, the 

 seeding varying from 5 to 5! bushels. The oat crop in most cases fol- 

 lowed first or second year's lea, but in one instance was preceded by a 

 crop of cabbage. The dates of sowing varied slightly, according to dis- 

 trict, but the different varieties at the same centre were sown at the 

 same time. On one or two farms a light dressing of nitrate of soda 

 was given as a top dressing, but in the majority of cases no manure 

 was applied. 



The varieties which brairded early were also found to ripen early, 

 Abundance being invariably among the earliest, while Goldfinder was 

 usually very late. In the case of Waverley, Irish seed yielded better 

 than English seed — 54 bushels of grain per acre as compared with 

 465 bushels per acre — and also gave a higher percentage of meal on 

 milling. Beseler's Prolific gave the heaviest average yield of corn but 

 ripened latest. There was little to choose between Banner and Wide 

 Awake, both being early, tillering well, and producing the best quality 

 of grain and straw. The results of the milling test gave Wide Awake 

 1,653 lb. meal per acre, and Banner 1,568 lb. per acre. Abundance 

 compared favourably with the other varieties, but Goldfinder was a 

 failure. Thousand Dollar proved an early oat of excellent quality and 

 a moderate yielder. 



Varieties of Mangolds and Swedes (Midland Agric. and Dairy Coll., 

 Buls. 5 and 6, 1910-11). — Eight varieties of mangolds were grown on 

 six different farms in the Midlands, each farmer following his own 

 method of cultivation. The percentage of dry matter in each variety 

 was tested, so that their feeding value could be more exactly compared 

 by the total weight of dry matter produced per acre than by the crop. 

 Compared in this way the best varieties were : — 



It will be seen that this year the greatest amount of dry matter was 

 not produced by the variety with the heaviest yield. The number of 

 "bolters" in each variety was noticed. In this respect the worst were 

 Red Emperor, Red Intermediate, and Golden Tankard; Windsor Globe 

 and Prizetaker were intermediate, and Normanton Globe, Lion Inter- 

 mediate, and Prizewinner were almost free. 



In the swede trials ten varieties, mostly bronze-tops, were grown 

 on six farms. The differences between the varieties were not large, 

 but the following were the best four, judged by the total quantity 

 of dry matter produced : — 



Total dry 

 matter 



Crop 

 per acre, 

 tons cwt. 



Golden Tankard .. 

 Lion Intermediate 



Prizetaker 



Windsor Globe .. 



27 8 



32 13 

 29 19 



29 15 



Total dry 



matter 

 per acre, 

 lb. 



Crop 



per acre, 

 tons cwt. 



Golden Melon 



Magnum Bonum ... 



Extra Improved Purple Top 

 Darlington 



5,336 

 5,206 

 5,165 

 5, m 



23 6 



22 4 

 21 4 

 21 19 



R 2 



