858 Summary of Agricultural Experiments. |jan., 



in the experiments under notice the extra labour that had to be 

 employed varied from 53 days in Pomerania to 120 days 

 per acre in Wiesbaden. In one instance the transplantation and deep- 

 setting could not very well be carried out on account of the heavy soil. 

 In Posen, the dry weather which is usually prevalent in May and June 

 was held to render the transplantation of spring cereals impossible. 

 The longer period of vegetation under M. Demtschinsky's system 

 would not render the system advisable in unfavourable climates. 



As regards the effect of earthing up the plants in the rows, the 

 results seem to have been extremely favourable in most cases to the 

 development of the plants, and the latter are usually prevented by 

 this method from being "laid" by bad weather. Little extra labour 

 would seem to be involved, a special machine being used for sowing. 



The effect on the various cereals may be noticed. The results, both 

 of earthing up and transplanting, were favourable on winter rye on 

 sandy and clay soils ; winter wheat in general was much less favour- 

 ably influenced than rye. Experiments on spring rye did not meet with 

 success. Earthing up and transplanting were attended with good 

 results in two experiments on spring barley. The effect on oats varied 

 so much that no definite statement is possible. 



There is no doubt that as regards individual plants the results of 

 the Demtschinsky method of cultivation are extremely favourable. 

 The ears are longer and the production of grain per plant greater than 

 from ordinary methods of cultivation. 



A point which has not been decided in these experiments is as to 

 whether dibbling would not on strong soils give as good results as 

 the methods of transplanting and deep-setting advocated. Further, 

 although this Russian system cannot be said to have been a success 

 financially, it has drawn the attention of German agriculturists to the 

 possible value of deeper ploughing, and sowing the seed earlier, 

 farther apart, and in smaller quantity. The system may also be 

 of use from the point of view of plant breeding. 



The same publication contains an account of another series of 

 experiments which were carried out in the experimental fields 

 of the Royal Wiirtemberg Agricultural High School at Hohenheim in 

 1908-9 on rye, and in 1909-10 on wheat, rye, barley, and oats. The 

 results may be summarised as follows : — 



The Demtschinsky method caused an extraordinarily good develop- 

 ment of the plants, and this is to be ascribed principally to the thin 

 seeding. The development was greatest in the case of winter barley, 

 with winter rye and winter wheat next in order, and smallest in the 

 case of spring barley. 



The ripening of the corn was delayed from 3 to 10 days, but 

 earthing up and deep-setting led to greater uniformity in the develop- 

 ment of the plants and in the ripeness of the grain. 



Where the seeds and plants suffered from pests {e.g., snails, frit- 

 fly, &c.) the damage was greater where the Demtschinsky method was 

 employed than where the ordinary method of cultivation was followed. 

 The former system was very effective in preventing the corn being 

 " laid " by bad weather. 



Earthing up, transplanting, and deep-setting caused a very large 



