148 Summary of Agricultural Experiments. [may, 



Newton Rigg, Thirteenth Ann. Rept., 1908-9). — The following results 

 were obtained in 1908, which confirm those of former years : — 



Plot. Tons. Cwts. 



1 No manure ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 17 



2 3^ cwt. kainit and 7^ cwt. superphosphates ... ... 29 o 



3 I cwt. nitrate, 2 cwt. kainit, 6 cwt. slag ... ... 28 11 



4 I cwt. nitrate, 2 cwt. kainit, 5 cwt. superphosphates 28 7 



5 12 tons dung ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 2 



6 12 tons dung and one-quarter of Plot 4 dressing ... 28 12 



The cost of the artificials used on Plots 2,3, and 4, was 295. Evidently 

 as good crops of swedes may be grown with artificials as with farmyard 

 manure, and at a comparatively small outlay. The deciding considera- 

 tion in good farming as to the extent to which artificials should replace 

 farmyard manure, will be the extent to which the swedes will be con- 

 sumed by sheep on the land where grown. If all are to be thus 

 disposed of, as is frequently the case on light land, the crop may be 

 grown entirely with artificials ; if half the crop only is to be eaten on 

 the ground, then half the dung of Plot 5 and half the artificials of 

 Plot 3 or 4 would be good management ; and if all the roots are to 

 be carted off, then the full dressing of dung assisted by a small artificial 

 dressing as with Plot 6, should be applied, 'so as to leave the land in 

 good condition for the corn and seed-grass crops which are to follow. 



Foreign Experiments. 



Experiments with Lime-Sulphur Wash in the United States (U.S. 

 Dept. of Agric., Bureau of Plant Industry, Circular No. 54). — In recent 

 years Bordeaux mixture has become to some extent unpopular among 

 apple growers in the United States on account of its injurious effect 

 upon the fruit and foliage of certain varieties, and in this publication 

 Mr. W. M. Scott, Pathologist in charge of orchard-spraying experi- 

 ments, deals with the work which has been done to test the effectiveness 

 of lime-sulphur wash as a substitute for Bordeaux mixture. Reference 

 to this subject, with directions for making the mixtures, was made in 

 this Journal for August, 1909 (p. 408). Briefly, it may be stated that 

 there are three types of wash in use, viz., (1) the home-boiled lime- 

 sulphur wash, (2) ready-made concentrated solutions sold by the trade, 

 and (3) the self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture, which is a combination 

 of lime and sulphur boiled only with the heat of slaking lime. The 

 experiments were largely intended to ascertain the strength at which 

 these solutions can be safely and effectively used, but it is pointed out 

 that the results may vary, not only with the locality, but also with the 

 variety of apple grown. 



The experiments were carried out in Virginia, Arkansas, and 

 Michigan, on a number of orchards, and the following is a summary 

 of the general conclusions drawn from them. 



A lime-sulphur solution containing, when diluted, about 4 lb. of 

 sulphur to 50 gallons of water, appears at present to be the most 

 promising preparation. This may be obtained by using the commercial 

 solution at the rate of 1^ gallons to 50 gallons of water, or by preparing 

 the lime-sulphur solution at home and diluting it so that each 50 

 gallons will contain 4 lb. of sulphur. The mixture at this strength 

 injured apple foliage in Virginia very little, and if these results could be 

 taken as a reliable guide, there need be no hesitancy in using it ; but, 



