1910.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 227 



Manuring of Swedes (Lanes. C.C. Educ. Committee, Farmers' Bull. 

 No. 16). — An experiment was carried out on four farms in 1907 and 

 six in 1908 to find (1) whether it is more profitable to use a heavy 

 dressing" of farmyard manure than a moderate dressing supplemented 

 by artificials, (2) whether it is necessary to use a complete mixture of 

 artificials with the moderate dressing- of farmyard manure. 



In this experiment, the phosphatic manure was made the starting 

 point of the scheme of manuring. It has been shown in other experi- 

 ments that when used with farmyard manure, phosphates are the most 

 important of the constituents used in artificial manures for swedes, 

 both in determining the growth of the crop during summer and its 

 ultimate weight at pulling time. Previous experiments have also shown 

 that the addition to a phosphatic manure of either nitrogen or potash 

 or both, may bring about only a small increase which is often insufficient 

 to pay for the cost of the extra manures. 



The present experiment did not, however, altogether support this 

 view. The addition of 4 cwt. of superphosphate to 10 tons of farm- 

 yard manure raised the crops from 22 tons 19 cwt. to 24 tons 12 cwt., 

 while the addition of 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia increased it to 

 26 tons 13 cwt., and gave a profit, after paying for the manure, of 

 225. 2d. When this mixture was made a "complete" manure by the 

 addition of 3 cwt. of kainit, the crop obtained was 27 tons 7 cwt., and 

 the profit 22s. id. The substitution of i\ cwt. of nitrate of soda for 

 the sulphate of ammonia gave 28 tons 1 cwt. and a profit of 305. id. 

 The results, therefore, seem to suggest that superphosphate and nitrate 

 of soda are likely to give the best results, and that the increase 

 obtained by the use of kainit may be insufficient to justify its use. 



In comparing light and heavy dressings of dung, it was found 

 that the crop produced by 10 tons of farmyard manure was 22 tons 

 19 cwt. per acre, while with 20 tons of farmyard manure it was 25 tons 

 13 cwt., a difference of only 2 tons 14 cwt., which would not cover the 

 cost of the extra 10 tons of manure. It will be seen from the figures 

 given above that a dressing of suitable artificials in conjunction with 

 10 tons of farmyard manure is likely to give larger and more profitable 

 crops than 20 tons of farmyard manure alone. 



The following dressing is recommended in the Report as the result 

 of these experiments : — ■ 



Farmyard manure ... ... ... ... ... 10 tons. 



Superphosphate ... ... ... ... ... 4 cwt. 



Nitrate of soda 1 cwt. 



The superphosphate and half the nitrate of soda should be broad-casted 

 over the drills before the farmyard manure is covered up. After singling, 

 and when the plants have become established, the remainder of the 

 nitrate of soda should be applied. 



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

 Students' Gazette, December, 1909). — All the plots on which this 

 experiment was conducted were dressed with 12 tons per acre of farm- 

 yard manure. Eleven different mixtures of artificials were then applied, 

 each plot being in duplicate. The soil varied in depth and texture 

 considerably, and the difference between duplicate plots was in some 



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