1910.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 577 



Newton Rigg, 13th Ann. Kept., 1908-9). — Three varieties were grown 

 with the following results : — Monarch, 16 tons 2 cwt, ; Dalmeny 

 Beauty, 14 tons 4 cwt. ; Scottish Triumph, 13 tons 12 cwt. The last- 

 named was a few years ago the heaviest-cropping variety on the farm, 

 but has for some years been grown from home-grown "seed,' 1 and is 

 deteriorating. Monarch was quite new to the farm. 



Experiments with Potatoes (Coll. of Agric, Holmes Chapel, 

 Cheshire, Year Book, 1909). — Seventeen varieties of potatoes have 

 been grown during the last five years. In 1909 the best, as regards 

 total crop, were Up-to-Date, Table Talk, Factor, Dalmeny Hero, 

 Duchess of Cornwall, and King Edward VII. A diagram is given 

 showing the average yields of the varieties in ware, seed, and chats in 

 the five years. The first five have been Duchess of Cornwall (Irish), 

 Up-to-Date, Table Talk, Factor, and Highlander, but of these the 

 first and last have given the heaviest crops of ware, the proportion 

 of small-sized potatoes in the other varieties being rather higher. 



A trial of varieties in gardens was also made, Early, Second Early, 

 and Maincrop varieties being tested. 



Manurial Trials. — During the past three years the phosphatic 

 dressing supplied to the potato crop has been given in two forms, a 

 non-acid manure — steamed bone flour — being tested against super- 

 phosphate applied in similar amount on adjoining land. The sum- 

 marised total result somewhat favours the former on the soil of the 

 College farm. The effect of different proportions of the ingredients 

 in a complete dressing of artificials has also been tested. The land 

 was all manured with 15 tons per acre of farmyard manure in the 

 autumn. The complete mixture consisted of phosphate, 3 cwt. ; sul- 

 phate of ammonia, \ cwt. ; sulphate of potash, 1 cwt. If the yield 

 with this is reckoned as 100, the effect of reducing the quantity of one 

 of the ingredients at a time by one-half was to reduce the crop to about 

 90. The effect was rather less, however, when the phosphate was 

 reduced. Doubling each ingredient in turn produced but little effect 

 on the yield, the heaviest crop, that with double potash, being reckoned 

 as 105. Double nitrogen appeared to injure the quality of the tubers. 



Experiments with Potatoes (Devon Agric. Com., Kept, cn Field 

 Expt., 1907-9). — A manurial trial with potatoes was carried cut on a 

 light, red soil, which had not received farmyard manure for many 

 years. With no manure the crop of marketable potatoes was 3 tons 

 2 cwt. per acre. A complete dressing, composed of 256 lb. sulphate of 

 ammonia, 400 lb. superphosphate (33 per cent, soluble), and 192 ib. 

 sulphate of potash per acre, increased this on the average to 7 tons 

 8 cwt., and resulted in a profit of £15 165., after allowing for the 

 cost of the manures. A complete mixture was evidently required, as 

 the omission of any one of the ingredients reduced the crop by about 

 2 tons. The substitution of 9 cwt. kainit for 192 lb. sulphate of 

 potash in the complete dressing was equally unsuccessful, and it is 

 considered that sulphate of potash is a far better source of potash 

 than kainit for potatoes. The following mixture is recommended for 

 the red soils of Devon, especially where a system of cropping without 

 farmyard manure has tended to exhaust the land : — 2\ cwt. suiphate 

 of ammonia, 400 lb. superphosphate (33-35 per cent, soluble), 2 cwt. 

 sulphate of potash, per acre. 



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