Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [feb., 



Manuring of Hops (Kept., 1911, by Dr. Bernard Dyer). — These 

 experiments deal chiefly with the use of nitrate of soda for hops. The 

 land, at Hadlow, Tonbridge, is old hop ground, replanted in 1894, and 

 the hops are l ' Fuggles." In 1895 all the plots were limed and dunged, 

 but no more dung has been given except on the continuously dunged 

 plot. Phosphates and potash have been used each year, 8-10 cwt. of 

 superphosphate and basic slag in alternate years, and 2 cwt. of sulphate 

 of potash. The nitrate of soda has been applied on different plots in 

 quantities from 2 cwt. to 10 cwt. per acre, usually in dressings 01 

 2 cwt. per acre at about monthly intervals from January to May. The 

 principal results, taking the average crop in the sixteen years, 1896- 

 191 1, are as follows (per acre): — 



Average 

 Crop. 



Manuring. Cwt. 



Phosphate and potash ... ... 10J 



, 5 ,, and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda ... ... ... 135 



,, and 4 cwt. ,, ... ... ... 15-5 



Thirty loads (15 tons) London dung 14? 



Applications of greater quantities than 4 cwt. of nitrate of soda 

 have given very slight increases of crop for the extra quantity. 

 Samples from each plot have been submitted to chemical analysis 

 for determination of the resins and estimation of the value of 

 the hops, and to merchants and factors in the Borough, and no differ- 

 ence has been found between the hops grown with chemical manures 

 and those grown with dung. Dr. Dyer concludes that even when 

 the soil is liberally manured by autumn or winter dressings of 

 dung, rape dust, fish guano, &c, 4 cwt. per acre of nitrate of soda 

 applied early in the spring may be regarded as a safe and profitable 

 dressing for hops, even in a wet season, phosphates being used liberally 

 at the same time, and also potash salts if the land requires potash. 



Manuring of Swedes (Univ. Coll., Reading, Dept. of Agric. and 

 Hort., Bull, x., 1910). — The results of experiments carried out at five 

 centres in Oxfordshire in 1910 are given. Superphosphate, steamed 

 bone flour, and basic slag were compared with one another, both singly 

 and in combination with sulphate of potash and sulphate of ammonia 

 (except in the case of basic slag, when the sulphate of ammonia was 

 replaced by nitrate of soda). The results obtained at the different 

 centres varied a good deal, the deciding factor evidently being the 

 amount of lime in the soil. Where a sufficient quantity of lime was 

 present, superphosphate gave the most profitable results. With soil 

 deficient in lime, slag gave better results. Compared with the other 

 manures, steamed bone flour proved a failure. The addition of a nitro- 

 genous or potassic manure to the phosphate in most cases increased 

 the crop, but not always to such an extent as to make the addition 

 profitable. It is, however, pointed out that in most cases the land was 

 in good condition, and on poorer soil the application of the other 

 manures, in addition to the phosphates, might have given more profit- 

 able returns. 



Dry Farming in Hungary (Inter nat. Inst, of Agric, Rapport sur U 

 Dry-Farming systeme Campbell, 191 1, p. 52).— A paper in this publica- 

 tion describes the results of a trial of the Campbell system of cultivation 

 at Debreczeh, in Hungary, on the conservation of water in the soil. 



