776 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [dec, 



by Dr. Bernard Dyer. The average crops in this time are shown in 

 the following tables : — 



Upper Hale Field. 



Cwt. 

 per 

 Acre. 



No manure ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 



5 cwt. basic slag ... 33i 



5 cwt. basic slag, I cwt. sulphate of potash ... ... ... ... 35^ 



5 cwt. basic slag, 1^ cwt. nitrate of soda ... ... ... ... ... 42^ 



5 cwt. basic slag, 1^ cwt. nitrate of soda, 1 cwt. sulphate of potash ... 43 

 1 ^ cwt. nitrate of soda ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33 



Five and Three Acres Field. 



No manure ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... io£ 



3 cwt. superphosphate ... 30^ 



3 cwt. superphosphate, I cwt. sulphate of potash ... 31^ 



3 cwt. superphosphate, cwt. nitrate of soda ... ... ... 39 



3 cwt. superphosphate, i\ cwt. nitrate of soda, I cwt. sulphate of 



potash ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 4° 



\\ cwt. nitrate of soda .. 30 



The quantities of manures were slightly different in the first two 

 or three years. It will be seen that phosphates have produced a large 

 increase, while potash salts have had but small effect. This is in 

 accordance with an analysis of the soil of the fields made at the begin- 

 ning of the experiment, which showed it to be very poor in available 

 phosphoric acid, but sufficiently provided with potash. The best herbage, 

 in which clovers and grasses flourish with equal vigour and luxuriance, 

 is found on the plots on which phosphates and nitrates are used. On 

 these an annual dressing of 5 cwt. of basic slag, or 3 cwt. of super- 

 phosphate, with i\ cwt. of nitrate of soda, has given an annual gain 

 of 30 cwt. of hay. 



Manuring of Swedes (Field Expts. in Staffordshire and Shropshire 

 and at the Harper Adams Agric. Coll., Kept., 1910). — Trials have now 

 been carried out for six years on the comparative values of nitrogenous 

 manures for the swede crop. Money value has been made the basis 

 of comparison, and the experiments have extended over a variety of 

 soils and in seasons of varying character. The standard dressing 

 given each year has included steamed bones, 4 cwt., superphosphate, 



3 cwt., and kainit, 2 cwt. The amount of nitrogenous dressing applied 

 has varied slightly with the price of the manure; 1 cwt. sulphate of 

 ammonia has been taken as the basis, and equivalent money values 

 of the other manures have been applied. The average results of a 

 series of years and from the various soils show that there is but small 

 variation in the return from the different nitrogenous dressings. 



The standard dressing of 3 cwt. superphosphate, 2 cwt. kainit, 



4 cwt. steamed bones, and 1 cwt. sulphate of ammonia has also been 

 compared with a dressing in which the superphosphate and kainit 

 were replaced by 397 lb. potassic superphosphate, the two dressings 

 having the same cost. The average results over three years were 

 21 tons 18 cwt. per acre of swedes from the potassic superphosphate, 

 and 22 tons from the superphosphate and kainit. 



