191 1.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 503 



produced a considerably smaller increase than an equal weight of burnt 

 lime, but in the seven succeeding years of the rotation its action was 

 much more beneficial to the crops. 



Relative Economy of Ground and Slaked Lime (West of Scot. Agric. 

 Coll., Bull. 55). — An account is given of a method of slaking burnt lime 

 in such a manner as to produce a powder as easily distributable as 

 ground lime and at a less cost. A ton of lime shells was placed in a 

 heap and slaked with 20 gallons of water, the heap being immediately 

 after covered with a few inches of earth. About twelve hours later it 

 was turned over, and water was applied to all lumps that remained un- 

 slaked ; the lime was then passed through a f -inch riddle to take out 

 stones and unslakable lumps, and the slaked lime thus riddled was 

 found to remain in the form of a very fine dry powder, which was sown 

 without difficulty by a manure-sowing machine. In order to get the 

 lime into the proper condition for sowing, the heap must be turned 

 over and riddled not less than twelve nor more than twenty-four hours 

 after the first watering ; and after the stones have been separated by 

 riddling, the lime must be sown without delay, or it will become sticky 

 and incapable of being sown by machine. 



Slaked lime so prepared is stated to be better than ground lime, 

 because the burnt lime in the process of slaking breaks up into a much 

 finer powder than that produced by grinding, and it also swells into 

 a bulk so much greater that much smaller quantities can be sown 

 without difficulty by machine. The total cost per ton is given as 

 135. &d., compared with 185. per ton of ground lime. 



Field Crops. 



Varieties of Swedes (N. of Scotland Agric. Coll., Trans, of Students' 

 Assoc., 19 10). — In 19 10 eight varieties of green-top swedes and the 

 variety (Buffalo) that did best in 1909 were tried by eight members of 

 the Association. The heaviest crops per acre on the average were given 

 by the following varieties : Buffalo Purple, 25 tons 5 cwt. ; Kent and 

 Brydon's Darlington, 25 tons 5 cwt ; Drummond's, 24 tons 6 cwt.; 

 Sutton's, 23 tons 14 cwt. Darlington was the most consistently good, 

 not varying so much at the different centres as the others. 



Eight disease-resisting varieties were tried — four of yellow turnips 

 and four of swedes. The season was, however, specially suited for the 

 healthy growth of turnips, and therefore unfavourable for the trial. 



Influence of Italian Rye-grass on Other Grasses and on Clovers (N. of 

 Scotland Agric. Coll., Trans, of Students' Assoc., 1910). — One of the 

 members of the Association experienced great difficulty in getting clover 

 to grow, and as the seed mixture used included a considerable quantity 

 of Italian rye-grass, an experiment was arranged to test the effect 

 on clover of substituting perennial for Italian rye-grass, and also to 

 test the effect of manure. Five different mixtures were sown in the 

 spring of 1909, along with an oat crop on a clay soil. Each mixture 

 contained 6 lb. cocksfoot, 3 lb. timothy, 3 lb. red clover, and 3 lb. white 

 clover, and the rye-grasses in the following quantities : — 



1234s 



lb. lb. lb. lb. - lb. 



Perennial Rye-grass 20 15 10 5 o 



Italian Rye-grass ... ... o 5 10 15 20 



