25'2 JOURNAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Effect of thorough Cultivation on the Crop. — Many interesting points 

 are raised by a consideration of the results of this experiment, some of 

 which may be touched upon in the future, but one is exceedingly striking 

 and so important that attention is drawn to it now. It is with regard to 

 the total crops obtained on the two halves of the experimental plot 

 respectively. The weights of the pods are shown in lb. avoirdupois in 

 the following Table : — 



TABLE P. 



Variety Cultivated land. Fallowed laud. 



Wt. of pods in lb. Wt. of pods in lb. 



Ne Plus Ultra .... 152| 106 



Duke of Albany .... 165£ 75£ 



Telegraph 190£ 128 



Maincrop 120 59 



628§ 368i 



As has been before pointed out, the main difference in the two halves 

 of the ground is that on one the land had been deeply worked, on the 

 other it had been dug but one spit deep. The difference in yield in 

 favour of deep digging for peas is 70 per cent., and the benefit derived is 

 very marked in the case of every variety. 



Probable Cause of the Failure of Inoculation to Increase the Yield. — 

 With the " Nitro-Bacterine " culture material Professor Bottomley sent out 

 the following note : — 



" The Inoculating material is beneficial only for leguminous (pod- 

 bearing) plants. Each culture is adapted for the particular legume 

 named on package No. 2. The culture solution, w T hen properly pre- 

 pared and applied, causes the formation of nodules on the roots of 

 the particular legume, and renders available to these plants the free 

 nitrogen of the air. 



" Inoculation will prove beneficial — 



" (a) On poor soil, i.e. soil low in organic matter. 



" (b) On soil which has not grown legumes for some time. 



" (c) When the legume to be sown belongs to a species not closely 

 related to the one previously grown. 



" (d) When the legumes usually grown are deficient in root nodules. 



11 Inoculation is useless — 



" (a) When the leguminous crop usually grown is producing up to 

 the average, and the plants show plenty of root nodules. 



" (b) When the soil is already rich in nitrogenous material. 

 Heavily manured soil rich in nitrates appears to prevent the forma- 

 tion of root nodules. 



" (c) When the soil is acid and needs lime, or when phosphates are 

 deficient. 



" (d) Inoculation will not overcome results due to bad seed, im- 

 proper cultivation of ground, or adverse weather conditions.'' 



All the points touched upon in this note have been already discussed 

 with regard to the experiment, and it has been shown that the amount of 

 organic matter in the soil is very low ; that for many years no legumes 



