322 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



but not manured. It had carried vines for about six years and had 

 received no manure during that time. The ground was thought to 

 be fairly uniform, but proved to be much less productive at the southern 

 end of the site, and a vein of slightly better soil ran diagonally across 

 it, but touched all the plots, and therefore made little difference in the 

 results. Fortunately the plots arranged were in triplicate, and the 

 error due to inequalities in the soil is reduced to a small amount. 



Last year's experiments suggested that the probable source of the 

 increased yield obtained was due to the nitrogen contained in the 

 bacterized peat. The turnip has proved on our soil useful for 

 estimating the value of nitrogenous manures * and is probably the 

 vegetable crop best adapted for weighing, and it was for these reasons 

 selected. 



Twelve plots, each 33 feet by 7 feet 6 inches, were set out, and on 

 each of them three long rows of the turnip were sown 18 inches apart 

 on July 10 at the rate of 6 grams of seed to the row. The arrangement 

 of the plots is shown on the plan (fig. 90). 



Plots 1, 5, and 9 received no dressing. 



Plots 2, 6, and 10 received a dressing of bacterized peat at the 

 rate of i| ton to the acre (being 16 J lb. to the plot). It was distributed 

 and thoroughly hoed in before the seed was sown. 



Plots 3, 7, and 11 received a like dressing, together with 11 lb. 

 slaked lime to each. 



Plots 4, 8, and 12 received a dressing of 11 lb. slaked lime only. 



The experiment was therefore in triplicate. 



The seeds germinated freely and regularly, and received no check 

 from pests. They were thinned to about 8 inches apart on August 10, 

 and the thinnings from each plot, free from earth, were weighed im- 

 mediately on removal. The results are set out in the following table : — 



Weight of Thinnings Removed from Plots August 10, 1915. 



Dressing. 



Group A.f 



Group B.f 



Group C.t 



Total. 





Grams. 



Grams. 



Grams. 



Grams. 



No manure ..... 



7.153 



3.397 



4,208 



14,758 



Bacterized peat .... 



11,312 



8,765 



6,790 



26,867 



Bacterized peat and lime . 



8,225 



9,155 



3,539 



20,919 



Lime . . . ... 



3,35o 



3>765 



3,775 



10,890 



It will be seen that the plants on the plots which had been dressed 

 with peat grew much more rapidly than did those on the plots receiving 

 none. They appeared much greener and taller, and the weighings 

 confirmed the impression their appearance made. 



This superiority was not, however, maintained for long, as will 

 be apparent from a consideration of the final results obtained when 



* Chittenden, F. J. : " Calcium Cyanamide and Nitrate of Lime," Joum. 

 R.H.S. xxxvi. p. 610. 



t Plots 1 to 4 are designated Group A, 5-8 Group B, 9-12 Group C. 



