324 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the turnips were pulled and weighed on October 18. These weights 



are set out in the following table : — 









Gross Weight. 



Average Weight. 



Plot 



Dressing. 



No. of 















Plants. 





















Tops. 





Total. 







J. 0 lai. 









Lb. 



Lb. 



Lb. 



Lb. 



Lb. 



Lb. 



I 



No manure 



200 



3875 



I36-25 



175 



•193 



•6 82 



•875 



5 





188 



18-75 



72-5 



91-25 



•099 



•S86 



•485 



9 







17-25 



73-25 



90-5 



•093 



•396 



•489 



Totals 



573 



7475 



282 



35°75 



,][ 34 



•491 



•625 



2 



Bacterized peat 



1 86 



26-75 



I 3°'5 



157-25 



•144 



•701 



8 45 



6 





194 



19-5 



93-75 



113-25 



•101 



•483 



•584 



10 





204 



15-5 



69-25 



84-75 



•076 



•341 



•417 



Totals 



584 



61-75 



293-5 



355'25 



•107 



'5°3 



•010 



3 



Bacterized peat 



188 



z 4 



xz 4 / 5 



148 7=; 



•128 



•663 



79 A 





and lime 















7 





182 



18 



105-5 



123-5 



•098 

 •083 



•580 



•678 



ii 





199 



i6-5 



63 



79-5 



•316 



399 



Totals 



569 



58-5 



293-25 



351-75 



•103 



.518 



•621 



4 



Lime 



183 



17-5 



76-25 



93-75 



•096 



•416 



•512 



8 





190 



1575 



. 70-75 



86-5 



•083 



•372 



•455 



12 





197 



16-25 



•75-5 



91-75 



•082 



•383 



•405 



Totals 



570 



49'5 



222-5 



272-0 



•087 



•390 



•477 



As we have already pointed out, the weight of roots is perhaps the 

 best thing to take as the measure of the result (p. 314), and an exami- 

 nation of the figures given above, taken in conjunction with the plan 

 (fig. 90), shows such slight differences as to be almost negligible, 

 except with the lime alone. Lime alone in this series of experiments 

 depressed the yield to a very marked extent, but only 2 per cent, 

 increase was obtained over the no manure plot by the addition of the 

 bacterized peat, and 5} per cent, by the addition of bacterized peat 

 and lime. Even these figures depend upon results too fluctuating 

 on the various plots to mean a really consistent increase. The failure 

 to produce a strikingly increased crop cannot be attributed to con- 

 ditions of drought while the crop was growing, for the soil was moist 

 and in good condition when the seed was sown (over 2 inches of rain 

 having fallen in the three weeks preceding the sowing), and 6-71 inches 

 during the three months the turnips were growing. It is also open 

 to doubt whether, even if lack of water were the cause of failure of 

 the peat to increase the yield, the fact would be of much significance 

 in ordinary vegetable garden practice, still less in the market garden 

 or the farm, for the irrigation necessary would add very greatly indeed 

 to the cost of growing the crop, the cost of obtaining results from the 

 application of the manure, and therefore to the cost of the manure. 

 The peat was added at the rate of I J ton to the acre. Assuming it 

 to have been of the composition given in the analysis we have already 



