Artificial Manures for Potatoes. 203 



kainit was somewhat delayed owing to the high winds which 

 prevailed at the end of March and the beginning of April. 



Consistent results were obtained at six of the centres, and 

 the effects of the manures on the weight of the hay crop 

 were as follows : — Nitrate of soda proved more generally 

 useful than sulphate of ammonia ; kainit was unprofitable, it 

 increased the yield on one farm only, and then it did not 

 pay ; superphosphate caused a profitable increase on two 

 farms only : the most profitable manure consisted of 1 cwt. of 

 nitrate of soda and f cwt. sulphate of ammonia, but 2 cwt. 

 of nitrate of soda did almost as well. 



In connection with this experiment, it is observed that 

 heavy dressings of nitrogenous manure must be used with 

 caution, since they may appear to be profitable without 

 actually being beneficial, as they may injure the clover crop. 

 This point was illustrated in an experiment on seeds hay 

 conducted at the Demonstration Farm at Cockle Park. 

 With a complete manure there was 47 per cent, of clover in 

 the hay, but when the nitrate of soda was omitted the 

 percentage of clover rose to 73, and when slag was omitted 

 it fell to 30. It would seem, therefore, that heavy top- 

 dressings of nitrate of soda may smother out the clovers by 

 stimulating the grasses, but that appropriate manuring with 

 phosphates and potash may, by strengthening the clovers, 

 preserve the balance of the mixture. 



Artificial Manures for Potatoes. 



Amongst the experiments carried out during the past year 

 under the direction of the Agricultural Department of the Uni- 

 versity College of Wales, Aberystwyth, was one designed to 

 demonstrate the relative importance of the different manurial 

 elements for a potato crop raised without farmyard manure 

 on Welsh farms. The experiment was carried out success- 

 fully on fifteen farms in different localities, and at each 

 centre the land employed for the test was divided into four 

 plots, each consisting of four rows, twenty-two yards long. 

 The plots were manured respectively with (1) superphosphate; 



