Field Experiments on Root-Crops. 
swede seed was drilled on tlie 19th of June. An excellent plant 
came up, and the roots got on remarkably well, the weather 
being favourable until July, when a long period of hot and dry 
weather set in, which was very trying to the root-crops in 1869 
in manv localities. 
On the 27th of August, the weather being still very warm 
and trying for root-crops, Mr. Kimber made the following notes 
respecting the apjoearance of the various experimental plots : — 
Plot:— 
1 No Manure Roots bad. 
2 Mineral Superphosphate .. .. Good roots. 
g f Mineral Superphosphate and\ Good roots, tops fresher and 
I I'otash-salts / more healthy than on Plot 2. 
4 I Mineral Superphosphate and Pe-j ^ 
I ruvian Guano / 
0 Peruvian Guano Better than Plot 3 and 4. 
(^Mineral Superjjhosphate, Potash-' 
salts, and Sulphate of Am- • Much about the same as Plot 5. 
monia 
7 PiOtten Dung The best plot of all. 
Q j Mineral Superphosphate, Potash-) .i . j -ni i. - 
^ { salts, and Nitrate of Soda .. \ Sood as Plot o. 
^ 1 ^"pho"p?a?e^ and Mmeral Super-j ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ pj^^ g_ 
,^ (■ Bone-dust and Mineral Superphos-"! t r • * j.t j- i i. 
10 I 2>hate / *° preceding plot. 
11 Xo Manure Like Xo. 1. 
The differences in the appearance of the various plots were 
striking at the time the field notes were taken by Mr. Kimber. 
The plots 1 and 11, without manure, looked miserably poor and 
stunted throughout the summer; the autumn of 1869, however, 
being mild and very favourable to root-crops, the swedes made 
much growth on the unmanured plots, and the differences in the 
appearance of the swedes in the experimental field were 
gradually obliterated, and a fair crop was obtained on the 
unmanured plots. 
The roots were taken up in the middle of November, topped 
and tailed, and then weighed, when the results detailed on the 
following page were obtained. 
The average produce of the two unmanured plots, Xos. 1 and 
11, was 11 tons 2 cwts. 76 lbs. 
A glance at the preceding experiments shows, amongst other 
particulars, 
1. That mineral superphosphate alone materially increased 
the produce, and gave a better result than a mixture of bone- 
dust with half the amount of superphosphate employed on 
Plot 2. 
2. That the addition of guano to superphosphate in the case 
before us had no beneficial effect whatever. 
