Go'ass Experiments at Wohurn 
33 
Unfortunately the quantities of the timothy seeds were 
transposed, so that three pounds were inchided in the mixture 
for the half-acre plots, and only a pound and a half was put on 
the acre plots ; whereas it was intended to put three pounds on 
the acre plots, and a pound and a half— -that is, at the rate of three 
pounds per acre — on the half-acre plots. The result is that the 
timothy is greatly in excess in the ryegrass plots, being at the 
rate of six pounds per acre as against a pound and a half per 
acre on the other plots. 
The total weight of the seeds sown per acre is not given, 
this being completely misleading when considered apart from 
the quantity of each seed used, as the quantity of each seed 
has been determined by the number of germinating seeds in 
a pound. The absurdity of sowing so many pounds per acre 
without regard to the different kinds of seeds will be apparent 
if we consider that a pound of white clover seed will produce 
three times as many plants as the same weight of red clover 
seed, and a pound of rough-stalked meadow-grass seed should 
give as many plants as five pounds of cocksfoot or seven pounds 
of meadow fescue. 
After the first yeai', half of each plot has annually been, 
eaten by sheep, and the other has been cut and made into hay. 
The sheep were supplied with decorticated cotton-cake at the 
rate of 5 cwts. to the acre, and the portion hayed was manured 
with the same quantity of decorticated cotton-cake. The sheep 
went over the plots tlu'ee times in the year. During 1888, 80 
sheep were put on from May 10 to May 21, 78 from June 5 to 
June 18, and 57 from July 19 to July 30. After this, a heavy 
crop of grass was produced; but it was too rank, from the 
droppings of the sheep, to be again fed, so it was mown on 
September 27, and made into hay. This crop pi'oduced the 
following weights of hay : — 
Produce of hay per acre, 
tons cwts. qrs. lbs. 
1 A. Without ryegrass 0 17 1 24 
1 B. With ryegrass . , , , . 0 18 0 8 
2 A. Without ryegrass 13 14 
2 B. With ryegrass , , , . , 1 6 2 16 
It is too soon to generalise on the results here tabulated ; but 
it may be pointed out that the seasonal decrease of the year 1888 
affected in a larger ratio the plots containing the ryegrass. 
VOL. XXV.^S. S. 
D 
