102 Experiments with different Tof-Dresaings upon Vflieat. 
making a fair start early in the season. Before this takes place, 
if I am not mistaken, it is not desirable to top-dress wheat. No 
general rule can be laid down for this operation : in some seasons 
the end of February or beginning of March is not too early ; but in 
average seasons it appears to me more desirable to delay the appli- 
cation until the middle or end of March, and in wet cold springs 
even to the middle of April ; or, generally speaking, until warmer 
and more settled weather has'g^iven a fair start to the wheat-plant. 
In 1862 the top-dressings were delayed until the 15th of 
April. Before being sown broadcast with Reeve's dry manure- 
distributor, they were passed through a fine sieve, and, in order 
to secure a more uniform distribution over the land, mixed with 
fine coal-ashes. 
It will be seen that I confined my attention to three fertilizers 
only, namely, to nitrate of soda, Peruvian guano, and salt. 
In the three preceding seasons nitrate of soda had invariably 
produced a beneficial practical result, both applied alone and 
in conjunction with salt. 
One of the objects of the experiments in 1862 was to ascertain 
in what proportions nitrate of soda is most economically applied 
as a top-dressing for wheat. For this purpose 1, 2J, and 3 cwt. of 
nitrate of soda per acre were used in 3 experimental plots, and 
in each case the nitrate of soda was mixed with twice its weight 
of common salt. 
On Plot IV. nitrate of soda alone, at the rate of 2 cwt. per 
acre, was employed to afford a comparison with the adjoining 
plot, on which the same quantity of nitrate of soda was used 
mixed with twice its weight of salt. 
In 1860 salt alone gave no appreciable increase of wheat : in 
1861 it had a decidedly beneficial effect. A continuation of the 
experiment, therefore, seemed desirable, and accordingly salt 
alone was tried on Plot VI., applied at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre. 
In Plots VII. and VIII. Peruviaai guano was apjilicd alone and 
together with salt, to test the real advantage of the latter mixture. 
Plot I.— Top-dressed April 15th, 1862, at the rate of 1 cwt. of 
nitrate and 2 cwt. of salt, produced : — 
cwt. qrs. lbs. 
Com, Head .5 0 15:V 
„ Tail 0 0 
5 0 22 
Straw 6 1 6 
Chaff 0 1 8 
Cavings 0 0 IS 
Produce per acre : — 
Corn (head and tail) 38 bushels 48 lbs., calculating CO lbs. 
to the bushel. 
Straw (including chaff and cavings) 1 ton 7 cwt. 16 lbs. 
