by Local Agricultural Societies. 
381 
intervals of about a montli. When 2 cwt. of nitrate only were 
used, they were applied in two top-dressings. 
There were three plots under each of six different systems of 
treatment. The average results of each set were : — 
Mangel 
Mimures per acre Yield per acre 
tons cwt. qr. 
No manure (mean of three plots) . . . 9 14 0 
12 tons dung (mean of three plots) , . . 10 10 2 
12 tons dung; and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda (mean 
of three plots) 14 0 3 
12 ton.s dung and 4 cwt. nitrate of soda (mean 
of three plots) 15 8 3 
No dung : 6 cwt. guano and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda 
(mean of three plots) 14 10 1 
No dung : 6 cwt. guano and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda 
(mean of three plots) 15 13 0 
Dung alone gave an increase of 1 6 ^ cwt. roots, as compared with 
no manure. The addition to the dung of 2 cwt. nitrate of soda 
raised the increase to 4 tons 6| cwt., while the addition to the dung 
of 4 cwt. nitrate increased it to 5 tons 14| cwt. Roughly speak- 
ing, the dung was, manurially, a failure ; but the addition of 2 cwt. 
nitrate, at a cost of under U., gave 3^ tons more roots, and that of 
4 cwt. nitrate, at a cost of under 21., gave nearly 5 tons more 
roots than dung alone. On the undunged plot, the dung was re- 
placed by guano and nitrate of soda — 6 cwt. of the former, and 
2 cwt. and 4 cwt. respectively of the latter. The increase in roots 
in these cases did not cover the cost of the manures, though experi- 
ence on this land renders it probable that the deficit will be more 
than recovered in the oats of the next year. 
But the most interesting feature in the Report relates to the 
indirect value of dung under special conditions. When the 
plant was in the seed-leaf it was overtaken by drought, which 
punished chiefly the upper part of the field. The seedlings were 
observed in many spots to flag and die off, this being traced to 
an attack of grubs at the roots. The plant, in fact, died off to such 
an extent that large patches were left in the field, which remained 
bare all the season, and had to be excluded in weighing up the crops. 
At the time (late autumn) at which I visited the field in con- 
junction with the experimenters, it presented a curious and very 
interesting appearance, by reason of the striking symmetry in the 
areas of "gap" or bare soil, and the sharp way in which they 
aeemed to be almost ruled oSen bloc from the well-clothed areas, on 
at least three sides of each. The experimental plots were situated 
in the midst of a large field all cropped with mangel, and all 
dunged, save for the undunged, experimental plots. The bare regions 
referred to were almost sharply confined to certain of these un- 
dunged plots — viz., all those in the upper half of the field ; while a 
good plant grew and matured on the dunged plots lying between 
them, and on the non-experimental, dunged ground above them and 
