Field Experiments on Potatoes. 
403 
Field Experiments on Potatoes. 
The following Experiments are specially recommended on light soils : — 
Each Plot to be One-twentieth of an Acre. 
I'lot. 
1. No manure. 
(Mineral superphosphate .. 22 lbs., or at the rate of 4 cwt. per acre, 
Crude potash-salts 11 lbs. ., 2 
Sulphate of ammonia .. .. 11 lbs. 
3. Good rotten dung .. .. 1 ton 
^ (Mineral superphosphate J .. 22 lbs. 
■(Crude potash-salts .. .. 22 Iks. 
5. No manure. 
i Mineral superphosphate .. 22 lbs. 
Crude potash-salts .. .. 11 lbs. 
Nitrate of soda II lbs. 
7. Peruvian "uano 22 lbs. 
2 
20 tons per acre. 
4 cwt. per acre. 
4 
4 
2 
2 
4 
4 
4 
20 tons per arrc 
g j Mineral superphosphate . . 22 lbs. 
'(Common salt 22 lbs. 
9. Good rotten dung 1 ton 
10. No manure. 
The Artificials should be first mixed with ashes, burnt clay, or dry earth, 
and then dug in, or ploughed in, quite early in spring, when the dung is put 
on the land, and when the potatoes are planted. 
Messrs. Coleman and Hull kindly undertook to carry out the 
preceding experiments on Lord Wenlock's Menagerie Farm, at 
Escrick, near York. 
The soil of the experimental field was a sandy loam in good 
agricultural condition. 
A variety of Regent Potatoes, known as Snowballs, a fine 
round mealy white potato, was planted on the 20th of March, 
1868. 
Two drills were appropriated for each experimental plot of 
.^L- of an acre, and in each drill 460 sets were planted. The 
drills were 7 chains long, the sets 1 foot apart, and the distance 
between the drills 28 inches. 
The drills were opened by a bouting plough in the usual 
manner, and the various manures then sown by hand and care- 
fully spread, and the sets placed in the manure. 
On the 15th of May the experimental plots presented the 
following appearance : — 
Plot 1. — No manure. Sets regular and of a good colour. 
Plot 2, — Mineral superphosphate, crude potash, and sulphate of 
ammonia. Very strong tops of a dark green colour. 
Plot 3. — Rotten dung. Regular, but pale green. 
Plot 4. — Mineral superphosphate and crude potash-salts. Sets 
irregular and tops pale green, apparently injured by the potash- 
salts. 
Plot 5. — No manure. Sets regular, and colour the same as in 
Plot 1. 
