334 
Report to the Annual General Meeting , 
were obtained, the latter comprising a trial of “ wild white J; 
clover and “wild red” clover. The root crop, though suffering 
greatly at first owing to drought, in the end, through keeping 
the land constantly stirred and obtaining a very fine tilth, yielded 
capital crops (for this light land) of both mangels and swedes. 
At the Pot-culture Station, in addition to a continuation of the 
work on lime and magnesia, the principal fresh research was 
on the action of copper, zinc and manganese salts on the wheat 
plant, and of Lithium salts on tomatoes. 
The practical demonstration of the eradication of wild onion 
by the growing of deep-rooting grasses and plants was clearly 
shown at Chelsing, Herts, the results of the system adopted 
being this year very marked. 
An experiment on calf-rearing has given rise to much interest, 
and is being continued. The cattle, now 19 months old, are being 
fattened off. Meanwhile, a fresh experiment, on exactly the 
same lines, but with autumn calves instead of spring calves, has 
been begun. 
During the year 196 complete analyses, that is for purity and 
germinating capacity, and 74 rough analyses and comparisons 
of bulks with samples, were made. Seeds of mangels and sain- 
foin proved unusually bad, and the germination of English grown 
clover lower than usual. Many of the clover samples consisted 
of discoloured, shrivelled seed, which, however, germinated more 
satisfactorily than its appearance led one to expect. The best 
samples appear to have been yearling seed. White clover, alsyke, 
and the various grass seeds, on testing, showed results well up 
to the average. A large number of enquiries with regard to 
weeds were dealt with. No fewer than ten of these referred to 
the common spurrey which appears to have been excessively 
prevalent on light soils this season. Arrangements have been 
made to carry out experiments on methods of eradicating it 
since the addition of lime to the soil has not always given 
satisfactory results. Two bad outbreaks of clover dodder were 
checked by spraying the infected areas with a very dilute solution 
of an arsenical weed-killer. Fewer enquiries than usual as to 
fungi were received, the total number being only 22. The out- 
breaks do not appear to have been particularly serious with the 
exception of an attack of bunt in wheat where the infection was 
so severe that the total destruction of the crop had to be 
recommended. Tobacco figured for the first time on our list, but 
the cause of the disease could not be ascertained with any 
certainty. Eight prescriptions for mixtures for the formation 
°f. permanent pasture were drawn up, and three analyses of 
mixtures made. One of these mixtures, said to be a cheap one, 
was found to contain about one per cent, of seeds useful for the 
purpose, the remaining being weeds and the screenings of a 
wheat crop. General enquiries have been more interesting and 
numerous than m former years. Some of the more important 
referred to the following subjects: Damage caused to crops by 
fumes from a colliery; method of preventing the growth of alga* 
in ornamental waters ; the seeding capacity of thistles ; impurities 
^• fe ? ding „ ? tu ? s l the extermination of moor-grass and 
blindness in barley. 
