Rotation Experiment. 
197 
effects when used year after year, there being practically no 
crops on plot 2a, 5a, and 8a. Plot 8b was but little better. 
Where, however, lime had been applied (2 tons in December, 
1897, but none since) the crop was markedly increased, viz'., 
by 14 bushels on 2b, 22 bushels on 5b, and 24 bushels on 
8bb. The produce with ammonia salts, after lime had been 
applied, was very nearly as good as with nitrate of soda. 
Rape dust gave a slightly higher crop than did farmyard 
manure. 
The report of the valuer as to quality was not favourable, 
the barleys being, as a whole, inferior to those of 1903. The 
best plot was that from land manured with mineral manures 
only, but even this was below average. Nitrate of soda' gave 
rather more tail corn than did the other applications, and a low 
weight per bushel on plot 3 ; the barley on this latter plot was 
quite useless for malting purposes. 
Rotation Experiment (Stackyard Field), 1904. 
It was mentioned in the Report for 1903 that the wet season 
of that year prevented the proper cleaning of the land which 
had been intended, and, accordingly, it was decided to grow 
again a root crop in 1904, and so get the land into good order. 
Kohl rabi was the crop selected, as swedes were known to be 
subject to “ finger-and-toe ” on this land. The upper half (or 
road side) of the rotation area (8 acres) was cultivated in April, 
1904, ploughed on May 5, and on May 14 basic superphos- 
phate, at the rate of 6 cwt. per acre, with 1 cwt. per acre of 
sulphate of potash, was put on, 4 lb. per acre of Large Green 
Kohl Rabi seed being then drilled. Singling began on June 18, 
and on July 15 a top-dressing of 1 cwt. per acre of nitrate of 
soda was given. A crop of rather over 12 tons per acre of 
kohl rabi was grown. The roots were pulled and put in heaps 
on the field. Preparations were then made for feeding the 
roots off with sheep ; but, in order that there might not be too 
large an amount fed and the land be rendered thereby over-rich 
(so that differences between decorticated cotton cake and maize 
meal would not tell), the weight of roots fed on each plot was 
kept down to 12 tons per acre, this quantity being weighed 
out to the sheep. On Rotations I., II., and III. the roots 
were fed off by sheep which received in addition only about 
\ lb. per head daily of clover hay-chaff ; but on Rotation IV. the 
new rotation experiment was begun, the sheep feeding off the 
roots on plot 1 (^ acre) with decorticated cotton cake, on plot 2 
(^ acre) with maize meal, and on plots 3 and 4 the roots only, 
clover hay-chaff, however, being given in all cases as in the 
other three rotations. Barley was to be the crop to follow on 
Rotation IY. in 1905. 
