204 MANURING OF POTATOES. 


during the past two years by the Agricultural Department 
of the University College, Nottingham, at Althorpe, Lincs., 
Hodsock and Blidworth, Notts. The season in 1899 was 
not on the whole favourable for potatoes and did not afford a 
fair opportunity for the action of artificial manures, but the 
results are stated to have been fairly satisfactory, and owing 
to the absence of any considerable amount of disease the 
crop was lifted in good condition. Thetrials at Althorpe 
were carried out in connection with the Lindsey County 
Council, and were intended to ascertain the mast suitable 
varieties for the class of land and climate, and the most 
efficient systems of manuring. 
The artificial manure that gave the best result was a 
mixture of 1} cwts. Nitrate of Soda with an equal weight of 
Sulphate of Ammonia and 6 cwts. of Superphosphate, costing 
#2 1s. 6d.; this gave an average yield from eight varieties 
of 10 tons 9 cwts. 3 qrs., as compared with a produce of 8 
tons from the unmanured plot. The increase, valued at 50s. 
per ton, gave a profit over the cost of the manure of L4 38- 
This manure was also very efficient in 1898, and stood at the 
head of the list, but the other manures did not exhibit uniform 
results in the two years. Owing to the want of rain, the plots 
on which the manure or part of it was broad-casted did not 
succeed better than where it was put in with the sets. None 
of the new varieties of potatoes tried surpassed the three sorts 
that are generally considered the best in the locality, viz., 
Selected Giant, Up-to-date, anil Scottish Triumph. 
Experiments were carried out at Hodsock in a field which 
had received a dressing of two tons of Crich lime per acre in 
the autumn of 1898. Only one variety of potato was planted, 
viz.. Up-to-date. There were in all 19 plots, two of which 
received no manure, four received varying quantities of farm- 
yard manure, four farmyard manure and artificials, and nine 
plots received artificials alone. 
With regard to the plots which received farmyard manure 
alone, it will be seen from the table below that a moderate 
dressing of dung gave an increase of 4 tons 3 cwts., and 
4 tons 8 cwts. over the unmanured plots, but no profitable 
increase was obtained from the heavier applications of farm- 
