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biological LAWES AGRICULTURAL TRUST.

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pen a Is

Rothamsted Experiment^ Harpenden.

Annual Report for

WITH THK

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

1 Guide to trie Experimental Plots,

CONTAINING

THE YIELDS PER ACRE, Etc.

In every case the page, table, and plot numbers refer to trie " Guide, it being understood that no change is made in the manuring, etc., there described.

A. D. HALL, Director.

ST. ALBANS :

Pkintkh by W. Caktmel ami Son?, 6. Victoria Street.

1909.

INTRODUCTION.

Mr. (afterwards Sir) John Bennet Lawes was the founder of the Rothamsted Experimental Station. He began experiments with various manurial substances, first with plants in pots and then in the field, soon after entering into possession of the estate at Rothamsted in 1834. In :^43 more systematic field experiments were begun, and the services of Dr. (afterwards Sir) J. H. Gilbert were obtained as Director, thus starting the long association which only terminated with the death of Sir John Lawes in 1900, followed by that of Sir Henry Gilbert in 1901.

The Rothamsted Experimental Station has never been connected with any external organisation, but has been maintained entirely at the cost of the late Sir John Lawes. In 1889 he constituted a Trust for the continuance of the. investigations, setting apart for that purpose the Laboratory (which had been built by public subscription, and presented to him in 1855), certain areas of land on which the experimental plots were situated, and £ 100,000.

By the provisions of the Trust-deed, the management is entrusted to a committee nominated by the Royal Society (four persons), the Royal Agricultural Society (two persons), the Chemical and Linnean Societies (one each), and the owner of Rothamsted.

It has latterly been the desire of the Committee to obtain additional funds for the extension of the work of the Station. In 1906 Mr. J. F. Mason, M.P., presented the Committee with ^*i,ooo for the building and equipment of the " James Mason " Bacteriological Laboratory, together with a grant towards its maintenance. In 1907 the Goldsmiths' Company made a grant of ^*io,ooo, the income from which is to be devoted to the payment of a special assistant for the investigation of the soil. The Permanent Nitrate Committee have also made a grant of ^"2,000 to the endowment. The Society for extending the Rothamsted Experiments, founded in 1904, has also collected donations amounting to ^"500, and annual subscriptions ot nearly /150.

The field experiments, which began in 1843, have on some ot the plots been continued without break or alteration up to the present day ; on the Broadbalk Wheat Field certain rearrangements were made in 1852, in which year also the Barley experiments on the Hoos Field began. The leguminous crops on the Hoos Field were started in 1848, the experiments on Roots have been continued on the same field since 1843, and on the same plan since 1856. The grass plots began in 1856, and the rotation experiments in 1848.

It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of continuing the experimental plots at Rothamsted without any change, as nowhere else in the world do such data exist for studying the effect of season and manuring upon the yield and quality of the crop, and for watching the progressive changes which are going on in the soil. Year by year these plots are found to throw light upon new problems in Agricultural Science ; in all directions they continue to provide material for investigations upon points which were not contemplated in the original design of the experiments, so that it is impossible to forsee when and how they will not become useful and provide indispensable material for the solution of problems undreamt of at the present time.

The maintenance, however, of the old data throws a heavy burden upon the Experimental Station. There are 210 plots, and every year 243 samples have to be taken with proper precautions and put into store for future reference. In addition there are made 486 determin- ations of dry matter, 243 of ash, 170 of nitrogen. 50 of phosphoric acid, and 24 of potash, also 180 determinations of nitrates, etc., in rain and drainage waters, and 17 botanical analyses of hay. This does not include examinations of soils, the complete grass separations, and other extensive series of determinations which are made at longer intervals. All the above determinations however are part of the necessary routine which must be completed before any new investi- gations can be undertaken.

It should be remembered that the object of the Rothamsted experiments is to ascertain "how the plant grows.'' and only indirectly to find the most paying method and manuring ; hence both the nature and the quantities of material applied are not to be taken as indicating the manures which should be used in practice.

ANNUAL REPORT

For the Year 1908.

The weather of 1908 presented many peculiarities, but was on the whole favourable to vegetation. The autumn and early winter of 1907 were exceptionally open and mild, both rainfall and mean temperature being considerably above the average for the last quarter of the year ; on this account and because of the sunless character of the previous season, most perennial plants were in a soft and un- ripened state at the end of the year. In early January severe frosts came (there were two short spells when the grass temperature fell to ii° F.), accompanied by drying winds and no snow, whereupon great destruction was wrought, even among hardy plants.

The Wheat in Broadbalk, sown on November 6th and 7th, 1907, lost plant considerably at this stage and continued to show very indifferent promise up to May. It recovered very rapidly during the fine hot weather of May and June, and eventually yielded more than an average crop of excellent quality, the wheat from several of the plots weighing over 641b., that from one plot even reaching 6>lb. per bushel. The unmanured plot (65th successive crop of wheat, no manure since 1838) yielded I2'4 bushels of wheat (weighing 63-5lb. per bushel) and 77 cwt( of straw.

The Barley was sown on Hoos Field (57th crop on the same plots) on April 2nd ; the land was in good tilth and the seed germ- inated well, but the weather about that time was of the worst description ; night frosts were recorded on 19 occasions during April, the reading on the grass being as low as 220 on the 27th. The young plant never seemed to grow away properly, and eventually a very low yield of poor quality was obtained.

The crops on the permanent grass plots (53rd year of the experi- ment) were rather above the average, the proportion of leguminous plants in the herbage was also rather above the average. It is notice- able that Plot 14, which receives the high dressing of 55olb. per acre of nitrate of soda, is beginning to be over-run by Latkyrus Ntitrusis, though in earlier separations it has never shown more than a few pet cent, of leguminous plants. Through the long continued use of nitrate of soda the soil of this plot has become so alkaline that when extracted with water it yielded free alkali equivalent to 1751b. per acreof sodium carbonate in the soil down to a depth of 3 feet.

Owing to an accident to the manure drill and subsequent wet weather the Mangold field was not sown until May iith and 18th. Partly through the caking of the surface following the long con- tinued use of saline manures on this field, and partly through the attack of some insect, but a scanty and irregular plant started. On some of the plots very few seeds survived, and as it became obvious that the results would bear but little relation to the manures supplied, it was decided to skim over the surface and sow with Swede Turnips, which was done ort July qth and nth. No Swede Turnips had been grown on this land since 1870 ; the value of a change of crop was seen in the exceptional vigour with which the Swede seed germinated and began to grow. Having been sown late and on land receiving such large amounts of nitrogenous manure, the crop ran very much to top ; on several plots the leaf weighed half as much again as the roots when the crop was harvested in November. But the crop was extraordinary in the great uniformity of the growth ; there were no blanks and every plant was clean and vigorous. Even on the plots which receive an excess of nitrogen and are potash starved, where the mangolds are every year attacked by Uromyces betae, the Swede turnip leaves were free from fungoid attack, though they presented a curious flecked appearance, patches of dead tissue being visible near the margins.

On the Agdell Field the 16th four-course rotation began with a crop of Swede Turnips, sown on the 12th of June. A very regular plant was obtained, which made good growth throughout the season and showed several interesting features, illustrated by the following photograph taken of the entire crop from each plot.

Plots 6

On the middle plots to which no manurial nitrogen is applied, the yield on Plot 3 (bare fallowed before the wheat) was 9 tons against 1 1*8 tons on Plot 4, which carried clover two years before. Thus the roots and stubble of the clover grown in 1906 had left behind sufficient nitrogen gathered from the atmosphere to raise the wheat crop in 1907 by 92*8 per cent., and the Swede crop in 1908 by 317 per cent.

On the wholly unmanured plots 5 and 6. however, the yield of turnips after clover was only 6-4 cwt. against 2 1 "6 cwt. on the bare fallowed portion. The reason for this difference between the after effect of clover on Plots 5 and 6, and on Plots 3 and 4, is probably to be found in the fact that the clover of 1906 was followed by a bigger wheat crop in 1907 ; 21 '4 bushels were obtained from Plot 6 as against 1 6-3 bushels from Plot 5. This increased crop caused a greater draught on the phosphoric acid and other minerals in the soil, consequently as the phosphates form the limiting factor for the. Swede crop in the absence of fertilisers of any kind, the yield from Plot 5 is less than that of Plot 6 because of the greater removal of phosphoric acid by the previous wheat crop. The clover crop grown on Plot 6 in 1906 must also have removed phosphoric acid, and the extra nitrogen it left behind annot compensate the Swede crop for the phosphoric acid that is lacking.

The Little Hoos Field, used for testing the effect of residues of manures, was also in Swedes this year ; there was a regular plant and satisfactory growth. Shoddy and Farmyard manure continue to show large residues, perceptible up to the fourth year after their application, but the superiority of cake-fed dung over dung made from roots and hay only, very marked in the year of application, is small in the succeeding years.

In the Laboratory a beginning was made of an investigation of the existence and nature of land " sickness," whether plants do not unfit the soil for their continuous growth in some other way than by depleting the plant food or infecting the soil with a specific disease. Different plants have been started in soil, sand, and water respectively, some are grown repeatedly in the same medium, in other cases a rotation is followed. The great heat of June and July was not, how- ever, very favourable for work in pots. A heating apparatus is being put in the glasshouse to enable us to make an earlier beginning in the year, so as to obviate the necessity of starting the second crop so late.

As part of the same investigation, an examination was also begun of 1 he changes taking place in soil when it is heated to the temperature of boiling water or partially sterilised by treatment with volatile antiseptics such as chloroform. Dr. Russell has been working on the chemical and Dr. Hutchinson on the bacteriological side of the problem ; the usual great increase of crop was seen, heating raised

the yield from ioo to 180. and treatment with toluene to 120. These charges are being correlated with a redistribution of the bacterial flora of the soil, together with some direct chemical change brought about by the treatment ; the investigation is not however completed.

A number of experiments on clover " sickness " have been started, designed with the view of getting some clue to the suscepti- bility of the plant to disease ; and the pots are now awaiting the effect of the winter, during which the killing usually takes place.

Other investigations of a bacteriological character are intended to deal with more technical points, such as (1) the nature of the competition between the higher plants and the bacteria and fungi for plant food in the soil ; and (2) the growth of plants under sterile conditions with ammonium salts as their sole source of nitrogen ; such work is necessary to provide data for the elucidation of wide practical problems.

Soil inoculation has occupied a good deal of public attention during the year ; pure cultures of the nodule organisms associated with beans and clover have therefore by request been distributed to members of the various Agricultural Colleges, etc., who wanted to conduct field experiments in that direction ; thirty-eight cultures were thus sent out.

In connection with the field experiments on the duration of manures and the value of their residues, a series of experiments are being made in the Laboratory on the rate at which the various nitrogenous fertilisers give rise to nitrates in the soil, so as to obtain another measure of their relative activity. This experiment will be continued during several years until the nitrogen applied to the soil has been practically recovered.

Miss Brenchlev has continued her work on the effect of minute traces of metallic salts on the growth of plants, in order to ascertain metals which are poisonous at high concentrations will stimulate all plants when excessively dilute. Some interesting facts have been observed which are to be verified on a larger scale in the coming year.

Part of Miss Brenchley's work on the development of the wheat grain has been published ; the chemical side of the work is now being written up.

The following papers have been published during the year. "Nitrification in Acid Soi/s," by A. D. Hall, N. H.J. Miller, and C. T. Gimingham, Proc. Roy. Soc., B. 80, 196. This paper contains a study of the conditions prevailing on certain of the permanent grass plots to which sulphate and chloride of ammonium has been applied every year, the soil of which is now acid to litmus paper It is shown that the acidity is mainly due to free humic acid, though in the aqueous extract of the soil a little free sulphuric and hydro-

8

chloric acid must also exist, especially in the spring just after the application of the manures. The acid arises from the ammonium salts, which are split up by certain micro-fungi abundant in the soil of these plots, the ammonia being utilised by the fungus and the acid set free. Year by year this soluble acid has attacked the normal calcium humate of the soil, setting free the humic acid, which being very sparingly soluble has accumulated. Owing to their acid condition nitrification has almost ceased in these soils, the bacteria causing the change being only occasionally found, so that the grasses and other plants living on the plots must be feeding directly on the ammonium salts. The poor growth of plants on acid soils may be attributed to the displacement in the soil of the normal bacteria by a fungus flora which competes with the crop for any manure or other plant food in the soil.

'' The Nitrogen Compounds of the Fundamental Rocks" by A. D. Hall and N. H J. Miller, Jour. Agric. Science, Vol. II., Part 4, 1908. This paper continues the study of the carbon and nitrogen compounds which exist in many rocks taken from great depths beyond the reach of weathering. It is shown that when sub- jected to the action of soil bacteria such compounds are attacked, but they yield nitrate so slowly that in all probability some of the nitrogen found in soils is not of recent origin but has come from the original rock out of which the soil was formed. Ammonia and nitrates were found in all the rocks.

" The Chemical Changes taking place during the Ensilage of Maize" by E. J. Russell, Jour. Agric. Science, Vol. II., Part 4, 1908. The conversion of green crops into silage is not an ordinary feature of English farming, but it can be and often is practised in certain not unusual circumstances. When the season is too wet for making hay the grass can be made into silage. On many of the light chalky soils of the South-Eastern Counties good crops of green maize can be obtained even when roots have failed, but any of the crop that has not been fed off by the end of September must be made into silage or it will not keep. The extension of the area under green leguminous crops would be considerably simplified if the green material could be profitably converted into silage. The problem is therefore of considerable importance, and the investigations begun at Wye were finished here. The object of the enquiry was to trace the changes taking place in the silo, to ascertain which are the fundamental changes that would go on in any silo however perfect, and which are the secondary changes that come into play in an ordinary imperfect silo.

The course of the change was found to be as follows : The maize cells are still living when put into the silo, and continue their respiration, using up sugar with production of carbonic acid, acetic

acid. elc. Certain enzymes in the cell act on the protein, breaking it down to simpler bodies less useful as food. Both these types of change are destructive ; the conditions seem to preclude all con- structive change. The rise of temperature is a result of the respira- tory changes, and is in itself convincing evidence of the loss of dry matter. These changes are fundamental, and take place in every silo, no matter how perfect the conditions may be.

In practice, however, the mass is never sterile, and certain bacteria (but not moulds) produce decompositions which lead to further loss. The softer tissues are broken down and converted into a number of acids ; the nitrogen compounds are further decomposed and rendered less valuable as plant food. These secondarv changes can be kept down, but cannot in practice be entirely avoided.

The net result is a loss of dry matter which may vary from 20 to 40 per cent., and a loss of feeding value which is even greater. The process is therefore not economical as compared with other methods for preserving fodder in use in this country, and should only be resorted to when these methods fail.

" On the strength and development of the Grain of Wheat," bv Miss YV. E. Brrxchley, Ann. Bot., Jan. 190Q. Experiments were undertaken from the biological standpoint to find out whether the varying "strength" or bread-making capacity of the same or different varieties of wheat, grown under the same or differing conditions, is in any way associated with changes in the structures of the cells forming the grain during the process of developmeut and ripening, but only negative results were obtained.

The development of the wheat grain was then investigated right up to maturity. Special care was taken in collecting the material to ensure that the grains should be comparable as to age. After passing through the earlv stages of development the endosperm or starchy reserve tissue is laid down, forming the bulk of the grain. The starch fills into the cells in a regular manner, appearing first at the end of the grain furthest from the germ, and gradually proceeding upwards till the whole of the tissue is involved. As maturity approaches the nuclei of most of these endosperm cells become dis- organised by the pressure of the starch grains, and appear in the form of networks. The embryo or germ develops normally along- side the endosperm.

10

CROPS GROWN IN ROTATION. AGDELL FIELD.

PRODUCE PER ACRE.

		O. Unmanured.	M. Mineral Manure.	c. Complete Mineral and Nitrogenous Manure.
Year.	CROP.
5. Fallow.	6. Beans or Clover.	3. Fallow.	4. Beans or Clover.	1. Fallow.	2. Beans or Clover.
	LAST COMPLETE COURSE (15t	h), 1904-7.
1904	Roots (Swedes) ... Cwt.	16-8	6-4	151-2	171-4	318-6	203-2
1905 -j	Barley Grain ... Bus. Barley Straw ... Cwt.	15-5 10-6	7-3 8-0	16-0 10-5	15-2 11-3	23-1 13-5	31-4 20-1
1906	Clover Hay ... Cwt.	—	4-1	-	41-0	—	9-5*
1907 ■]	Wheat Grain ... Bus. Wheat Straw ... Cwt.	10-3 21-4	21-4 27-1	19-1 28-6	36-8 49-6	25- 1 35-3	29-3 35 1
	CURRENT COURSE (16th),	1908- .
1908	Roots (Swedes) ... Cwt.	21-6	6-4	179-0	235-8	395-4	314-0
1 1

The plant almost entirely failed on this plot, and new seed was sown broadcast on May 1st, 1906.

11

METEOROLOGICAL RECORDS, 1908. (See " Guide," page 16. Table IX. J

	Rain.
			Drainage through soil.		Temperature.
	No. of Rainy Days.
	Total Fall.				Bright Sun-
			20 ins.	40 ins.	60 ins.	shine.	Max.	Min.
5 -inch	Toan'h	iooblu
	Funnel	Acre	Acre	deep.	deep.	deep.
	Gauge.	Gauge.	Gauge.
	Inches.	Inches.	No.	Inches.	Inches.	Inches.	Hours.	°F.	°F.
January	1-484	1-581	12	1-241	1-331	1-245	66-5	410	27-8
February	1-396	1-339	16	0-486	0-615	0-451	68 6	46-9	34-7
March	3-410	3-399	19	2-182	2-342	2-185	114-6	45 s	32-8
April	2-938	3-981	17	1-869	2-274	1-934	145-8	49-7	35-5
May	1-794	1-886	15	0-607	0-832	0-679	198-5	63-2	46-2
June	1026	1-675	9	0-039	0-074	0054	250-8	679	48-4
July	9-319	2-434	15	0-446	0-432	0-361	•205- 1	69-4	51-6
August	9-863	3-012	14	0-638	0-458	0-460	909-0	66-8	49-8
September	1-456	1-559	20	0-501	0-558	0-525	158-8	62-7	46-8
October	9-991	2-257	16	1-949	1-117	1072	119-8	600	44-8
November	0-753	0-821	19	0-314	0-258	0-236	78-1	51-4	38-8
December	2012	2-065	19	1-482	1-515	1-512	300	43 1	33-2 40-9
1 Total or Mean	24-201	25-309	184	11-054	11-806	10-714	1637-8	55-7

SWEDES, AFTER MANGOLDS, FAILED.

BARN FIELD, 1908.

{See "Guide," page 11, Table 771)

Strip. 1	Strip Manures.			Cr	oss-dressings
	O.	N.	A.	A.C.	C
None.	Nitrate of Soda.	Ammonium Salts.	Rape-cake & Ammonium Salts.	Rape Cake.
Dung only	Tons. <R. 11-69 "(L. 6-39	Tons. 12-73 9-49	Tons. 11-05 10-21	Tons. 10-98 11-66	Tons. 9'73 10-37
2	Dung, Super.. Potash	<R. (L.	1301 6-78	12-49 10-42	11-94 10-63	11-19 1204	10-36 10-58
4	Complete Minerals	fB.	4-07 1-51	S 11-19 > \ 12-06 » J 7-06 ) i 7-65 ;	11-48 5-63	11-S5 10-94	11-03 704
5	Superphosphate only	<R.	391 1-53	930 7-34	6-42 6-90	5-45 8-76	5-16 5-79
6	Super, and Potash	(R. 1l.	3-53 1-31	8-03 6-21	10-07 5-58	9-52 10-53	9-26 6-43
7	Super., Sulph. Mag. & Chloride Sodium	IB.	8-76 717	8-76 7-17	1084 6-27	9-53 10-73	9-43 6-58
8	None ...	S	1-34 0-80	2-79 2-68	2-53 3-66	4-61 7-46	4-22 5-38

12 HAY. THE PARK GRASS PLOTS, 1908.

{See "Guide," page 19. Table XL)

Plot. 3> 12,' 2 1 4-1 8 7 6 15 5 17 4-2 10 9 13 11-1 11-2 16 14	Manuring.	Yield of Hay per Acre.
1st Crop.	2nd Crop.	Total.
Unmanured Unmanured (1) Ammonium Salts alone (1) ... Superphosphate of Lime Mineral Manure without Potash Complete Mineral Manure ... As 7, 1869 and since (2) As 7, 1876 and since (3) Superphosphate and Potash, 1898 and since ... Nitrate of Soda alone... Superphosphate and Amm. -salts Mineral Manure (without Potash) and Amm. -salts Complete Mineral Manure and Amm.- salts Dung and Fish Guano, once in 4 yrs. Complete Mineral Manure and extra Amm. -salts As 11-1, and Silicate Soda ... Complete Mineral Manure and Nit. Soda=43 lb. N Do. do. do. and Nit. Soda=86 lb. N	Cwt. f 11-5 "4 15-3 15-6 22-5 14-8 17-8 36-8 34-1 36-5 19-5 20-6 34-3 35 7 51-1 28-5 60-0 62-7 38-2 54-3	Cwt. 2-3 3-8 20 5-0 1-5 3-7 10-5 11-2 11-9 3-7 3-4 2-0 4-6 6-6 6-9 14-4 15-9 93 7-2	Cwt. 13-8 19-1 17-6 27-5 16-3 21-5 47-3 45-3 48-4 23-2 240 36-3 40-3 575 35-4 74-4 78-6 47-5 61-5

Quick Lime (ground) at the rate of 2000 lb. per acre, applied to the South half of plots 1 to 4-2, 7 to 11-2, 13 and 16, in January, 1907.

(1) Received Farmyard Dung, 8 yrs., 1856-63. (3) Nitrate of Soda alone previously.

(2) Ammonium salts alone, previous to 1869.

BOTANICAL COMPOSITION, PER CENT.

First Crop, 1908.

{See "Guide," page 20, Table XIL)

Plot.	Manuring.	Gramineffi. Per cent.	Leguminosae. Per cent.	Other Orders. Percent.
3	Unmanured	55-6	12-7	31-7
4-1	Superphosphate of Lime	56-5	9-7	33-8
8	Itinera] Manure without Potash	43-8	20-3	B5'9
7	Complete Mineral Manure	.-.(;•()	28'8	15*2
6	As 7, 1869 and since (2)	50-8	33-9	15*8
l.-»	As 7, 1876 and since (3)	59-0	21-2	19-8

13

WHEAT. BROADBALK FIELD, 1908. (See "Guide," page 26, Table XIV.)

Plot.	Manuring.	Dressed	Grain.	Straw.
		Yield.	Weight per Bushel.
		Bushels.	lbs.	Cwt.
2	Farmyard Manure	38-6	64-9	32-2
3	Unmanured ...	12-4	63-5	7-7
5	Complete Mineral Manure	162	64-8	10-9
6	As 5, and single Amm.-salts	220	64-9	190
7	As 5, and double do	333	64-7	302
8	As 5, and treble do.	47-.-)	63-4	439
9	As 5, and single Nitrate Soda	317	650	267
10	Double Amm.-salts alone ...	21-8	640	15-3
11	As 10, and Superphosphate...	21 0	629	194
12	., and Super and Sulph. Soda...	32-9	64-6	■2A-1
13	„ and Super and Sulph. Potash	360	639	29-6
14	,, and Super and Sulph. Mag.	261	638	21-4
15	Double Amm.-salts in Autumn and
	Minerals ...	32-3	634	•2o-7
16	Double Nitrate and Minerals	38- 1	640	35-8
17	) Minerals alone, or Double Amm.-> > salts alone, in alternate years >	*33-2	•639	*28-9
18	tl4-8	163-6	tlO-2
19	Bape Cake alone	28-2	634	21 -a

* Produce by Ammonium Salts. t Produce by Minerals.

BARLEY. HOOS FIELD, 1908. (See "Guide." page 33, Table XVI.)

Plot.	Manuring.	Dressed Grain.	Straw.
Yield.	Weight per Bushel.
1 O 2 O 3 O ! 4 0 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 1 N 2 N 3 N 4 N 1 C 2 C ! 3 C 4 C 7-1 7-2	Unmanured Superphosphate only Alkali salts only Complete Minerals ... Amm.-salts only ... Superphos. and Amm.-salts Alkali salts and Amm.-salts Complete Minerals and Amm.-salts Nitrate of Soda alone Superphos. and Nitrate Soda Alkali Salts and Nitrate Soda Complete Minerals and Nitrate Soda Bape Cake alone Superphos. and Bape Cake Alkali Salts and Bape Cake Complete Minerals and Bape Cake Unmanured (after Dung, 1852-71)... Farmyard Dung	Bushels. 72 14-8 97 131 185 22-6 22-4 391 273 335 26-7 392 34-7 314 352 42 1 207 52-6	lbs. 53- 1 539 ■34-.-> 56*8 530 53-6 54-8 55 4 54 0 54-4 547 .55-4 54-7 550 55-2 55-9 65*0 558	Cwt. 4-9 64 63 90 11-4 129 14-4 20-1 139 162 13-8 186 165 14o 17-6 190 135 277

14

BARLEY. HOOS FIELD, 1908.

(Previous cropping : Potatoes, 1876-1901 ; Barley, 1902 and 1903 ; Oats, 1904 ; Barley, 1905 and 1906.

(See " Guide," page 40, Table XIX).

		Dressed Grain.
Plot.	Manures applied to the Potatoes, 1876-1901. Unmanured since.			Straw.	Total Produce.
Yield.	Weight per Bushel.
		Bushels.	lbs.	Cwt.	lbs.
1	Unmanured	6-8	54-6	3-4	800
2	Unmanured 1882 to 1901, previously Dung only	7-8	54-5	55	1097
3	Dung 1883-1901	20-2	55-2	11-4	2484
4	Dung 1883-1901	22-6	550	12-7	277 L

WHEAT AFTER FALLOW (without manure 1851 and since).

HOOS FIELD, 1908.*

(See "Guide" page II, Table 20).

i Grain

Straw

Total Produce

r Yield— 7-2 bushels.

(Weight per bushel — 68*6 lbs.

5'3 cwt.

1083 lbs.

* The young plants of wheat were much damaged by hares in the spring.

15

LITTLE HOOS FIELD, 1904-08.

RESIDUAL VALUE OF VARIOUS MANURES. (See " Guide" pages 41 and 42.)

Total Produce — Grain and Straw, or Roots and Leaves, per acre.

Series and Plot.	Manuring.	Swedes 1904.	Barley 1905.'	Mang'lds 1906.	Spring Wheat 1907.	Swedes 1908.
		Tons.	lbs.	Tons.	lbs.	Tons. .
A 1	Unmanured	103	2323	171	3650	140
2	Dung (ordinary). 1904 and 1908	13-1	4649	18-2	4673	191
3	1905 only	8-8	3501	17-5	5393	14-5
4	1906 ,.	88	2269	18-2	5471	15-5
0	1907 „	9-8	2402 4177	14-9	6903	173
B 1	Dung (cake-fed). 1904 and 1908	15-7	194	4319	22-4
2	Unmanured	100	2417	16-2	4025	14-3
3	Dung (cake-fed), 1905 only	9-5	5530	l-:>	o4'.i7	14-2
4	1906 .,	11-4	•277-2	256	6489	169
6	1907 „	9-4	2649	144	9407	190
C 1	Shoddy, 1904 and 1908	14-7	3656	21-0	4667	197
2	„ 1905 onlv	111	4363	29*6	4550	163
3	Unmanured	106	2588	177	4334	151
4	Shoddy, 1906 only	10-7	2512	242	6231	191
0	1907 „	103 14-6	2615	16-9	7495	22-2 20-9
D 1	Guano. 1904 and 1908	2550	201	4056
2	„ 1905 only	110	5176	197	4165	15-3
3	„ 1906 „	109	8857	25-6	4846	15-9
4	Unmanured	106	29&5	18-7	4618	174
o	Guano, 1907 only	10-6	2680	174	7375	15-7
E 1	Rape-cake, 1904 and 1908	14-1	•2674	17 8	3887	19-7
2	1903 only	11-2	4185	17-9	4326	151
3	1906 ,	95	2645	22-7	4584	14-5
-1	1907 ,	105	2734	194	6619	15-2
s	Unmanured ...	108	2769	195	1527	14-7
F 1	Unmanured	11-7	3132	22-9	474it	141
2	Superphosphate, 1904 and 1908	12-2	3025	23-2	5064	169
3	1905 only	102	3949	236	4956	14-6
4	1906 „	97	3913	241	5419	160
s	1907 „	97	4221	23-6	5698	164
G 1	Bone Meal, 1904 and 1908	12-9	3176	231	5203	16-7
o	„ „ 1905 only	101	3636	•22 1	5821	14-3
3	Unmanured	10-2	3495	206	5491	12-7
4	Bone Meal, 1906 onlv	9-9	3450	226	6043	14-2
5	„ 1907 „	92	3525	22*1	6276	19-9 13S
H 1	Basic Slag, 1904 and 1908	11-8	4400	20-5
2	„ 1905 only	104	4002	213	5930	13-6
3	„ 1906 ,	94	3662	21-4	5860	13-6
4	„ 1907 „	91	3624	170	5816	14 4
o	Unmanured	8-6	3293	174	5933	11-4

The yields on the plots to which the manure was applied in any given year are printed

in heavy type.

u

Sndscriders & Donors to the Rothamsted

Experimental Station,

1904 and since.

The Goldsmiths' Company (Endowment for Soil Investigation).

J. F. Mason, Esq., M.P. (The James Mason Laboratory).

The Permanent Nitrate Committee.

The Fertiliser Manufacturers' Association.

The Potash Syndicate.

The Clothworkers' Company.

A. D. Acland, Esq.

The Right Hon. Lord Ayebury, F.R.S.

Sir James Blyth, Bart.

E. Hildred Carlile, Esq., M.P.

W. T. Coles, Esq.

Sir R. P. Cooper. Bart.

H. Shepherd Cross, Esq.

Messrs. Ellis and Everard.

Sir John Evans, K.C.B., F.R.S.

Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart.

Eustace Gurney, Esq.

H. Tylston Hodgson, Esq.

A. B. HOLINSWORTH, ESQ.

W. B. Keen, Esq.

Sir Charles Lawes-Wittewronge, Bart.

Dr. Hugo Muller, F.R.S.

Henry S. Nunn, Esq.

Marlborough R. Pryor, Esq.

William Ransom, Esq.

The Right Hon. Lord Rothschild.

B. S. Rowntree, Esq.

Frederick Seebohm, Esq.

I'. Stanierj Esq.

Dr. J. Augustus Voelcker, MA.

The Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, F.R.S.

W. R. Woolrych, Esq.