Report

% y

biological LAWES AGRICULTURAL TRUST.

!« Medical

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.