LINCOLN COLLEGE EXPERIMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 6

LINCOLN COLLEGE EXPERIMENTS.

At the monthly meeting of tho Canterbury Agricultural College Board, held od the 19th hist., Mr A BajTiO, th« director of the Co!ie^a. submitted the following report upon tho oxperhiienu carried out during lh& eeasou oi 1897-93!

EaPEBIMBNT WITH FEEDING OFP WHEAT.

No. I.— Field No. 15a was sown with pear) wheat on Juno 1 and 2 at the rat© of I,\ bushels pel acre Par! of the field waa fed off with sheep from September 23 to 26. The part not fed off wa» reaped ou January 17, and yielded i? bushels per acre. The part fed of) wn> reaped ob January 17, and yieidgtj lt>2 bushels ftn aero, A sm&LI fclot

of each of 57 different varieties of wheats was sown at tho" same time, but with the exception of Bloul'e Lauibrigg, which withstood the diy woither arid wo* eistiiiirttecl to yield ab'jut ?5 bushels per acre, no variely pvovod better than pearl. The field was a good light loam, VWI.B onoa ploughed tiaforo sowing, and vv.is in tunup.-i the previous year. No ?..— Field No. 16a was sown fvoiu May '3 to 6 with peai I wheat at the rale of Ji bushels per <icre. Part of the field waj* fed off with sheep from September 23 to ?.6. Tho part not feel oft wu» reaped on Jamiaiy B. aiu) yielded ?.() bushels por acr*. The part led olf was reaped on January 11, and yielded 21 £ bushel* por acra The field w:i.« a good light loam, and ivu summer fallowed out of grass.

No 3. — Fiold No. 3fi was sown on May II and 12 with whito Tusctn who*t al i.bo inlo of 2 bushols per arr« of tho field was fed off wuh (ilieep from Seplombor 15 U> Io Tbe [>art not Cb<l off was cut on .January 10, anil yielded 40 13 biistteta per jhmb ( J" I ia already a well-known fact tb.Lt Tuscan whaat, which io purely a spring crop, shou)' l not be fed off.— l'M. V.) The pari fed oIT whj cut on January Il*,I I *, and yielded 62 bushel* por aero. Tho field was a good, heavy land, wiu in wheat the pievioua ye.tr, am) wm onco ploughed about a mouth beforo bowing. No 4.— -Field No 3? wiu sown on sl.av 10 and 11 with Hunter's whilx» wheat at tho rato of li bushels pur acr» Part of tho field wan fed off with slifcsp from September 15 to 18. The pn.rt not fed oIT was cut on January 18, and yielde/l .fai bushel* pnr aero Tho part fed off wa» cut on January 21, and yielded 3 a bushnls per aero Thi» field wap good, heavy land, was sown in v;hea.i the previoi^ j r eai . and was onco ploughed about a month beloif ao«r ing.

X?emarkß.— (l) Feeding off wheat is no' helpful to tin' crop unless to prevent rwewv i growth of si raw Tin- Reason of 189/ hem*: very dry, the crop by being ferl oft' rerened too groat a check an«l henc* tho yield ot> llu« fed-ofJ par in (excepting in Ui« ca«e ol No I) wa? diminished (2) In the cae«* ot No 2 Iho fed-off pnrlp gay» a heavier yield peracie t>y li bushels. an<l the explanation i? a-< follows: Thin field. :> light loimi was- sii'ivnor fallowed, vns sown veiy eaily (Ma.v 4) :uid fsniw tivyay wish .^re;it vigour, developm" <'i lar«i» amount of leaf. Dry weather f.cl. in aftttrvnrds. 1I>» leaves, in consequence, withered, and fioto want ol moifturo in many casoj the fnr-st.illc never freed itself from che enshcathni}; leaves. (3) In thp fed-ofl part tha flag wa* not &o abundmit, and th<» earstalks shol uj' more easily , hciics the increased yiolil. AVUBAT AJ.-TKH SUMMED FALLOW AKD EXrERIJiEN'TA). CLOVKUS. Field No 28 was- sown wtl. wl»iu< Tupcan wheat, on Juno 1] and 12 at tho rate of 2 buehels per noro. Plo» 1. after summer fallow, yielded 40J-3 bushels per acre Plot 2. after rod clover, yielded 37g bushels per acre. l'lot '5. after alsyko. yielded 2b 1-5 bualiels per acre Plot 4. aftr white clover, yielded 23] bushels pc acra. All the plots wer« cut on January 11. Plot No. 1 was sown twice with crimson closer, hu resulting in a poor strike each time, was afterwards summer- fallowed. Plots 2, 3, and 1 4 were cut for h.ir am) then for clover seed two years in succession. The field wa« heavy land! and received only one ploughing be ! jore the wheat, was sown. | (1) Wheat, after summer follow gave the best ivcidts. In thi" cas« (difterinjr from easo No. 2 in the experiment with feeding off wheat) tlu> fla-K did not develop to the exclusion of tlin e:ir-stalU. Th» field was » heavy loam, bad a sufficiency of moisture. an«l tho grain? fully developed, Ihs« crop yielding 10 1-? busliols pe.acre. (?.) After red clover the yield wae 37'} bushel": after alsyke 251-S bushels, and after \\l)ite clover 23i bushels por .ioro. The=e leGiilts aro wholly due to tho amount and range [ of root* of thwn resppotnn riovem. Tlio led '< clover roots are largi-st in quantity compared j with alsyki* and whito clovor. and ar« deepest 'in their root ranjjn. They therefore give rao^t nitrojjenow« and nnuoral matlei to thu 1 crop, besiiles. keupui" tho soil in a friable condition. EXPKRIMKN'TS WITfT DIFFEKF.XT KTNDd OF OATS.

2Zv, 1. — Field No. 1 was powti with pparrowbilj and Canadian onts on August XI and 12 at the. rate of 2) bushels per acre. The Canadian oats wcie cut on January 3, and yielded 15 1-S bushel? por nere. The spairowliill oats wen' out <m Jauuaiy Y< ', and yielded 10^ bushels per aeie. Tho field Mas a light loam, aiul was once ploughed out of grass about a month before sowing.

No 2. — Field No. 2 wa« sown vvi(l« dun and sparrowbiLl oaf." on July 9 and 10 al the rate of 2i bushels por acre. The spurrov/bill oals wcro cut on January 8, wriJ yielded 50i buahels per acre. The dun o-it* v.cvo cr.l on January V, and yielded osi bushel- per acie. Tho Held was good lip,bJ loam. wop in rarrol.i. mangels, and potatoes tho previous year, anil was onoe punched shortly before sowing. The duns c.ime out beat, tho Canadian next, and the spin ow bills are KtPt- Had it been a mois-t year we should tia\e fxpoc-tpd a ievcv?iil ie th« f-ass ol tho sparrov. bill> yielding the heavier crop. RXI'tIUJIFN'T.;, WITH It\NVRF« OV CKRV. \L<. These weio Iried on wlioat. barley, and oats and without success. Two cwt of siiperphof.2)hate wps tried on all the cereals, and there was no difference between (ho manured and unmanured plotK. A mix) me of vniperphosphate and blood m.uuire was iriod on all tae cevoals, with no apparent (hft'ereiuv resulting-. IJero wo miaht Iwve expected n cbilercnco, owiug <o tho blued manure, luit. tdo s-ctsou being so dry tho manures may practically be counied as a fniluie. The experiiuent confirms what we have reiteiated on many occinions, that artificial manures applied to cereal?, more especially in a dry rear, aie in no way to bo recommended..