Field Turnip Competition. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 22

Field Turnip Competition. TO THE EDITOR.

Stk, — Kindly allow me space to reply to "Agricola's" remarks on my letter *in the Witness of sth inst. He says " that I must know that an average square yard on any field? cannot be struck on which to build up the weight of an aore of any green crop." Surely if judges are qualified to judge a crop they can easily eeleefc a square yard in different parts of a plot in. order to gel at the average of the crop.

Again, he says : "He cannot know that the judges la&t year were overhauled by Mr Brydone's successor because they only took two chains (not yards) in length and four drills in width, and weighed the crop growing in that as a basis on which to arrive at the amount of the crop. Mr Patlullo in this caas was an exhibitor just fresh from determining the amount of his own orop." I certainly was very much astonished to be told that the judges last year had gone to the trouble to weigh such a large area in each plot, as. it must have taken them weeks to go over the numoroiw entries had they done so. As I d'd not believe "Agricola's" statement, I wrote to Mr Fulton, the secretary of the A. md P. Sncieiv, and he replied that he had no record of any weights in his office. I also wrote to Mr William Souter, Flag Swamp, who every year (along with Mr James Ross) drives the judges round to the different farms competing in. the Hampden. PaJmerston, and Waikouaiti districts. I got his reply to-day, in which he states that to his knowledge the judges last year never measured or weighed anj part of the plots. Mt Souter sava : " The weighing referred to by Mi Pattullo was for the plote for the manure tests, of which T was one of the experimenters, and Mr Joseph Allan was the oarty who came and ha A two chains of each plot weighed." " Agricola" will thus see that he was quite wrong in his reply to you re my letter. I have, looked all through my copy of Primrose M'Connell's " Notebook of Agricultural Facts and Figures foi Farmers," etc., sixth edition, printed in 1897, and I cannot find a word of the quotation he makes purporting to be by the above authority.

Now, Mr Editor, if you will read ever " Agricola's " remarks in your is^ue of 37th June you can hardly wonder that I showed •wliat you loim " unnecessary neat in my communication," vrhen your contributor was

thinking of the manure tests, where it wag necessary to weigh whole crop experi-'" mented on. — I am. etc.,

John Macphebsonv

August 14-.