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It will be seen that the plats manured on the surface after ploughing gave the best results in each series of the experiment, and also in the average results of the entire experiment. A comparison of the plats in which the manure was ploughed under, shows that the manure applied in December gave the best results in the first and the third series, while the manure applied in April gave the best results in the second and the fourth series. The average of the four series gives a slight advantage to the December manuring.

It will not be safe to draw any general conclusions from the results above given, as the peculiarities of the season undoubtedly had a great influence in determining them. A wet spring, followed by a very severe drought during the summer, presented climatic conditions that were not favorable to comparative experiments in the application of manures. Under the most favorable circumstances, however, a comparison of results for a single season could not furnish the desired information as to the relative value of manure applied in different ways. The effect upon the crops which follow in rotation, must of course be taken into account, before the question can be fully answered.

The above report is intended simply to show the progress already made, as it is proposed to continue these experiments through the entire rotation of five years.

M. MILES.

EXPERIMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF SPECIAL MANURES TO ROOT CROPS.

In field No. 3, eight plats were staked out in the Yellow Globe Wurzels, and forty plats in the Swede Turnips, for experiments in the application of fertilizers. The plats were two rods square, and each one was designated by a letter and number, as shown in the following diagram.

The soil was a sandy loam, containing rather more clay towards the east side, where the beets were sown. From the G plats, west, the soil was quite sandy, and the experiment with the fertilizers applied to the turnips, was repeated on plats marked H, I, K, L, M. This part of the experiment was abandoned, as the seed did not come up uniformly, and it is, for that reason, omitted from the diagram.

The soil on the different series of plats was not as uniform as could have been wished, but the repetition of the plats without fertilizers by the side of those to which the fertilizers were applied, together with a duplication of the experiment on the plats from H to M, was thought sufficient to guard against any false estimate of results arising from the variation above mentioned.

This field had been in grass for several years, until 1867, when it was planted to corn. In the spring of 1868, the field was ploughed and a top-dressing of fine, unfermented manure applied to the surface and worked in uniformly with the cultivator. To guard against any variation in the results from a difference in the quality of the manure, the series of plats, as shown by the diagram, were arranged north and south, while the manure was applied in narrow strips running east and west,

NORTH.

TURNIPS.

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so that the series of plats indicated by each letter, received dressing of the same quality of barn-yard manure.

PLAN OF EXPERIMENT,

WITH YIELD OF ROOTS, IN POUNDS, ON EACH PLAT.

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The beets, (Yellow Globe Wurzels,) were sown in drills thirty inches apart, on the 15th day of June. On the 7th day of July, a top-dressing of salt, at the rate of 300 lbs. per acre was sowed along the drills in the plats marked A. The plats marked B, had no special fertilizer applied. Any vacancies that occurred in the drills were filled by transplanting from the same plat.

During the season, the plants on the plats to which the salt had been applied, had larger tops, of a darker green, than the plats without the salt. The results at harvesting, however, showed that the salt was of no benefit.

The turnips on the series of plats marked C, D, E, F and G, were sowed on the second of July, in drills running north and south, thirty inches apart. The variety sown was Skirving's Improved Swede-seed at the rate of 2 lbs. per acre. The seed came up uniformly, and a good stand was obtained over all the plats. On the seventh of July, special fertilizers were sowed along the drills, at the rate of 300 lbs. per acre, as follows:

Plats marked C, Berry's Super-phosphate of lime.

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G, Baugh's Chicago Blood-manure. No dressing of special manures was applied to plats marked D and F. The plats from H to M, were sowed on the third of July. The seed was from the same package, the same drill was used, and the sowing was done by the same person who put in the crop the preceding day, on plats from C to G. A shower of rain fell during the night of July 2d, and it was thought at the time that the soil was in better condition for seeding the last day, than it was the day before. But a small part of the seed came up, however, and the plants were not even enough to make the experiment of any value, so that this part of the trial was abandoned.

After the secon leaf had made its appearance, the plants were thinned in the drill, to the distance of one foot. In the cultivation of the crop, the same amount of labor was per

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