change, the application of sulphate of potash, or of manures containing it, having shown a marked increase. This is exemplified in the crops of both 1897 and 1898, which are set out in Table VII. It will be seen that plots 6 and 7 now give decidedly the highest crops, that the next best is plot 3 (sulphate of potash), while sulphate of ammonia used alone (plot 4) has had a contrary effect. F. ON LATHYRUS SYLVESTRIS AS A FODDER CROP (STACKYARD FIELD), 1898. This plant, first sown in 1890, continues to thrive, and though during each winter it seems to disappear, it comes up again strongly in spring, and smothers the weeds. Though found to be practically useless as a feeding material, owing to stock not caring for it, as the plot is in the field the weights of green produce are still recorded yearly. In 1897 and 1898 the weights of green produce per acre One cutting only was obtained in each of these two years. Three cuttings. G. EXPERIMENTS ON GREEN-MANURING (LANSOME FIELD), 1898. Since 1892, experiments have been in progress with a view to ascertaining whether the ploughing-in of a leguminous green crop like tares is superior in its effect on a subsequent corn crop to a non-leguminous crop, like mustard or rape, similarly ploughed in. Green crops of each of the above (tares, mustard, rape) were ploughed in (two successive crops of each) during 1892, 1894, 1896, and 1898, barley following in 1893 and 1895, and wheat in 1897 and 1899. The experiment is hardly sufficiently complete as yet to report upon it fully, but it may be said that, so far, no superiority has been found to accrue to the ploughing in of a leguminous as against that of a non-leguminous crop. H. EXPERIMENTS ON PASTURE, 1898. 1. Great Hill Bottom. This field was laid down in 1896 with different seed mixtures. The records up to 1895 are given in Journal R.A.S.E., Vol. III., Part IV., 1897, p. 645. In 1896 and since the whole aren has been grazed. 2. Broad Mead. Manurial experiments were commenced in this field in 1893. The report in Journal R.A.S.E., Vol. VIII., 1897, p. 646, gives the results up to 1896 inclusive. The manures, which had been put on yearly up to 1896 inclusive, were now omitted. In 1897 the plots were mown: the results are given in Table VIII. TABLE VIII.-Grass Experiments. Broad Mead. Lime, it will be noticed, has now begun to show an improvement in the crop produce, though it had already for some time been observed that the lime plot was the greenest and freshest herbage, and was most liked by stock. have been of little use on this land. In 1898 the plots were all grazed. Basic slag seems to J. EXPERIMENTS ON THE PREVENTION OF These experiments, conducted yearly since 1892, were continued in 1898, the field then used being "Warren Field.” Four varieties of potatoes were tried, viz.: "Early Market " (an early variety), "Cole's Favourite" (second early), Challenge" (second early), and "Up-to-Date" (main crop). Planting began on April 19, 1898, the land being bouted up and farmyard manure spread on. On July 27 the crop was sprayed with "Bouillie Bordelaise" mixture, this being in the proportions of Sulphate of copper Lime 20 lb. 20 99 Several thunderstorms followed the spraying, and, accordingly, the plants were sprayed again on August 5. The season was an exceedingly dry one, and there was very little disease. At the same time there was a distinct difference in appearance between the leaves of the plants that had been sprayed and those that had not, the sprayed plants remaining green longer, while the leaves of the unsprayed plants appeared to be affected by disease. The results are given in Table IX. TABLE IX. Experiments on the Prevention of "Potato Disease.” Each variety, it will be seen, gave a higher produce on the sprayed plots than on the unsprayed. It should, however, be remarked that the increase in the case of the sprayed plot of "Cole's Favourite" is not entirely due to the spraying, but partly also to the fact that some of the seed was not true, but included some "Up-to-Date," which, being a heavier "cropper than "Cole's Favourite," somewhat exaggerated the difference in weight. crop was The "Up-to-Date," on the other hand, should have shown a greater difference than was here the case, for the sprayed plot included in its area a weak spot of the field where the manifestly inferior to the rest. Taking everything into consideration, however, the results confirmed the observations made in previous years, that, even when little or no disease is prevalent, the spraying produces a heavier yield of crop. K. EXPERIMENTS ON THE CURE OF "FINGERAND-TOE" IN TURNIPS, 1898 (GREAT HILL). Since 1896, experiments, with a view to seeing whether any application of manures or chemical agents to the land would succeed in stopping the ravages of "Finger-and-toe," have been in progress at the farm. These were continued in 1898, and are still going on. The full consideration of this subject will receive separate treatment later on. 'On August 6, between 7.0 a.m. and 1.55 p.m., 1.75 in. of rain fell. 608 LIGHTNING AND ITS EFFECT ON TREES THE recent damage to beech trees at Belvoir Castle and at Harlaxton Manor, a full account of which was contained in the report of the Consulting Botanist, dated July 25, 1899,1 calls attention, and that in a very singular manner, to one of the varying effects of the lightning stroke. It is stated: The greater number of the injured trees presented the appearance of dead tracts of bark and wood from eight to twelve inches wide, running for a long way down the stem of the tree. The bark had begun to crack and fall off. The wood exposed below was hard and dead, and cracked with numerous shallow fissures. It was not injured by fungi. Along the edges of the injured track the uninjured bark and stem were developing a healthy and vigorous callus, which was gradually covering the dead wood and repairing the injury. This thickening callus assisted in pushing off the dead bark... The injury to these trees was certainly not caused by any living organism, plant or animal; it must have had a physical origin. It seems to me to have been caused by lightning, the electricity as it passed down the stem having killed the active tissues between the bark and the wood along the trail it followed. That the beech should in this case have been selected by the lightning flash is perhaps a little singular when we consider how large a degree of immunity that species usually enjoys from such attacks. More than a hundred years ago Mr. Hugh Maxwell, of Massachusetts, called attention to the fact that while lightning often strikes the elm, the chestnut, and every species of oak and pine, it rarely if ever attacks the beech, the birch, or the maple. Sixty years later, in a paper read before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Professor Olmstead of Yale College remarked that in the southern part of the United States there was an impression that the pine was more apt to be struck by lightning than other trees. In commenting upon this Professor Elias Loomis, one of the greatest of American meteorologists, stated that in Ohio there was a common belief that the beech was never struck, although he had knowledge to the contrary, a fact since made clear by common experience, and very recently, as we have seen, by the condition of the trees at Belvoir and Harlaxton. So far as our own country is concerned the data available ' Journal R.A.S.E., 3rd series, vol. x. (Part iii.), 1899, Appendix, p. lxxxiii. |