11
In the following _table I have set out in detail the results of the four crops from 1896 to 1899 inclusive, together with the average yield of each plot for the four years.
| Weight of kiln-dried hops per acre. | |||||||
| Plot. | Annual dressing per acre. | 1896. Cwt. |
1897. Cwt. |
1898. Cwt. |
1899. Cwt. |
Average of 4 years. Cwt. | |
| A. | [1]Phosphates and potash | 13½ | 7½ | 8¼ | 20¼ | 12½ | |
| B. | Phosphates, potash, and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda | 16½ | 9¼ | 10¼ | 22¼ | 14½ | |
| C. | Phosphates, potash, and 4 cwt. nitrate of soda | 16½ | 12 | 12½ | 23 | 16 | |
| D. | Phosphates, potash, and 6 cwt. nitrate of soda | 15¼ | 13 | 13 | 22½ | 16 | |
| E. | Phosphates, potash, and 8 cwt. nitrate of soda | 15 | 13½ | 15¼ | 23½ | 16¾ | |
| F. | Phosphates, potash, and 10 cwt. nitrate of soda | 15¾ | 13 | 15 | 24½ | 17 | |
| X. | [2]30 loads London dung | 13 | 8 | 9¾ | 24½ | 13¾ | |
| S. | Rest of Field.—15 cwt. basic slag, ½ ton of fish guano in autumn, ½ ton of fish guano in spring, and 4 cwt. nitrate of soda | — | — | 13¾ | — | — | |
| S. | Rest of Field.—20 loads dung, 6 cwt. superphosphate, and 6 cwt. nitrate of soda | — | — | — | 24½ | — | |
| Rainfall from January to end of September | 16 in. | 18 in. | 11 in. | 17 in. | 15½ in. | ||
Quantity, however, is far from being the chief consideration in hop-growing, and the first question that any experienced reader will ask is naturally as to the quality of the produce of the various plots. As in 1898, we have again taken the best practical, steps to arrive at a fair comparison between the quality of the hops grown on the various plots. The whole produce of each plot was dried and packed separately, and duplicate samples were drawn in the ordinary way in which samples are drawn for market purposes. One set of samples, with certain other samples from other parts of the farm for comparison, were submitted
