1. Two series of simple nitrogen manuring trials, one on level of sulphate of ammonia applied to the seedbed at twenty-two centres and the other on the time of top dressing with ‘Nitro-Chalk’ at nineteen centres, were conducted on commercial farms in south-east Scotland during 1954 to 1957.

2. The optimum level of sulphate of ammonia varied with season and farm type. The optimum dressing was at least 0·9 cwt. N/acre in the dry season of 1955, and in the other years was estimated to be 0·9 cwt. N/acre on arable farms and about 0·-25–0·4 cwt. on ley rotation farms when the barley did not follow sheeped turnips. In the latter event no fertilizer was best.

3. The nitrogen content of the grain increased little until after the 1 cwt. sulphate of ammonia level, although the optimum yield was not obtained in many experiments without some rise in the grain nitrogen content.