232 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 



seriously extended, and increased had not the wet weather in- 

 duced a vigorous growth. 



The plots Xos. 2 and 13 were particularly unhealthy, especially 

 the latter. In this plot not only were the plants very deficient, 

 but those remaining were very unhealthy. (See Tables XVII. 

 and XVIII.) 



The results in this case again prove unfavourable to muriate of 

 potash used alone; but associated with phosphates it is not with- 

 out effect, raising the produce in No. 5 slightly, and in No. 6 de- 

 cidedly above that of the same manure without it ; and when 

 ammonia is used in addition, the highest crops are obtained. 

 Ammonia along with phosphates has scarcely any effect; and 

 Peruvian guano, whether with or without muriate of potash, gives 

 just the same result as the soluble phosphates alone, and less 

 than Bolivian guano with muriate of potash. 



Experiments made by Mr Quintin Bone, Greenan, Maybole. 



These experiments were made on an ordinary soil. The tur- 

 nips were sown on the 20th June, the weather being dry and 

 favourable. They were thinned on the 2d August, and weighed 

 on the 25th December. All the observations made regarding the 

 weather in Mr Drennan's experiments apply to these. As the 

 season advanced, Mr Bone found that the plots in the second sec- 

 tion were so irregular that no result could be obtained from them, 

 and he has therefore omitted them from his report, which is a 

 matter of regret, as necessarily the results are much less valuable 

 than they would have been had there been a duplicate. The 

 results are contained in Tables XIX. and XX. 



The results, it will be seen, are here quite in accordance with 

 most of the others. Muriate of potash, alone, has no effect, nor 

 have soluble phosphates alone; but together, a slight effect is ap- 

 parent. Phosphates with ammonia, however, produce a very 

 marked effect, and Peruvian guano stands highest of all when 

 used alone, but is lower when muriate of potash is added. 



The remarks which are appended to each of these sets of ex- 

 periments are sufficient to enable the reader to form some idea 

 of the nature of their results, and I shall not attempt here any 

 minute discussion of the conclusions to be deduced from them. 

 To do so, indeed, would be to trench upon what ought to be left 

 for the future. The great object of such experiments is rather 

 to accumulate facts which can be afterwards more satisfactorily 

 discussed, and to avoid, as far as possible, those hasty conclusions 

 which we are too apt to draw from the inquiries of a single 

 season. It is impossible, however, to exclude some observations 

 upon them, for there are a few conclusions to which they point 

 with some distinctness. 



