300 EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS — REPORT FOR 1879. 



Tlie pots with dissolved phosphates have, roughly speaking, pro- 

 duced half as much again as the others. 



The weight per bushel is an important item in grain crops^ 

 and though with such small quantities as those before us we 

 cannot estimate this, yet, by dividing the weights obtained by 

 the numbers of grains and straws respectively, we obtain the 

 average weight per grain and per straw. These are given in 

 the third and sixth columns. They are seen to differ consider- 

 ably, but the differences are somewhat irregular, and, on the 

 average, the weight per grain of the barley grown with dissolved 

 and undissolved manures is the same. The weight per straw i& 

 greater in the undissolved pots in every instance, and is, on the 

 average, 33|- grains; that of the straw grown with dissolved 

 manures being only 28| grains. The action of dissolved phos- 

 phates is thus seen to have the twofold advantage of greatly in- 

 creasing the amount of straw, and also of rendering it lighter and 

 therefore more useful both for fodder and htter. 



The straw on pot 2 was especially remarkable for its light- 

 ness and beauty. It was quite as long and thick as that on 

 pot 3, but each straw weighed only about half as much. 



It is possible that the great differences observed in the amount 

 and character of the straw on the dissolved and undissolved 

 phosphate pots may be partially due to the muriatic acid pre- 

 sent in the manure of the former. The results obtained in pots 

 19 and 20 seem to favour that supposition ; but, on the other 

 hand, pots 2 and 20 differing ouly as regards the solubility of 

 the phosphates, the superiority of the former must, in great 

 measure, be attributed to the sole effect of the dissolved plios- 

 phates. In order to settle that point, I have this season laid 

 down a new set of pot experiments with a large number of 

 duplicates. The soil is the same, but much greater care has 

 been bestowed on the mixing, the whole having been worked in 

 with the spade and riddled six times. 



Pots 12, 17, and 22 all agree in having had no nitrogen applied 

 to them, and the result is the production of very poor crops. 

 Nitrogenous manures are what the soil stands most in need of, 

 and the sole application of nitrate of soda on pot 18 produced a 

 fair crop. 



Nitrate of soda (13) has not succeeded so well as sulphate of 

 ammonia (14). 



Here, again. No. 15 is the most backward, and 16, though 

 producing strong heavy straw, does not compare favourably with 

 13 and 14. 



The difference between pots 19 and 20 is so marked that I am 

 led to suspect that there must have been some accidental cause 

 opei-ating to account for it. 



As regards the guanos, No. 23, I'eruvian guano, is clearly 



