AND NITKOGEN ON THE GROWTH OF TURNIPS. 101 



applied with lliciu. I refer eiily to thoae plots where no iiitnj- 

 geii was ui)])lie(l with the phosphates. 



I quite believe that, had the season been moderately dry 

 instead of excessively wet, tlie soluble salts of annaouia, and also 

 the soluble pliosi)hate of lime, woidd have given better results ; 

 and in looking at the results of these, that must be taken into 

 consideration, A fact proved by the experiments is — that in the 

 application of phosphates, the finer the state of division, the more 

 (piickly and effectively will they act in stimulating the plant. 



The bigger yield of the general crop outside the plots 1 attri- 

 bute partly to the Peruvian guano and partly to the potash. 

 The Peruvian guano was in a much finer state of division than 

 either of the other guanos, therefore the ammonia and nitrogen 

 contained in it was in a state to be more readily assimilated by 

 the plant, thus giving it a quicker and a stronger start. But, 

 jutlging from the results of the two potash plots of Section IL, 

 the potash in the mixture also deserves a considerable shai-e of 

 the credit for the growth of the additional crop, although the 

 qiumtity used was not quite so large as that in the plots to 

 which I have referred. The results of Sections III. and IV. 

 show that the nitrogen and ammonia contained in the guanos 

 have given the best results ; and the addition of potash to these, 

 as in the general crop, have apparently further improved these 

 results ; but in different seasons, even on similar soil, the results 

 might vary considerably. 



in reference to the Aberdeen and Lothian experiments, to 

 which I alluded at the beginning of tliis report, the soil on 

 which I have conducted these experiments is different from any 

 of these, — being, as I have already stated. Old Ked Sandstone 

 gravelly drift ; and, though naturally a very poor soil, is in a 

 good fair state of cultivation, and owing to the rotation wliich 

 has been followed, is in a condition to give good results in the 

 growth of turnips. In the face of a very cold, wet, and ungenial 

 season, and as compared witli the natural produce of the soil, 

 the apphcation of the various chemical manures used has 

 brought out the following iacts— first, that soluble phosphates 

 grow a bigger crop than insoluble, but barely to the extent of 

 covering the difference in the cost of the two manures ; second, 

 that the addition of potash along with either soluble or insoluble 

 pliosphates very materially increases the bulk of crop; third, 

 that the addition of nitrogen to insoluble phosphates increases 

 the crop to an extent a very little beyond that of potash. In 

 the use of chemical manures along with farmyard manure, tlie 

 following facts are disclosed— /rsil, that the addition of iusululjle 

 phosphates produces very little addition of crop ; second, that 

 soluble phosphates increase the production more than the in- 

 soluble, but that neither the one nor the other do so to such an 



