A VISIT TO ROTIIAMSTED. 241 



and the ^ain iu liveweit^lit ; also the s])ocial uses made; of the 

 food in the animal body; and an inquiry into tlie proximate 

 and ultimate composition of animals and their various parts at 

 dilierent stages of fattening; the relation Ijetween food and 

 manure, and other points of interest, such as the sources, in 

 fi)od, of (lie fat ])roduced in animals, &c. 



The sanii)]('s and specimens in connection with these investiga- 

 tions form an interesting collection in tlie laboratory museum. 



As to the other miscellaneous investigations which have been 

 and are being carried on, reference must l)e mafle to the ])ul)lished 

 accounts of them which are to be found mostly in the pages of 

 the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of Enfjlancl. 



In a short notice such as this it is impossible to do more than 

 draw attention to tlie general results of a few of the more 

 important field investigations, — such as might be learned by any 

 one on being shown over the experiments by the investigators, 

 who are ever ready to point out and explain any or all of their 

 experiments to those who are wise enough to go and see them. 



The date of our visit to Eothamsted was 3d July, but owing 

 to the extraordinarily late season, the grass was still standing, 

 and this was so far fortunate, as the experiments with different 

 manures on permanent- meadow land were perhaps the most 

 remarkable and interesting sights of the day. In the absence 

 of ])r Lawes, who was engaged accompanying a large deputation 

 of foreigners over the Eoyal Agricultural Society's Experimental 

 Farm at Woburn, Dr Gilbert conducted us over the gi'ound, 

 assisted hy Mr Craik, who represented his relative I)r Lawes. 

 To l)otli these gentlemen our hearty thanks are due for the very 

 cordial manner in which they received us, and spent the entire 

 day in exhibiting, and describing to ns, all the experiments. 



To l)egin with the grass experiments on permanent meadow 

 land. They are conducted on the old park, which has been 

 under grass from time unknown, — perhaps for centuries, and has 

 bad no seed sown on it for at least forty years. The experiments 

 here were commenced in 1856, at which time the herbage over 

 the whole breadth was perfectly uniform in character. 



The object the experimenters had in view was to determine 

 the effects produced by various systems of manuring, first upon 

 the quantity of the crop of hay, and secondly on its quality. 

 In this, as in almost all other cases, the same manures were 

 applied, year after year, to the same plots, except where other- 

 wise indicated. 



The effect of the manures on the amounts of crop will be seen 

 from the following table : — 



Q 



