246 



A VISIT TO E0THA3ISTED. 



PREVALK^'CE OF VARIOUS SPECIES OP VARIOUS ORDERS FOUXD OX PeRMA- 



KENT Meadow Land Uxder Different Maxurial Treatiiext. 



It will Le seen that in the unmannred plot, Xo. 3, the 

 number of species growing averages 49. This is a large num- 

 ber, but it may be considered fairly to represent the normal 

 growth on old pasture land. The other plots all contain a 

 smaller number of species, shewing that the effect of manur- 

 ing in any way is to diminish the number of species grown 

 on grass land, and the number diminishes in proportion as the 

 amount of the manure increases. On plot 11, which received the 

 heaviest manuring, the total number of species is reduced to 19. 

 The manuring on plot 11 (see p. 242) is a very large appli- 

 cation of ammonia salts (800 lbs. per acre), and the effect of 

 this has been to choke out almost every species of plant except 

 the grasses, the gramineous plants here amounting to about 94 

 per cent. The orders which have suffered most by nitrogenous 

 manuring are seen to be the leguminosae and ranunculacea?. 

 On the other hand, on plot 7, which received no nitrogenous 

 manure, but a liberal supply of mineral manure, a converse rela- 

 tion is observed, the legummous plants are here at their maxi- 

 mum and the grasses at their minimum. That nitrogenous 

 manures discourage the grov\th of clover is pretty well knowm, 

 but the extent to wdiich the mixed mineral manures favour the 

 development of this important constituent of pasture land is well 

 brought out in this experiment, and deserves the careful atten- 

 tion of agriculturists. A comparison of plot 7 with plot 3 shews 

 i that the application of mineral manures has had the effect of 

 increasmg the leguminous plants threefold. 



It would seem then that Ijy judicious manuring alone the 

 herbage of pasture land is, within certain Umits, capable of being 

 controlled. The numbers on the above table, though they shew 

 ver}- clearly marked difiierences in the selected plots, fail entirely 

 ■ to convey to the reader any idea of the very striking diversity of 

 appearance presented by the various plots at the time of our visit. 



