568 



The Country Gcntlcmaiis Magazine 



vantage be instituted, and considered it advisable to 

 investigate rather the more strictly scientific physiolo- 

 gical questions, which no doubt will suggest them- 

 selves in the course of the experiments, than to bear 

 in mind the purely agricultural and economic points 

 of interest which they may present. 



Instead of growing together a number of plants, 

 such as are common in pastures, it was deemed desir- 

 able to study the influence of various manures on par- 

 ticular species, grown separately in wooden boxes 2 

 feet square and i8 inches deep, filled with poor soil, 

 such as is found in unmanured and rather exhausted 

 soils of our fields, and not with good garden mould. 



It is suggested that experiments be carried out in the 

 Society's gardens, at Chiswick, and also at Rotham- 

 stead, by Mr Lawes and Dr Gilbert, as well as by any 

 gentleman who feels disposed to undertake them. 



In each set of experiments the same kind of soil 

 should be employed, but as the natire of the un- 

 manured soil must exercise its due influence on the 

 growth of the plants submitted to experiments, it will 

 be desirable, if possible, to try one series of experi- 

 ments on rather light sandy soil, and another on more 

 heavy clayey soil. Dr Voelcker will willingly under- 

 take the chemical analysis of any soils that may be 

 employed for the experiments. 



" After due deliberation the Chemical Committee 

 have selected the following plants for experiments : — ■ 



Dactylis glomerata; Anthoxanthum odoratum ; 

 Lolium perenne ; Poa pratensis ; Poa trivialis ; Bromus 

 mollis ; Trifolium pratense (perenne) red clover ; 

 Lotus corniculatus ; Trifolium repens (perenne) white 

 or Dutch clover ; Plantago lanceolata ; Achillea mil- 

 lefolium ; Bunium flexuosum ; or, failing any of these, 

 such other plant of the same natural order of plants 

 as may be preferred by the Chemical Committee. 



It will be seen that of the dozen plants recommended 

 for experiment, six are true grasses, three clovers, and 

 three common weeds in pastures. 



For each of the preceding plants six boxes, each 

 2 feet each wide and 1 8 inches deep, are recommended. 



I. One box to be left unmanured ; 2, one box 



looo 



lOO 



looo 

 750 

 400 

 400 



manured with a purely mineral mixture ; 3, one box 

 manured with ammonia only ; 4, one box manured 

 with nitrate of soda only ; 5, one box manured with 

 ammonia and mineral manures ; 6, one box manured 

 with nitrate of soda and mineral manures. 



The following manures and quantities are recom- 

 mended :— 



oz. per acre. 



Box 2. 1.47 sulphateof potash, or attherateof 1000 



1.47 carbonate of lime . 

 .15 chloride of sodium . 



1.47 bone ash treated with 



1. 10 sulphuric acid 

 Box 3. .59 sulphate of ammonia 

 .59 chloride of ammonia 

 Box 4. 1.62 nitrate of soda . . . iioo 

 Box 5. The manures used in 2 and 3. 

 Box 6. ,, ,, 2 and 4. 



The amount of nitrogen in the preceding quantity of 

 nitrate of soda recommended for box 4, it may be ob- 

 served, is the same as that in the sulphate of ammonia 

 and chloride of ammonia, employed in box 3. 



Dr Gilbert has kindly promised to furnish the pre- 

 ceding manures, which should be intimately incorpo- 

 rated with the whole of the soil in the several boxes. 



When necessary, the plants under experiments 

 should be watered with soft pure water, and otherwise 

 attended, and their progress be watched and recorded. 



A sample of water to be retained for examination 

 when distilled water can be used. 



The preceding experiments cannot be undertaken 

 without a good deal of trouble, but it is confidently 

 expected that they will throw light on the conditions 

 most conducive to the rapid development of various 

 orders or species of plants, as regards some of the 

 more characteristic manuring elements present in 

 complex manures, and they may lead to a more sys- 

 tematic and certain mode of treatment of not only 

 these but also of other plants as regards manuring. 



Some of the manures recommended in the foregoing 

 scheme are known to favour early maturity ; it is 

 therefore likely that the experiments will suggest others 

 which may be of much value to fruit growers. 



