27G 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ulouc or ia coiubinatiou with other manures, always 

 promoted early ripening. The effect, Messrs. Lawes 

 and Gilbert add, was most striking. So much so, 

 indeed, that latterly it has been thought desirable to 

 cut ihe crops at dilTerent times, as they came ripe ; 

 those dressed with superphosphate of lime, or with 

 farmyard manure, coming to the scythe more than a 

 week earlier than the others. It will presently be 

 seen, that the superphosphate had a marked effect 

 on the quantity of produce also, and especially on 

 the tendency to corn. 



The general conclusions at which these scientific 

 cultivators arrive, will accord pretty well with those 

 of the farmers who carefully study the above tabu- 

 lar statements, viz., 1. That the use of exclusively 

 mineral manures, and especially those containing 

 phosphoric acid, annually increase the produce of 

 barley. 2. That with barley grown continuously on 

 the same land, nitrogenous manures have a much 

 more striking effect than mineral manures. 3. That 

 by tlie aunual supply of nitrogenous manures alone 

 (nitrate of soda or ammoniacal salts) larger succes- 

 sive crops, both of corn and straw, were in these ex- 

 periments obtained, than by the annual use of four- 

 teen tons of farmyard manure. 4. That within cer- 

 tain limits, even on the comparatively exhausted soil 

 employed in these experiments, nitrate of soda, 

 ammoniacal salts, and rapecake, all increase the 

 produce of barley approximately iu proportion to 

 the amounts of nitrogen they respectively supplied. 

 5. That the effect of a given amount of nitrogen, if 

 not excessive, is considerably increased by the ad- 

 dition of certain mineral manures, especially those 

 containing phosphates. 



The composition of barley (examined chiefly with 

 regard to its nutritive properties) grown on different 

 soils, is an interesting branch of the inquiry that has 

 recently engaged the attention of Professor Anderson 

 {Trans. High. Soc, 1858, j). 287). He tells his 

 reader the objects which he chiefly had in view in 

 instituting his experiments, when he observes, that 

 every one who has directed even a limited attention 

 to agricultui-al chemistry must be familiar with the 

 subdivision of the nutritive principles existing in 

 plants, and required for the food of animals, into 

 two great groups— of albuminous and respiratory 

 principles ; the former serving to produce the flesh or 

 muscular fibre of the animals, and the latter being 

 partly consumed in the system in the process o'f 

 respiration for the purpose of maintaining the animal 

 heat, and partly accumulated as fat to form a re- 

 serve against the temporary deprivation of food from 

 want or disease. 



A few of the mean results obtained by Dr. 

 Anderson will be found in the succeeding tables :— 



The water per cent, in Chevalier barley was, in 

 the specimens examined — 



From a gravelly soil (57 lbs. a bushel) . . 14-52 



„ a rich, dark loam. (56 lbs. do.) .. 14-82 



„ a red loam (54 lbs. do.) 14*85 



„ a sharp gravel {boi lbs. do.) . . . . 12-76 



,, a light sandy soil (55 lbs. do.) . . 14-08 



The albuminous compounds in the same specimens 



of barley were, in that from 



A gravelly soil 7 09 



A rich dark loam 6 91 



A red loam 10-30 



A sharp gravel 8-22 



A light sandy soil 8-10 



The amount per cent, of respiratory compounds 



in these specimens were, in that from 



A gravelly soil 66-43 



A rich dark loam 66-57 



A red loam 65-75 



A sharp gravel 70-57 



A light sandy soil 65-15 



The proportion per cent, of woody fibre and ash 

 in these were as follows, viz., from 



Fibre. Ash. 



A gravelly soil . . . . 8-28 3-68 



A rich dark loam . . . . 8 -.57 3-13 



A red loam 800 MO 



A sharp gravel .. •. 5-94 2-51 



A light sandy soil . . . . 10-28 2-39 



From three varieties of common barley he ob- 

 tained the following results : — In this table, column 

 I. gives the composition of a specimen of barley 

 (weighing 55^ lbs. per bushel), grown on a thin 

 clay soil ; II. that of the same kind of barley (53^ 

 lbs. per bushel) from a sandy soil. 



I. 11. 



Water 14-60 12-47 



Albuminous compounds 8-97 9'39 



Respiratory principles . . 64-14 70-33 



Fibre 11-10 5-25 



Asli 1-19 2-56 



In comparing the value of barley with other grain, 

 as Dr. Anderson concludes, it is obvious that it 

 bears a high nutritive value. In the proportion of 

 albuminous compounds it stands on a level with 

 wheat grown in this couHtry, but naturally from the 

 presence of the husk it is below it in the quantity 

 of respiratory elements ; the relative importance of 

 these two groups, however, iu a nutritive point of 

 view, has not yet been clearly decided. 



These chemical examinations of the composition 

 of barley, and ol" the effect of various artificial dress- 

 ings, I repeat, will well repay the farmers for their 

 most careful consideration. The reader should, in- 

 deed, ever banish from his mind any lingering suspi- 

 cion that science has already achieved all the aid that 

 can be rendered to the cultivator of the soil. Let us 

 all rather feel well assured of one certain fact, that 

 many a mystery in the phenomena of vegetation is 

 yet to be explained by the chemical philosopher, that 

 will, perhaps, to the end of time, steadily add to the 

 power and stimulate the efforts of still more en- 

 lightened agriculturists than even those of our age. 



