THE FA RMER'S MAGAZINE. 



475 



The estimated average annual amount of hay 

 per acre from the aftergrass from the 17 plots was 

 as follows : 



Plot 1 produced of hay in lbs. 539 

 » 2 ,, „ ,, 017 



» "^ )> >j »> jUo 



„ 6 

 „ 7 

 „ 8 

 » 9 

 » 10 

 » 11 

 » 12 

 „ 13 

 „ 14 

 „ 15 

 » 16 

 17 



594 

 823 

 823 

 689 

 689 

 800 

 800 

 937 

 1,067 



823 

 823 

 638 

 638 



After then three years employed on these ex- 

 perimental grounds, the first four general con- 

 clusions to which the authors of these reports 

 arrive, with regard to the influence of the fertilizers 

 upon the growth of the natural grasses, are : 



" 1. That, whether the produce of hay be con- 

 siderably increased by means of farmyard manure 

 alone, farmyard manure and ammoniacal salts, or 

 artificial mixtures of suitable mineral manure and 

 ammoniacal salts, the proportion of the whole 

 which will be (jraminaceous will be very much in- 

 creased. 



" 2. That the produce will be by far the most 

 gTctminaeeoris when the ' artificial mixtures' are 

 employed. In fact, when the increase of hay is 

 obtained by artificial manures containing both the 

 necessary inineral constituents and ammonicai salts 

 — and it is then greater than under any of the 

 other conditions— both the leguminous and the 

 iveedy herbage are nearly excluded, and the pro- 

 duce is then, therefore, almost ivholli/ graminaceous, 



" 3. That the gramnaceous produce itself, when 

 grown hy farmyard ma7iure,is less complex in cha- 

 racter than that grown without manure ; whilst that 

 grown by the most active artificial manures, is less 

 complex still. 



" 4. That, up to an equal period of the season, 

 the graminaceous produce, grown by the active 

 artificial manures, will be in larger proportion in 

 flowering and seeding stem, than that grown without 

 manure ; and that the produce grown by farmyard 

 manure will be in still larger proportion in that 

 condition." 



Such are only a few of the important practical 

 questions relating to artificial dressings which will 

 well repay the most patient and repeated examina- 

 tion, it is needless to remind the skilled agricul- 

 turists who read this widely-circulating magazine, 

 of the increasing value of every improvement in 

 the growth of food for stock. As there is yet time 

 in many places during the season to try the effect 

 of late top-dressings, I would earnestly commend 

 such trials. There is no need, I again repeat, to 

 risk either much time or money in this search after 

 knowledge and power — a very small plot of grass 

 will tell the effect, make the same response to 

 such an enquiry as the adjoining broad acres. 

 Nature is indeed ever ready to respond to questions 

 of all sizes, These- dressings of small experi- 

 mental plots it would be well to carry on till after 

 the time of the removal of the first crop of grass. 

 We all know how possible it is for the land to pro- 

 duce in the same season three or four crops of 

 grass of even increasing weight ; this is regularly 

 and extensively accomplished in certain favoured 

 localities by the owners of sewage-irrigated meads, 

 both in Scotland, the southern water meads of 

 England, and on the continent; and it is yet to be 

 determined to what extent the pastures of our 

 island may be increased in their produce by the 

 use of more copious and oftener-repeated dressings 

 than those we have hitherto applied. 



THE MAY MEETINGS OF AGRICULTURE 



The recent General Meeting of the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society, was one of the fullest ever known. 

 The Report was received, the Trustees were re-elected, 

 the House-list was adopted, the Balance-sheet was ap- 

 proved, and the nomination of the new President una- 

 nimously agreed to. In fact there was nothing like 

 "the scene'' people seemed rather inclined to expect. 

 There was very little cheering. There was not one 

 angry encounter ; and there were no offensive allu- 

 sions. And yet, for these very reasons, perhaps, the 

 May Meeting of 'sixty promises to be altogether one of 

 the most effective and useful ever held. There was 

 evidently a quiet determination amongst the members 

 present to look into their own affairs ; to judge for them- 

 selves if there were really any means for removing the 

 complaints now so common ; and, if so, to speak out. 

 It was not merely Mr. Sidney who had again to bear 

 the brunt of the business. Country Squires like Mr. 

 Dent and Colonel Higgins urged the necessity of 

 amendment. Intelligent travelled gentlemen, such as 

 Mr. Girdwood and Mr. Grenville, protested against the 

 exclu ivc character of many recent proceedings. From 



amongst the very members of Council Mr. Fisher 

 Hobbs and Mr. Torr admitted the justice of what had 

 been advanced, and bound themselves to see to it here- 

 after. One after another members rose to speak to the 

 impolitic secrecy with which the proceedings of the So- 

 ciety were conducted; the "Job" elections that had 

 recently occurred ; and the too palpable manner in 

 which the practical farmer was being, step by step, 

 ousted from the Council Chamber. 



Such were the more serious charges ; while of these, 

 the election of the Council and the election of the 

 Editor of the Joicrnal were the two points chiefly can- 

 vassed. As the Direction is constituted, nothing could 

 have been fairer or more straightforward than the ap- 

 pointment of Mr. Hall Dare, as Secretary. Every 

 Member of Council had the opportunity of supporting 

 or opposing such a candidate as he chose ; and some 

 even of " the farmers," at the last division, went for 

 him. With tlie Editor, on the contrary, four or five 

 gentlemen arrogated all power to tliemselves; and 

 they have thus tended to create an unsatisfactory feel- 

 i:i"-, that will not easily be subdued. It must have 



