THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



283 



guano, which also abounds in ammoniacal salts, 

 has been used. Urine also, for the same reason, is 

 found a powerful dressing for grass. 



The results of some experiments recently carried 

 on under the auspices of the Highland Society of 

 Scotland, support the practical conclusions of the 

 Cheshire farmers. These were intended to contest 

 the comparative value, for grass and grain crops, 

 of Peruvian guano, nitrate of soda, and sulphate 

 of ammonia, under the direction of Dr. Anderson. 

 The experiments were committed to two Scotch 

 farmers — Mr. Porter, of Monymusk, and Mr. 

 M'Claren, of Mill-hill. (Trans. High. Society^ 

 1856, p. 270.) These experiments were so arranged 

 that the quantities of the manures bore a relative 

 proportion to each other, and that all should sup- 

 ply the same amount of nitrogen : for this purpose 

 nitrate of soda was taken as the standard. The 

 proportions were 



Kitrate of soda 112 lbs. 



Sulphate of ammonia. ... 87 „ 

 Peruvian guano 134 „ 



Here it will be well to note the three fertilizers em- 

 ployed : although they aU contained the same 

 amount of nitrogen, yet the last also had from 

 about 40 to 50 per cent, of phosphate of lime. 

 The trials at Monymusk were made on a light 

 alluvial soil, with a dry open subsoil. The grasses 

 (a mixture of perennial rye-grass with white and 

 red clover) were top-dressed in showery weather, 

 on the 8th of May, 1855. This month, however, 

 and the succeeding June were unusually dry. The 

 amounts of hay per acre produced by the grass thus 

 dressed were as follows : 



Tons. Cwt. 



Soil simple 15 



Nitrate of soda, 187 lbs.... 1 5 



Peruvian guano 224 lbs.... 1 10 



Sulphate of ammonia 145 lbs. 1 6 



In two series of experiments at Mill-hill, the soils 

 were, first, a light clay ; and second, (those at Eccles 

 Newton,) a clay soil. The manures were apphed 

 May 2, 1855, to the grass-land of Mill-hill on a 

 light dry soil after barley, with results which will 

 be found in the following table, in which column 

 I. gives per acre the manure; II. the weights in 

 tons and cwts. of grass when cut, July 7; III. the 

 weight of the bay; IV. the weight of the second 

 crop of grass cut October 10 : 



At Eccles Newton, upon young grass on a clay 

 soil three experiments were made : in the first two 

 of which the manures were applied on the 7th of 

 May. The result of the application will be found 



in the next table. 



I. 11. 



Stones. Stones. 

 Clay soil simple produced hay 190 .. 99 



Nitrate of soda 112lbs. 194.. 129 



Sulphate of ammonia... 87 „ 207 .. 124 



Guano 137,, 192.. 127 



Nitrate of soda 37 „ "1 



Sulphate of ammonia .. 29 „ M96 .. 133 



Guano 46 „ J 



In experiment III. the manures were divided, 

 half being applied 7t.h, the other 11th May, 1855, 

 the results were — Stones, 



Clay soil simple produced of hay 12/ 



Nitrate of soda 224 lbs. 140 



Sulphate of ammonia 174 „ 126 



Guano 274 „ 133 



Nitrate of soda 74 „ ~j 



Sulphate of ammonia 58 „ M49 



Guano 92 „ J 



The result of these trials is upon the whole con- 

 firmatory of the practice of the Cheshire farmers, 

 and tends to the conclusion that on very many old 

 pastures an application of phosphate of lime would 

 be productive of very beneficial effects. On the 

 soils, such as many of those of Carnarvonshire, 

 resting on and formed by the decomposition of 

 rock, from which the salts of lime are almost 

 entirely absent, it would be difficult to arrive at 

 any other conclusion as to the probable advantages 

 of such a dressing for the pastures. 



In the great grass districts of this side of Eng- 

 land, cattle are the chief stock depastured ; we see 

 few sheep except those browsmg on the mountain 

 sides, and these are a small and m.ore delicate look- 

 ing breed than those of Westmoreland and Cum- 

 berland — otherwise there is a mode of enriching 

 pastures by cake-feeding the sheep, which in many 

 places is very profitable, and, if systematically 

 persevered in for some lime, very materially im- 

 proves the quality of the pasturage. By giving 

 cake to the sheep, they are not only considerably 

 benefited, but their dung is very much enriched, 

 and this we may note is distributed by them over 

 the land without any labour to their owner. The 

 phosphate of lime of the oil-cake, which is voided 

 by the animal in a very finely-divided state, is more 

 considerable in amount than is generally under- 

 stood. Professor Anderson {Trans. High. Soc, 

 1853, p. 510), found in 100 parts of different oil- 

 cakes the following amount of phosphates : — 



Linseed-cake 2*73 parts. 



Rape-cake 3-87 „, 



Poppy seed-cake , 6*98 „ 



Cottonseed-cake 219 >, 



X 2 



