342 THE FARMER*S MAGAZlNfi. 



inches long, and several inches in circumference. 



On cutting through these necks it was perceived 



that they contained nutritious matter similar to the 



bulb. It might be thought that these huge necks 



were forced on at the expense of the bulbs, but 



this was found not to be the case ; for, on testing 



some average rods witli the other parts of the field, 



it was found that while the latter proved to 



be at the rate of twentj'-two tons per acre, the 



ammoniacal bulbs yielded at the rate of twenty- 

 seven tons. In neither case did the individual 



roots reach a great size, in consequence of 



having been left too thick (no less than iCO 



to the rod), which arose from the circumstance 



of the rows being drilled only 18 inches apart, 



whilst the roots were hoed out as if the rows 



had been two feet asunder, I have no doubt the 



crop would have been greater if the number of 



roots had been one-third less. I shall call atten- 

 tion to the fact that it was not till some weeks that 

 the ammonically-treated swedes were noticeable 

 from the others : all came up equally well, and 

 vegetated for some time with equal luxuriance, 

 showing that the peculiar manure for the young 

 plant is phosphate of lime in a soluble state. We 

 learn from the experiment we have narrated that 

 the peculiar eftect of a large supply of ammonia to 

 the turnip crop is to force on a luxuriant growth 

 of greens and stems, but that this is not done at 

 the expense of the bulb, but rather as an addition 

 to it. At the same time, we might also draw the 

 inference that a moderate application of ammonia is 

 sufficient for the turnip crop." Professor Voelcker, 

 however, found that a large quantity of sulphate of 

 ammonia had no such eftect on the greens : it was 

 applied so late as June, broadcast, I presume, and 

 in close contact with the seed — the other being 

 applied in autumn, in a liquid form, to the soil. I 

 am not recommending my experiment for general 

 adoption, but you are familiar with the effect, 

 however, of 1 or 1| cwt. Peruvian guano, the 

 effect of which on the autumn greens is to render 

 them more luxuriant. There is none at first — but 

 a visible eflfect afterwards, rendering them longer 

 in ripening, whereby the mildew is to a great 

 extent kept off, showing the importance of a mix- 

 ture of ammonia with the turnip manure; and I 

 can't coincide with those gentlemen in opinion 

 who a])ply phosphate or soluble phosphate alone, 

 as ammonia, whether in the shape of bone dust, 

 half-inch bones, or Peruvian guano, is a decided 

 advantage. The drawback I have said in Dr. 

 Voelcker's case is, having obtained only a half 

 crop at the best. It may be answered that each 

 experiment fared alike. But it is important to ob- 



serve that the atmosphere can supply, by means of 

 rain and dew, a certain quantity of amraouia and 

 nitric acid; now the quantity imbibed by a good 

 root crop, such as turnips, is much more than that 

 taken up by a small crop. In 20 tons of bulbs 

 there is considerable nutriment and nitrogen. 

 This, if absent in the soil, must be largely supplied 

 from the atmosphere, from rain, and from the am- 

 monia floating over the largely developed leaves. 

 If sufficient with that in the soil to produce a good 

 croj), the atmosphere may be alone sufficient to 

 produce a half crop ; and if we have here only a 

 half crop, it is not proved that it is unnecessary or 

 undesirable to apply ammonia to root crops. It is 

 a pity the learned doctor, on a small portion of 

 ground, did not water the crops; if he had sup- 

 plied artificially what the rain failed to supply, he 

 might have obtained diflferent results. But this 

 has been no fault of his ; he has repeated the ex- 

 periments for two years, and means to repeat them 

 again ; and as soon as he gets a good crop, say 20 

 tons per acre, we may begin to form a theory upon 

 his facts. I don't object to anything he has done 

 — no man experiments more carefully ; no man is 

 less likely to be led astray himself or to lead astray 

 others. [The lecturer then sat down to enable any 

 of the questions usual on such occasions to be put 

 to him.] 



The Chairman, at the conclusion of Mr. 

 Spooner's lecture having announced his intention 

 of departing from the usual mode of calling upon 

 particular members to continue the discussion ex- 

 pressed, at the same'time, a hope that any gentleman 

 having practical questions to ask would put them. 



Mr. Crane, as well as the Chairman and Mr. 

 Dunham, then put a variety of questions, the objects 

 of which, for the sake of compression, we must leave 

 to be gathered from Mr. Spooner's replies, and 



Mr. Summers sjjoke as follows: — Mr. Chairman 

 and Gentlemen, — I have a few observations to 

 make on an ammoniacal manure which I applied 

 to cereals and vetches two years ago. The follow- 

 ing is the analysis of the manure— this analysis I 

 received from Professor Way: — 



Moisture 7.91 



Organic matter, &c 10.17 



Sand,&c 1.68 



Soluble phosphate 3,10 



Insoluble jihosphate 0.47 



Sulphate of lime 5.82 



Sulphate of soda 14.14 



Common salt 33.83 



Nitrate of soda 15.38 



Sulphate of ammonia 7.30 



Ammonia in organic matter 0.20 



100.00 



