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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ledge. I shall, therefore, at once bring before your notice the 

 food or manures best suited for the growth of clover. The ma- 

 nures I have always found to be most beneficial for clover are 

 gypsum, bone-dust, superphosphate, and guano; but the three first 

 are, in my opinion, the best; and perhaps the most eificacijus of 

 anything is an admixture of gypsum and bones, or superphosphate, 

 at the rate of 4 cwt. of gypsum to 2 cwt. of fine bone-dust or 

 superphosphate, that is, if your ground is poor, or your plant thin 

 and weals ; but if your ground is good, and the clover pretty 

 strong, then gypsum alone is sufficient, at the rate of 5 cwt. per 

 acre. It is quite a specific (when genuine) fur clover, where the 

 soil is in any way deficient in lime or sulphur, and its effects 

 are astonishing. In a week, if showery weather, you will Bee the 

 leaves and stalks change colour, and assume a most beautiful 

 appearance, swelling and thickening to a great extent. It should 

 always be applied in moist and showery weather, or when the 

 dew is on the ground, as it is then absorbed by the plant so much 

 Quicker, for it not only acts on the roots, but on tlie stalks and 

 leaves. Some persons hold the opinion that when once applied 

 it should not be used again ; but this is an old-fashioned theory, 

 and quite wrong. I use it for every crop of clover I grow, and I 

 have never yet found any injurious effects from it ; indeed, I 

 have always found for all grasses and pulse it is a great auxiliary 

 ^o their growth. You enn readily understand, when you know 

 the constitution of gypsum, wliy it should so act upon it. One 

 hundred pounds of it contaiiis 47 lbs. of sulphuric acid, S3 of 

 lime, and 20 of water; and in 110 lbs. of clover there is contained 

 as much as 20 lbs. of lime, besides a great deal of sulphur (this, 

 of course, varies witli the soil); and in tares, turnips, and pulses, 

 nearly the same quantity, so tliat it shows how largely this plant 

 draws upon tkese two substances in its growth. So, with bone- 

 dust and superphospate, we find a great deal of lime and phos- 

 phoric acid, which plainly shows they are adapted for this plant. 

 In half a ton of bone-dust there are 270 lbs. of phosphoric acid, 

 and 365 of lime, while the same weight of guano only contains 

 130 lbs. of phosphoric acid, and the same of lime. The ordinary 

 run of dur-g, only 3^ lbs. of phosphoric acid, and 4^ of lime to the 

 half ton. Superphosphate, if made from bones and vitriol, is 

 even still better than bone-dust in those elements ; for by the 

 combination of these two ingredients, the nitrogen and phospho- 

 ric acid of the lime are instantly brought into actinn, and there- 

 fore by its speedy effects on the soil is of infinite value for clover. 

 With regard to the cultivation of clover, my plan is always to 

 follow it with a cereal; you may then follow with tares, tur- 

 nips, or pulse, with safely, .and follow again with a cereal ; but, 

 depend upon it, whenever clover is followed by beans and turnips, 

 and croppei in the manner I have before stated, unless you 

 make up to the soil artificially what is extracted, so long will 

 your land "be clover-sick, and so may you expect but scanty crops 

 and foul clover-leys ; but I have also reason to believe that a good 



deal of the poor crops of clover to be seen is partly owing to the 

 system pursued in sowing it. There are so many ways of culti- 

 vating it, both with regard to the way of sowing it, the time it is 

 sown, and the crop it is sown on -some preferring wheat, others 

 barley and oats. Likewise with sowing it, there are various me- 

 thods adopted, such as drilling it in with tlie corn, sowing it 

 broadcast, harrowing or rolling it in, and sowing it, and hoeing 

 it when they hoe the corn. My opinion is to sow it in the month 

 of May. The latter end of the month I prefer, as you are then 

 safe from frosts, and sow it on by means of the seed-liarrow ; 

 then hoe it in. By this means you kill two birds with one stone. 

 You clean your corn, and well bury your seed. I believe a great 

 deal of seed is wasted by the process of sowing it broadcast, and 

 then rolling it in. It does not get buried, and when it germi- 

 nates, it is scorched by the sun and destroyed, and particularly if 

 the ground is hard it cannot get root. Again, with respect to 

 drilling it in with oats, spring wheat, or barley, at tlie same time 

 as the corn, if your ground should be foul, you lose the means of 

 cleaning it by hoeing, and you thereby destroy a great deal of 

 your clover, by smothering it with the rubbish. Neither is Lent 

 corn so favourable a crop to grow it with, as your ground is likely 

 to be loose, and clover likes a nice close firm soil, which in light 

 lands is only to be ebtained in the spring, and where autumn 

 wheat has been sown. In conclusion, I would recommend all who 

 cannot grow clover well — those whose ground is clover-sick (or, 

 as a celebrated German chemist calls it, potash and phosphoric 

 acid sick), to give one trial of the system I have mentioned, and 

 to bear this in mind — never to follow clover with any crop but 

 corn, and not to grow too many root or pulse crops between one 

 clover-ley and another; but if they do, to use for these crops, as 

 well as clover, a plentiful supply of those manures which will 

 supply to the ground those elements which must naturally be ab- 

 stracted. I have approached this part of the subject with some 

 feelings of reserve and delicacy, lest from my most intimate con- 

 nection with manures my motives should be misconstrued ; but, 

 however, should such be the case, I can acquit myself of any in- 

 terested feelings, save my desire to benefit and instruct you. 

 Far be it from me to recommend to your notice anything solely 

 for pecuniary interest to myself; my sole object is to be instruc- 

 tive, and so long as you receive me in the kind manner in which 

 you receive all who address you here upon any subject, so long, 

 while I have time and health, my services will be at your com- 

 mand ; your appreciation of them, and approval of my efforts, 

 are the only reward I ask for ; and if I obtain that, my desire 

 is obtained. I can only regret that I have not had time to pro. 

 duce a better paper than I have, and done more justice to the 

 subject; but, however, though crude the state in which it may 

 be brought to you, I trust you will find materials on which to 

 work, and with your skill and ability mould them iato form for 

 your interest and advantage. (Applause.) 



A GRAIN OF WHEAT. 



A LECTURE BY C. R. BREE, M.D,, F.L.S., PHYSICIAN TO THE ESSEX AND COLCHESTER HOSPITAL. 



A lecture on " The Natural History of a Grain of Wheat" 

 was delivered before the members of the Colchester Literary 

 Institution, on Wednesday, March 6, by Mr. C.R. Bree, M.D., 

 F.L.S., Physician to the Essex and Colchester Hospital. In 

 the absence of P. 0. Papillon, Esq., President of the Institu- 

 tion, who was prevented from attending by his Parliamentary 

 duties, the Rev. Dr. Wright, Vice-President, occupied the 

 chair. There was a large and respectable audience. 



The Chairman said he had much pleasure in introducing 

 Dr. Bree, who was known to most of them personally, to almost 

 all professionally and scientifically, and of late in a literary 



capacity also. This was the first time that he appeared before 

 them as a lecturer ; he hoped that it would not be, by any 

 means, the last. 



Dr. Bree said, when he was asked to fulfil his duty as a 

 member of that institution, by delivering one of its annual 

 lectures, he was moat happy to comply with the request, but 

 he felt some difficulty in selecting a subject. He was well 

 aware that he could not select any which could compete in 

 attractiveness with the musical entertainments, for instance, 

 which had recently been given to the institution ; and, being 

 himself only an amateur lecturer, he was conscious that he must 



