438 Experiments ivith Guano. 



The guano was of a brown colour, and obviously contained some ad- 

 mixture of sand. It was drilled with barle}^ last spring, in the propor- 

 tion of about 14 cwt. to the acre. The land was near to that analysed, 

 but of a lighter or less tenacious nature ; and was in the middle of a 

 field, to which no other manure was applied. The barley came up of a 

 better colour than that in the other parts of the field, which it kept for a 

 month ; then suddenly altered, and looked worse than the other part 

 until it came in ear ; after which there was no perceptible difference. 

 The crop was rather a light one. 



The soil of the fen consists naturally of decomposed peat or other vege- 

 table matter. The surface soil is black, and varies in depth from 5 to 9 

 inches. Beneath this is a brown peat, much less decomposed; and at 

 the depth of about 5 feet is a brown clay. It has been found very bene- 

 ficial to make trenches and throw some of this clay to the surface ; but 

 the rain gradually washes it down. This land had been clayed in the 

 year 1836, and some remains of it are still visible. The guano was 

 drilled with barley in the same proportion ; and also in the middle of a 

 field of uniform fertility. The barley had a better appearance during 

 the first month of its growth. The whole then became alike, and was a 

 heavy crop. I did not see it at harvest-time ; but Mr, Thomas Fairley, 

 jun.,*^ my intelligent bailiff, informs me that "neither he nor the men 

 could distinguish any difference between that which was sown with 

 guano and that which was not :" and that, in his opinion, it has on both 

 lands been " a complete failure." 



I was chiefly tempted to make these experiments by the accounts of 

 those which had been stated in the Journal of the Society to have been 

 successful : and I can only reconcile the apparent contradiction on the 

 supposition that the different nature of the soils occasioned such very 

 ditlerent results. It has long appeared to me that the usefulness of the 

 papers on manures in the Journal is much lessened by the very imperfect 

 account often given of the nature of the soil on which the experiments 

 are tried. Till this be far more carefully and scientifically attended to, 

 the agriculture of crops can make but little progress. In the seven or 

 eight experiments with nitrate of soda detailed in former numbers of the 

 Journal seme lands were found to yield an increased produce of much 

 greater value than the cost of the nitrate; some about equal, some less. 

 The difference probably arose in a great measure from the different 

 nature or component parts of the soil. Yet this is imperfectly stated in 

 nearly all the cases ; and in one of them not the least hint is given of 

 the kind of soil on which it was tried. 



I arn. Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



George Pryme. 

 Cambridge, 29th October, 1842. 



