588 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Plot 19. — 2 cwt. ordinary superpliospliate. 



1 „ sulphate of ammonia. 



f „ potash sulphate. 

 „ 20. — No manure. 

 „ 21 — 2 cwt. ordinary superphosphate. 



1 „ nitrate of soda (applied in spring). 



^ ,, potash sulphate. 

 „ 22. — 2 ,, Thomas phosphate. 



^ „ potash sulphate. 



1 „ nitrate of soda (applied in spring). 

 „ 23. — No manure. 

 „ 24. — 3 cwt. ordinary superphosphate. 



1 „ potash sulphate. 



1| ,, nitrate of soda (applied in spring). 



The Farmers' Views Given First Consideration. 



The first glance at the manure combinations will possibly give 

 the idea that the experiments have not been conceived in a scientific 

 spirit. It will be observed that comparisons have been, made not 

 between pounds of different plant foods, or different forms of the same 

 plant food; but between hundredweights of different manures. There is, 

 I know, no guarantee that these manures will not show variability of 

 composition, and this variability may result in returns under altered 

 conditions of composition of a quite contradictory kind ; but against 

 this there is the experience of a certain permanency of character 

 from year to year in the composition of the principal fertilizers 

 obtainable on the market, and any marked variation in character 

 would immediately come under the notice of this laboratory and 

 receive attention. The manures used in the experiments have been 

 analysed and their percentages of plant food determined. They 

 agree, for the most part, in composition with samples sold on the 

 market, and may be regarded as fairly representative of the bulk of 

 similar manures offering, and where the farmer buys, he is supposed 

 to make his comparisons of the relative values of different fertilizers 

 on the analysis figures su])plied in this report. The system adopted 

 in these tests of comparing the returns obtained from hundred- 

 weights of different manures instead of from pou^nds of different plant 

 foods, has been used because it follows the language, and is not above 

 the understanding of the farmer. In a few years it may be 

 possible to make results intelligible by discussing them as the product 

 of pounds of phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash, for the present I 

 consider it is a little premature to adopt this method. The analytical 

 results allow of comparisons being made in such terms, however, Avhere 

 considered desirable. 



Composition of Manures Used. 

 The manures used showed the following compositions : — 



Superphosphate, 



Phosphoric Acid. Water soluble 19-19% 



,, Citrate soluble ... ... 1*62 



Total 20-81% 



