132 Composition of Waters of Land- Drainage and of Main. 



bushels of lime per acre ; 1855, 20 cwt, of rabbit skin waste, and 3 cwt. of 

 guano per acre. The hops in this field grew most luxuriantly. 



" No. 3. — From a long single drain in Holt Forest Hop Ground. Tliis en- 

 closure was drained in the winter of 1853-54. It was previously part of the 

 Holt Forest, lying as a poor commonage pasture, from which all the droppings 

 of the cattle were continually picked off. The subsoil is gault clay, with very 

 little surface mould ; it was manured in 1854 with 6 cwt. of guano, and G 

 cwt. of superphosphate ; and in 1855 with 30 cwt. of rags per acre. 



" No. 4. — From a main drain in Broad AVell at Clay Hill. This field was 

 drained about ten years ago. This soil is a dirty gravel, lying upon gaiUt, 

 and in most places the drains did not penetrate into the clay. The last crop 

 on this field was wheat, having been previously manured with 4 cwt. of guano 

 per acre in the autumn of 1854. Prior to this the field was in a state of good 

 cultivation ; and has been chiefly manured for some years past with guano or 

 dried blood and superphosphate of lime, and was limed at the rate of 160 

 bushels per acre four years ago. 



" No. 5. — From the main drain in Tanner's Turnpike Field. This was 

 drained and trenched in 1852-53. The subsoil is gault with an overlaj-er of 

 gravel, from 1 to 8 feet deep. At the above period this field was in very poor 

 condition. It was manured with dried blood and superphosphate for turnips 

 in 1853. The turnips were fed oft' by sheep, receiving oilcake, &c., and sown 

 with wheat in the spring of 1854. It is now sown with wheat, having been 

 manured with 4 cwt. of guano per acre. The drains in this field have not run 

 till now since this guano was applied. 



" No. 6. — From the main drain in Marshall's Hop Ground. This was 

 drained about fourteen years ago. The soil is a rich loam 3 to 8 feet deep, 

 resting upon gravel. It has been under hop cultivation about twenty-five 

 years, and as regards manure, is in the richest possible condition, having re- 

 ceived every year either 30 tons of good dung, or 30 cwt. of rags or hair, or 

 some other equivalent. Last year it received 40 tons of dung per acre. 



" The following were collected on the 27th December : — 



" No. 7. — From a main drain in the B'urze Field. This field was drained 

 in 1846. It was then trenclied and planted with hops. Since that period it 

 has been abundantly manured every year. The manure in 1855 was 15 cwt. 

 of horn shavings per acre, and a good coating of silicate of lime. 



" No. 8. — From the main drain in the Inner F'ield at Lower House. This 

 was drained in the winter of 1854-55. It was previously coppice or larch 

 plantation. After draining it was planted with hops, which were manured 

 last summer with 6 cwt. of guano per acre. 



" All the above drains are from 4 to 5 feet in depth." 



These different waters were placed in three j!:allon jar?, care- 

 fully sealed, and forwarded at once to London for analysis. 

 Some of them were tmbid, as Mr. Paine observes, but this was 

 principally with clay, althoui2:h no doubt some portion of organic 

 anatter in suspension may, under such circumstances as he de- 

 scribes, be carried off in the di'ainage water. It must be dis- 

 tinctly observed that all the analyses given in the paper were 

 made after the samples were carefully fltered and rendered 

 perfectly clean and bright. I have to do here with the sub- 

 stances which may be removed from the land invisibly, and not 

 with those which are palpable to the eye. 



Instances could certainly be adduced where drains have been 

 known to run with water obviously coloured by manure, but 



