Agricultural Chemistry. 305 



nosa? and gramineae of our cultivated fields, laws of nutrition 

 different from those which apply to the plants of the same 

 orders wliich constitute the chief mass of our meadow crops, 

 nor that nature has created special laws, by way of exception, 

 for the wheat plant. 



In this point of view the experiments made by Schattermann 

 in 1843 are peculiarly instructive, and well calculated to remove 

 every doubt, (See ' Comptes Rendus,' vol. xvii. p. 1128, 

 1843.) 



Schattermann manured ten equal plots of a large wheat-field 

 with sal ammoniac and sulphate of ammonia, and left unmanured 

 a plot of equal size. Of the manured plots one receivei^ 162 

 kilogrammes, or 340 lbs, per acre English ; others twice, thrice, 

 and four times that quantity of each of these salts. 



" The ammoniacal salts," says Schattermann (p. 1130), 

 " appear to exert an extraordinary influence on wheat ; for only 

 eight days after the manuring the plants acquired a deep green 

 colour, a sure sign of great vegetative energy." 



The produce obtained by this manuring with ammoniacal salts 

 was as follows : — 



These results, obtained by manuring a wheat-field with 

 ammoniacal salts, tell us more than a whole volume full of 

 figures. 



In all these impartial and trustwoi'thy experiments the produce 

 o( f/rain was diminished by the use of ammoniacal salts. The 

 deficiency was less, on the plot manured with the smallest 

 quantity of these salts, than on those which had received an 

 excess. 



The produce of straw alone was increased. For 1 lb. of 

 ammoniacal salt there was obtained, on an average, about 1 lb. of 

 increase in the produce of straw. 



Any one inexperienced in the treatment of scientific questions 

 would think himself justified in drawing, from these experiments, 



* The kilogramme is equal to 21 lbs. avoirdupois. 

 VOL. XVII. X 



