486 Field Experiments on Clover- Seeds. 



Soon after the application of the top-dressings rain fell, but, it 

 appears, not in sufficient quantity to diffuse properly through the 

 soil some of the very soluble saline top-dressings. In conse- 

 quence of this a good many of the young seeds on Plots 1, 2, 4, 

 5, 9, and 10 were killed or checked in their growth. Plot 4 

 (common salt), Plot 2 (sulphate of ammonia), and Plot 6 

 (muriate of potash), more particularly showed the marks of 

 injury caused by too concentrated saline solutions. 



The plots top-dressed with nitrate of soda and with nitrate of 

 soda and superphosphate soon recovered, as did also, though 

 less rapidly. Plots 2 and 10, and from that time throughout the 

 whole period of growth these 4 plots were visibly much superior 

 to the rest. 



In the first stage of growth the seeds on the unmanured plot 

 looked very much more healthy than on the two adjoining plots, 

 4 and 6, dressed with common salt and muriate of potash re- 

 spectively. 



Common salt turned the young plants yellow, as did also 

 muriate of potash : it took some time before the herbage pre- 

 sented again a healthy appearance. It was noticed particularly 

 that muriate of potash affected injuriously the young clover- 

 seeds ; most indeed were killed by it, and the produce on Plot 6 

 everywhere contained but a small proportion of clover. In 

 applying muriate of potash to the land, it should always be 

 previously mixed with at least three or four times its bulk of 

 fine dry ashes or sand, and never be sown except in rainy 

 weather. Though much more soluble than common salt, 

 muriate of potash may be applied to the land quite early in 

 spring, or even in autumn, with much less risk of loss than 

 common salt. The latter we know readily passes into drainage- 

 water, whilst chloride of potassium, in passing in solution through 

 a soil, leaves its potash behind for the benefit of the crop. 



The Bourton Grange experiments agree perfectly in almost 

 every particular with those that were tried with the same top- 

 dressing and in the same year at Woodhorn Manor Farm. The 

 comparison of the two series of experiments will show that in 

 neither had gypsum a beneficial effect, and that in both super- 

 phosphate increased materially the quantity of the clover-hay, 

 and, I may add, its quality as well, for it promotes in a striking 

 manner the growth of clover. It will also be seen that, whilst 

 muriate of potash used by itself had a less beneficial effect than 

 common salt, which did not much good, the mixture of super- 

 phosphate with muriate of potash had a very good effect both on 

 the quality and quantity of the produce. Again, it will be ob- 

 served that both at Woodhorn Manor and Bourton Grange the 

 heaviest crops were reaped on the plots manured with a mixture 

 of nitrate of soda and superphosphate. Other points of agree- 



