on Permanent Meadow Land. 555^ 



more than a century ; indeed, for as long a period as is included in 

 any record that can be found relatina: to it. The general mode of 

 treatment for many years prior to 1851, was to manure occasionally 

 with farm-yard dung, road scrapings, and the like ; and sometimes 

 with Guano, or other purchased manure. One crop of Hay was 

 removed annually, amounting in weight to from 1 ^ to 2 tons per 

 acre ; and the second crop was always eaten off by sheep. In the 

 spring of 1851, and again in that of 1852, 4 separate acres of the 

 allotted area were appropriated to the consumption by sheep of as 

 many lots of differently manured turnips ; 10 tons of the roots being 

 eaten upon each acre. Neither the 4 acres so appropriated, nor 

 the remaining 2, were manured in any other way in those two 

 seasons ; nor were they manured at all in the three succeeding 

 ones prior to the commencement of these experiments in 1856. 

 It should be mentioned too, that the consumption on the land of 

 the different turnips did not in any case increase the produce over 

 the 5 years, 1851-5 inclusive, by more than about 2 cwts. per 

 acre annually. The land is a somewhat heavy loam, with a red. 

 clay subsoil resting upon chalk ; and although not artificially is 

 very well naturally drained. The area selected was perfectly 

 level. Lastly, no fresh seed of any kind has been sown either 

 within the period of the experiments, or for many years before it. 

 Early in 1856, 9 plots, of half an acre each, were measured off 

 for as many different combinations of so-called artificial manuring 

 substances ; 2 of a quarter of an acre each, to be continuously 

 unmanured ; and 2, also of a quarter of an acre each, to be ma- 

 nured annually with farm-yard dung. In 1858, 4 additional plots, 

 of one-sixth of an acre each, were appropriated to trials with 

 nitrate of soda ; the land so selected having been unmanured for 

 several preceding seasons. The description, and quantities per 

 acre, of the different manures employed, are given in the Tables, 

 by the side of the results they yielded; but it will be well to state 

 them here, at one view, a little more fully than there is there 

 room to do. 

 Plot 1. Unmanured, 

 Plot 2. Unmanured (duplicate plot at the further end of the 



series). 

 Plot 3. 2000 lbs. sawdust. 

 Plot 4. 200 lbs. each sulphate and muriate ammonia (good 



samples of the salts so named in commerce). 

 Plot 5. 2000 lbs. sawdust, and 200 lbs. each sulphate and mu- 

 riate ammonia. 

 Plot 6. 275 lbs. nitrate of soda.* 



* The experiments witli nitrate of soda did not commence until the third season, 

 1858. 



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