433 



From the results of these observations the authors conchide that if 

 they were carried out during the entire year, and yiekled proportionally 

 similar results, there is proof sufficient that forests possess an advantage 

 over cultivated country in the influence exerted upon rain-fall. 



Peterson's method of meadow-culture. * — In May of last year 

 such a lively discussion was aroused and so many different opinions 

 expressed with regard to the value of the Peterson method of 

 meadow culture, at the congress of meadow culturists, in Wittkiel, 

 (Schleswig,) that Dr. Oemler and E. Fuchs were induced to under- 

 take an investigation, botanically and by means of analytical chem- 

 istry, to determine the differences in the growth of grasses upon mead- 

 ows treated according to the Peterson system and upon those left in the 

 natural condition. In their work they have noted the character of the 

 soil, the different species and the number growing on a given space, 

 the length of the taller and shorter specimens, the total weight and the 

 general composition of the mixed grasses. They also determine the 

 difference between the actual amount of nutriment produced from a 

 given area when crops almost purely of grasses are grown, and when 

 mixtures of grasses with lucerne or with Swedish clover are grown. 



The first observations were made upon an area containing nearly 

 pure grass. The soil was a humus loam, with a subsoil of tolerably 

 fatty clay. Eighteen square feet produced 10 pounds, the average num- 

 ber of plants for this space being about 431, per square foot. The follow- 

 ing table represents the number of each variety present, with their 

 greatest and least lengths : 





Length of plants. 



Longest. 



Shortest. 



Festuca prateusis 



Holcus luuatus .. 



Poa pratensis 



Phleum pratense 



Arrheuathernm elatius 



Dactylus glomerata 



Loliam perenue, fine .. 



Lolium pereune 



Alopecums pratense . . . 



Rumex acetosa 



Ranuncuhis repens 



Poa annua 



100 

 66 

 64 

 59 

 41 

 82 

 24 

 22 

 14 

 4 



431 



Centimetei'S. 



98.5 



105.5 



98.0 

 81.2 

 106.0 

 88.0 

 91.0 

 92.5 



Centmefei's. 

 85.0 

 40.0 

 50.5 

 43. 5 

 98.0 

 51.0 

 71.0 

 15.0 



3 A 



Die landwirth. Versuch. Stat. Bd. xvii, 211. 



