THE EFFECT OF MANURES. 275 



Because a plant diminishes in proportion to others after being 

 treated with a certain fertilizer, it does not follow that this plant 

 would not also be improved if it grew alone. One species of 

 plant often receives more benefit from a certain manure than 

 another. 



The Effect of Manures. — It was observed that those manures 

 which are the most effective with wheat, barley, or oats on arable 

 land were also the most effective in bringing forward the meadow 

 grasses. Again, those manures Avhich were the most beneficial 

 to beans or clover benefited most other species of leguminous 

 plants. 



The Graminem and Leguminosm manifest somewhat different 

 mannrial requirements. There is perhaps no crop more in- 

 fluenced than the grasses in its character, as well as its quantity, 

 by the attention bestowed upon it. This applies also to the 

 leguminous plants. 



The changes were most marked where the most liberal ma- 

 nuring was employed; the increase was much greater in the 

 second year than in the third as compared with the second. By 

 means of manures the yield of dry matter, per acre, in the hay 

 crop, was in several of the experiments considerably more than 

 doubled. Every description of manure diminished the number 

 of species and the frequency of weeds. 



Dead leaves occurred in most places where the manuring was 

 the lightest and the crops were the heaviest. This is a disad- 

 vantage in manuring so highly as to cause the crop to fall and 

 die at the bottom before the bulk is fit for cutting. 



In the words of the Agricultural Gazette for July, 1880 : " They 

 live in harmony on the unmanured, open park, having nothing 

 to fight for in a state of nature. Season after season the same 

 plants appear in about the same proportions. But toss them a 

 bone, ground fine, or any other choice bit, and their harmonious 

 companionship terminates at once. Every act of improved cul- 



