4’74 Mr. Chatterley’s Experiments on Saline Manures 
upon the same soil under different conditions, depending upon 
its capacity to supply the plant with its general nourishment. 
On account of this stimulant action, care should be taken in the 
application of these manures, that the quantity used should 
vary according to the condition of the plant and soil, as too 
large a quantity on a good plant, with a soil in high condition, 
would cause the crop to lodge, and a small dressing can 
always be repeated if found necessary. 
From the above experiments and several others, which want 
of opportunity has prevented from being carried out so fully, 
but from which as an eye-witness a comparative opinion may 
be formed, I am led to believe that no cheaper top-dressing 
than sulphate of ammonia can be applied to wheat or oats on 
this land, which is generally a heavy clay upon a subsoil of 
London clay, when the plant requires it, either from its being 
sickly or thin on the ground, in consequence of the land being 
somewhat out of condition, whether from unusual wet, bad 
seed-time, uncongenial spring, or any such-like cause. I 
should add that equal benefit appears to have been derived 
from its use upon a light gravelly soil upon a subsoil of 
gravel, upon the same as the London clay formation. 
With respect to the quantity of the salt to be used, it may 
be best to refer to the practical result of a large and small 
dressing, as shown in the table above (Nos. 2 and 3), and the 
previous remarks thereon as to the relative produce of straw 
and corn in each case, and to add, that although the experi- 
ment has not yet been made, there seems reason to believe 
that a better effect would result from the application of, say 
one cwt. per acre at three different dressings, than all at once, 
that is about 37lbs. when the crop of wheat makes its spring 
growth, or when oats are about two inches out of the ground; 
a similar quantity about a month afterwards; and again at 
the time of the formation of the ear. But a practical difficulty 
occurs in applying so small a quantity as 37lbs. of any mate- 
rial over an acre of ground: the simplest mode of overcoming 
this, unless we could use a machine capable of adjustment, 
similar to what is termed a clover drill, perhaps is to mix the 
salt with some substance which shall not exert any decom- 
posing action upon it, but so increase its bulk as to enable it 
to be equally spread over the surface; the best substance, as 
far as my experience goes, is common salt (itself a manure 
very generally useful), twice the weight of the sulphate being 
added to make up one cwt., a quantity not difficult to broad- 
cast over an acre: or if preferred, soot, which itself contains 
both sulphate and carbonate of ammonia; or even such a 
mixture as that before-mentioned used for peas, but then care 
