OF ARTIFICIAL MANURES. 149 



only because it -would be beneficial to tbe country, but 

 because it would also be productive of g-reater profit to 

 tbemselves. He wished to impress upon them that the im- 

 provement in the manag-ement of their farms which he 

 recommended, was not based upon the good of the country 

 alone, althoug-h that was a subject in which they were all 

 interested; but on the consideration that ultimately it would 

 be more profitable to themselves. But althoug-h he nad 

 explained the principles upon which the use of these sub- 

 stances were recommended g'enerally, there were certain par- 

 ticular cases where the use of them all would not be necessar}'. 

 After referring- to the improvements which were g-oing- on in 

 the northern part of the island on several estates (in one 

 instance at the expense of 10/. per acre), and on lands which 

 bad never been cultivated, he said, althoug-h they were exhi- 

 biting- extraordinary perseverance, industry, and skill, in 

 improving- the soil, it was only by the use of those manures 

 that they would be able to make it produce the larg-est 

 crops at the least possible expense. After some observations 

 as to the capability of every kind of land to produce, with 

 proper manag-ement, a })rofitable crop, and to the propriety 

 of manure being- applied only where it was wanted, he 

 referred to an experiment made by the Rev. Mr. Huxtable, 

 of Dorsetshire, in r-aising- a crop of turnips on a soil com- 

 posed almost entirely of chalk. He made a mixture of the 

 substances which went to the composition of turnips, but 

 instead of sowing- it broadcast, or placing it along- the top of 

 the whole drill, he g-ot children to g-o along with bag-s of this 

 substance, and to place a little of it at the distance of every 

 12 inches, on which three or four seeds were placed, and the 

 result was, that he got a crop of 20 tons an acre of magnifi- 

 cent turnips. In this experiment a curious circumstance 

 ■was to be observed, n-amely, that wherever the seeds were 

 put in where there was no manure put, the turnips got to 

 the size of an egg-, but no more. With such skilful treat- 

 ment as this he believed their most barren soils might be 

 made to par all the expense of cultivation, and leave a profit 

 besides. He then concluded by inviting those present to 

 state the results of their experience for the purpose of 

 enabling others to follow their example. 



Mr. Fraser, of Reelig, with reference to Professor John- 

 ston's theory of placing the manure close to the seed plant, 

 asked — " Would it not be better to disperse the manure, so 

 that the roots mi"-ht be induced to seek for their food ? 



