THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



307 



ture, 

 No. 3. 

 No. 4. 

 No. 5. 



liquor generally varies in dilFercnt and also in the 

 same gas works. 



In the Gardener's Chronicle, 2d of April, 1812, 

 is a detail ol' the Itillovving experiment made with 

 this liquor : 



A large quantity of this ammoniacal liquor was 

 tested lor its strength— it was lound ihat u took 5.;, 

 pounds sulphuric acid, containing G5 per cent, dry 

 acid, to neutralize S7i lbs. liquor. It was then 

 divided into lour parts — in the hret the ammonia 

 was neutralized by phosphoric acid, forming phos- 

 phate of ammonia — the second with sulphuric 

 acid, Ibrming sulphate of ammonia — the third 

 with nitric acid, Ibrming nitrate of ammonia— the 

 lourth with muriatic (hydro-chloric acid) Ibrming 

 muriate of ammonia. 



Each of these solutions were so mixed with 

 these acids, that the quantity of ammonia in each 

 was the same ; they were much diluted, and half 

 a pint of this dilute solution was given to each 

 plant every other day. Thirteen experiments 

 were made with 25 cabbage plants each. The 

 weight of the cabbages, taken up in the autumn, 

 was as Ibllows : 



No. 1. Liquor neutralized by phosphoric acid, to 

 which was added 300 grainsof a mixture of sul- 

 phate and phosphate oi lime. 103 lbs. 

 No. 2. do. by sulphuric acid and the same raix- 



09 lbs. 



do. muriatic acid do 73 lbs. 



do. nitric acid do 65 lbs, 



do. with carbonate ofammonia dissolved, 



leaving the same amount of ammonia with the 



earthy salts, 58 lbs. 



No. 6. do. with phosphoric acid but no sulphate 



or phosphate of lime, 

 No. 7, do. sulphuric acid 

 No. 8, do. muriatic acid 

 nitric acid 

 carbonate of am 

 with dung alone, 

 without dung, 

 Poitevin's dried manure, 

 Here No. 5 and No. 10 are useless or perhaps 

 worse, — carbonate of ammonia already existing 

 in the liquor, and the addition of more only ren- 

 dered the solution perhaps too strong, to the injury 

 of the plants, as the result shows. 



In No. 56 ol" the Scotch Quarterly Journal of 

 Agriculture, is an account of 4 acres grass land 

 put under experimental cultivation, 



1 acre with 112 pounds saltpetre, 

 1 " 1G8 " nitrate of soda, 

 1 " 5G0 " rape dust, 

 1 " 105 " gal. ammoniacal liquor. 

 The strength not mentioned, but diluted with hvc 

 times the quantity of water. 



The acre with the nitrate of soda exhibited the 

 earliest luxuriance of vegetation. 



That with ammoniacal liquor the next, but this 

 soon surpassed all the rest. 



That with rape seed showed the effect the lat- 

 est, but improved greatly as the season ad- 

 vanced. 



The produce from 31 square yards ofeach was, 

 in weight of grass — 



With saltpetre, ^ nearly the same, ave- 



" nitrate of soda, > raging 9S^ to 100 

 " rape dust, ) pounds. 



" ammoniacal liquor, 126 pounds. 



No. 9. 

 No. 10 

 No. 11 

 No. 12. do 

 No. 13. do 



do. 

 do. 

 do. 

 do. 



W hen made intohay under equal circumstances, on 

 the 2d of Augtist, the result was — 



with saltpetre, 31 pounds, 

 " nitrate ol soda, 32 pounds, 

 " rape dust, 30 pounds. 

 " ammoniacal liquor, 46 pounds. 

 In experiments with other substances as manure, 

 the product with ammoniacal liquor always ex- 

 ceeded considerably the rest. 



These appear decisive experiments, as to the 

 great value of the ammoniacal liquor produced by 

 the combustion of bituminous coal. II" therefore, 

 this new manure will give us an artificial bitumi- 

 nous coal, which will of itself enter into slow com- 

 bustion and furnish vegetables with this ammonia- 

 cal product by degrees as wanted, it must be of 

 immense value to agriculture ; and in truth this 

 operation will have to be judged of by observation 

 of its continued effects as much as by those of its 

 immediate action. The value of bituminous soot 

 as a manure has never been doubted ; but like 

 many other manures, it has too often been applied 

 in such large quantities or in such strong solutions, 

 as have rendered It injurious instead of beneficial. 

 The /arther consideration of this new manure I 

 will, however, leave until my next letter. 



J. E. T. 



THE •INFLUENCE OF THE OHIGIN OF SEEDS 

 ON THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OP CROPS. 



By Dr. Bronn, Professor of Mural and Sylvan 

 Economy in the University of Liege.* 



[Translated for tlic Farmers' Register, from tlie Journal d'.^gri 

 culture, etc., des Pays £as.} 



Even to the present day, the cultivators of fo- 

 rest trees have not thought of taking advantage ol 

 a phenomenon which is presented to us in the cul- 

 tivation of agricultural plants, and which, although 

 it has never yet been sulliciently explained, is ne- 

 vertheless well established. This phenomenon is 

 the influence which seed exerts on the quantity 

 and quality of the crop which is produced from it, 

 according to the diflerent nature of the soil and 

 climate from which the seed has been procured. 

 The good results of this influence have appeared 

 after using eecd from a cold climate and a te- 

 nacious and cold soil, in a warm climate and a dry 

 and light soil ; but they are also equally apparent 

 under circumstances quite the reverse, provided 

 the soil be not too dry and barren, and the seed 

 has hpid the opportunity of being developed and 

 coming fo perlect maturity. It appears then that 

 the two opposite kinds of soils and climates profit 

 equally from a change of seed. Let us consider 

 and examine at first a lew observations which may 

 serve to explain this phenomenon, and thence en- 

 deavor to deduce the physiological law, and apply 

 it to the cultivation of trees. 



The advantages resulting fiom a change ofseed 

 are generally recognized in the cultivation ol" the 



* Professor Bronn's article is here republished, ill 

 obedience to the request of one of our most valued 

 correspondents, made in the early part of this volume. 

 It now receives additional value from the remarks 

 appended.— Ex». f . K. 



