NITRATES OF 



POTASH AND SODA. 



much stronger, close, and of an infinitely richer 

 and darker colour; and the cattle lying much 

 upon it, seemed very fond of it. This superior 

 appearance continued through May and June, 

 and perhaps later. The grass was, after this, 

 eaten so close that no difference could be no- 

 ticed, if any existed ; it was particularly and 

 frequently observed in September, October, 

 November, and now, 8th December; and no 

 difference was then, or is now, perceptible be- 

 tween the ground dressed with saltpetre and 

 what was not so dressed. The pasture seemed 

 equally benefited by the nitrate of soda as by 

 the saltpetre ; and as the latter cost in propor- 

 tion to the former as 30s. to 20s. per cwt., there 

 can be no question of preferring the nitrate 

 of soda. No improvement could be perceived 

 to have taken place from the dressings of com- 

 mon salt. 



2. Another trial was made on pasture of the 

 second year, in the lawn, on light land and dry, 

 14th April, 1840; one acre, measured and 

 marked, sown with 1J cwt. of saltpetre; ad- 

 joining this, one acre sown with 1$ cwt. of 

 common salt; and next, one acre, measured and 

 marked, sown with 1$ cwt. of nitrate of soda. 



Result. Every remark applicable to the ex- 

 periments in the south-east garden park applies 

 equally to this. In both, in the different breadt^ 

 sown by the cast of the hand where the t^> 

 breadths joined, and the ground had got an 

 extra quantity, the grass was richer and darker, 

 showing that 1$ cwt. per acre is not an orer- 

 dressing, whether of saltpetre or of nitrate of 

 soda. 



3. Memorandum of dressings of saltpetre, 

 common salt, and of nitrate of soda, on the 

 16th of April, on oats already brairded in Stott's 

 Fauld, partly on well drained, dry, and partly 

 on light land; one acre and fifteen falls, mea- 

 sured and marked, sown with saltpetre at the 

 rate of 1$ cwt per acre; next to this, one acre 

 and fifteen falls, dressed with common salt in 

 the same proportion ; next to this, one acre 

 and fifteen falls, sown at the same rate with 

 the nitrate of soda. 



Result. It was long before any effect was 

 perceived on any of the oats dressed as above. 

 About the end of June a difference was per- 

 ceived on the acre and fifteen falls sown with 

 saltpetre, which had previously shown worm- 

 ing, and then came away darker and stronger, 

 and became a heavy crop of oats and straw. 

 The acre and fifteen falls dressed with nitrate 

 of soda never seemed to be benefited by the 

 dressing. Being an inferior, light, sandy soil, 

 with a red, irony bottom, it was injured by the 

 early drought, and never recovered ; the salt 

 here, as on the pastures, seemed to have no 

 effect. 



4. Memorandum of dressings of saltpetre and 

 nitrate of soda, in Laughlan Glenfield, princi- 

 pally strong clay, thorough-drained, and sub- 

 soil-ploughed, 26th April, 1840, on red clover, 

 &c., for green cutting: one acre, measured and 

 marked, sown with saltpetre, at the rate of 1^ 

 cwt. and 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda, were sown 

 here in the same proportion. 



Result. The clover, &c., seemed equally 

 benefited by the saltpetre and by the nitrate 

 of soda; and, compared with what was not 

 107 



dressed, the improvement was very percepti- 

 ble in about a fortnight, and it became a much 

 darker, stronger, and heavier crop than in that 

 part of the field not dressed, and it was ready 

 for cutting fully ten days earlier. It was not 

 weighed, but it is believed there was from one- 

 third to one-half more on the ground dressed 

 than where it was not. The second cutting did 

 not show a better crop than where it was not 

 dressed. Nearly an acre was dressed with ni- 

 trate of soda after the first cutting, on the 10th 

 of August, where one had before been applied, 

 but it did not seem to do much good. 



5. Memorandum of dressing of saltpetre and 

 nitrate of soda on some winter-sown wheat in 

 Bridge Park, on clay land, thorough-drained, 

 and subsoil-ploughed, 20th April, 1840. 



First Lot. Twenty falls, measured and 

 marked, dressed with 28 Ibs. of nitrate of soda. 

 Produce: Wheat 7 bushels, 17$ Ibs., or per acre 

 (by an acre a Scotch acre is meant throughout, 

 and a Scotch acre is about one-fifth longer than 

 a statute acre; and by "a fall," a perch of 

 land), 58 bushels, 26 Ibs.; straw 64 stones, 18 

 Ibs., or per acre 518 stones. Weight of wheat 

 per bushel, 157$ Ibs. Sold to baker for 28a. 



Second Lot. Twenty falls, measured and 

 marked, sown with 28 Ibs. of saltpetre. Pro- 

 dttce : Wheat 6 bushels, 38 Ibs., or per acre 52 

 bushels, 24 Ibs.; straw 95 stones, 12 Ibs., or per 

 acre 764 stones. Weight per bushel, 58 Ibs. 

 Sold to baker for 28s. 



Third Lot. Forty falls adjoining, measured 

 and marked, without any dressing. Produce : 

 Wheat 1 1 bushels, 1 lb., or per acre 44 bushels, 

 4 Ibs.; straw 79 stones, or per acre 316 stones. 

 Weight 59 Ibs. Sold for seed at 35s. per boll. 



Fourth Lot. A small quantity of oats ad- 

 joining to this winter wheat was dressed with 

 saltpetre, which produced a great effect on the 

 strength and colour of the oats ; but the pro- 

 duce was not weighed or measured after being 

 cut 



Fifth Lot. Trial of nitrate of soda on six 

 drills of potatoes, at the rate of 1$ cwt. per 

 acre, sown over the stems when 5 inches long, 

 on 10th June. Result: The shaws (/ops) seemed 

 much finer and richer than those not thus treat- 

 ed; but the potatoes being sold, the compara- 

 tive produce was not ascertained. 



Six drills of Swedish turnips, dressed at the 

 same rate, 10th June, on a healthy braird, fol- 

 lowed by fine showers and warmth. Result : 

 Both shaws and turnips much improved, as 

 compared with those near them not thus dressed; 

 in appearance improved by several tons to the 

 acre, but no comparative weights were taken. 



In the trial with nitrate of soda, in the same 

 proportions, on mangel-wurzel and carrots, 

 Walls, the overseer, could not observe any dif- 

 ference between those so dressed and those 

 which were not; and saltpetre and cubic petre 

 were also mixed in small proportions with the 

 compost from an old hotbed, and used in the 

 garden for turnips, spinach, carrots, cauliflow- 

 ers, asparagus, and onions, but without any 

 apparent advantage. 



Mr. S. Martin, of Warbleton, in Sussex, has 

 given, in the Sussex Express, the following de- 

 tails of his experiments with nitrate of soda as 

 a top-dressing for corn, on a four-acre field in 



849 



