No. 11. 



Experiments with recently introduced Manures. 



357 



but in the spring- of the following year, the 

 new grasses upon them were found to be 

 much better than upon any other in the field. 

 The pasture was heavily stocked with ewes 

 nnd lambs, and eaten bare, the sheep giving 

 these ridges the preference; and when the 

 lambs were weaned, the pasture was cleared 

 of stock for a fortnight. When the same 

 thing was repeated, the grass on these ridges 

 again took considerably the lead of all the 

 rest, and was again preferred by the siieep 

 when they returned to it. This was a result 

 which I had not anticipated, and proves, either 

 that the effect of the nitrate continued in ope- 

 ration during the following season, or that its 

 effect in the first year upon the grass was 

 such, as to nourish and strengthen the plants 

 60 much as, to cause them to stand better 



through the winter and to shoot mnch more 

 vigorously in the spring — the latter is, I think, 

 the most reasonable. 



In the beginning of May last, I applied ni- 

 trate of soda and a mixture of nitrate and 

 manganese to equal quantities of new grass- 

 land intended for mowing, leaving a portion 

 without any dressing. The land was well 

 covered with plants of red and white clover 

 and rye-grass, but not of first-rate quality; 

 both portions to which the dressinsa were 

 applied soon assumed a dark appearance and 

 rapid growth, the difference being perceptible 

 at any distance. The portions were cut, and 

 the produce of each carefully kept distinct, 

 and weighed when made into hay and put up 

 in pikes, of which the following is the re- 

 sult: 



When the aftermath had begun to phoot 

 up, I applied the same dressings as above, 

 and also a mixture of guano and soil to por- 

 tions of the land that had not been dressed ; 

 the effects as to colour and growth were the 

 eame as in the previous experiment with the 

 nitrate and mixture of nitrate and manga- 

 nese; that from the guano was less apparent 

 and slower, but still, the growth was greater 

 than when nothing was applied to the after- 

 math ; one thing being very obvious, that the 

 etock, when put on the field, gave a great 

 preference to the portions which had received 

 the saline dressings, over that to which the 

 guano had been applied, as well as to ihat 

 which had nothing. I then applied the three 

 dressings as above stated, to rows of turnips 

 after they had received the second hoeing; 

 the effect as to colour and growth was the 

 Bame, and in the same proportions as to the 

 clover fog ; but the final result remains to be 

 proved. The same dressings were applied to 

 rape or coleseed, sown on bone manure when 

 the crop was three inches high, and here the 

 nitrate and mixture produced the most de- 

 cided effect that 1 had yet seen, for within a 

 month these rows had grown to twice the 

 height of the rest of the field, and were co- 

 vered closely over the intervals, bearing fully 

 double the weight of produce. Those rows 

 dressed with guano were better than those 

 which had nothing, but much inferior to that 

 to which nitre had been applied. Sheep were 

 put upon that part of the field on the 24th of 

 August, and in a week had eaten the rows, 

 done with nitrate and nitrate and manganese, 



close to the ground ; while those done with 

 guano, and those lefl undone, were hardly 

 touched — a decided proof, that the application 

 of nitrate to such plants, has the eflect of not 

 only increasing the quantity to a great ex- 

 tent, but of rendering it more palatable to 

 animals, and, no doubt, in an equal degree 

 more nutritious. 



I found nitrate very beneficial to the growth 

 of tares, and extremely so, to six acres of the 

 second year's grass, the effect being greater 

 and more rapid than upon the first year's 

 clover; but this land being in pasture, the 

 increased produce could not be brought to 

 the test of actual weight of hay; but the 

 stock being kept off it for a week after sow- 

 ing the nitrate, it acquired such a growth, as 

 to keep afterwards, in comparison with other 

 land, at the rate of five sheep per acre instead 

 of three. 



My experiments of nitrate upon grain, both 

 the last year and this, have been unsuccess- 

 ful; it stimulated a great growth of straw, 

 and in consequence of much rain before the 

 harvest, those portions have been laid and 

 much injured, producing great bulk, but 

 coarse in straw and unproductive in grain; 

 and even in cases where both barley and oata 

 seemed in no danger of being too bulky and 

 were not lodged, a second growth has been 

 produced, and the crop is now being cut, full 

 of green and immature shoots, while the per- 

 fect grain does not appear more in quantity 

 nor 60 good in quality as that which had no 

 nitrate. As rapid growth of straw with a 

 heavy shoot-blade just before the appearance 



