378 



Soaking Seeds in Chemical Solutions. 



Vol. VIII. 



taken proper precautions, the whole being 

 so secured that no bird or fowl can get ac- 

 cess. 



" The soil in which my seeds were sown 

 has had no manure of any kind, to my cer- 

 tain knowledge, for the last eleven years. I 

 have corn in the natural slate, as well as 

 others that have undergone the process 

 which I use, so that a comparison of the 

 results can easily be instituted. The re- 

 sults of such a conjparison will be found 

 altogether surprising. I shall be prepared 

 to exhibit specimens of various grains, by 

 different processes, on the 8th of August, in 

 the proper place. 



" I may only further mention that the 

 greater number of the stems of the oats are 

 as thick as small canes, and the leaves from 

 one inch to one and one-seventh inch m 

 breadth, of a vigorous dark-green colour — 

 that the seed was very light, not exceeding 

 37 lbs. per bushel, and consisted of grains set 

 aside for feeding poultry — that the average 

 number of stems from thirty-three seeds, is 

 eleven and a half or twelve to each seed 

 sown, and the gross apparent produce be- 

 tween five and six hundred fold, both of oats 

 and bear. — I am," &c. 



On the 19th of September following, 

 which was only a few weeks after th6 

 plants had been exhibited at the Society's 

 show, Mr. Campbell resolved to disclose his 

 process to the public, and communicated his 

 intention in these terms, in another letter to 

 the Secretary: — "When in Edinburgh, .=ome 

 time ago, I took the liberty of calling at your 

 office, in the Highland Society's rooms, where 

 I saw Mr. M'Donald, and stated to him that 

 I intended to make further communications 

 to you respecting my plan of preparing 

 seeds so as to produce superior crops of 

 grain. 



" I have since that time resolved that my 

 best way was to make a full disclosure of 

 the process to the three great national agri- 

 cultural institutions of Great Britain and 

 Ireland. With this view I sent a communi- 

 cation, on the 8th inst., to his Grace the 

 Duke of Richmond, who I then imagined 

 was president of both the British Societies ; 

 but his Grace informs me that he is not now 

 president of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England, and, not being able to attend 

 any of the meetings at Edinburgh, recom- 

 mends me to apply to you, as secretary of 

 the Highland and Agricultural Society. I 

 therefore now take the liberty of makmg to 

 you the following communication for the 

 benefit of the agricultural interest of Scot- 

 land. 



" I steeped the seeds of the various speci- 



mens exhibited, in sulphate, nitrate, and mu- 

 riate of ammonia, in nitrate of soda and pot- 

 ass, and in combinations of these, and in all 

 cases the results were highly favourable. 

 For example, seeds of wheat steeped in sul- 

 phate of ammonia on the 5th of July, had, 

 by the lOth of August, the last day of the 

 show, tillered into nhie, ten, and eleven 

 stems, of nearly equal vigour, while seeds 

 of the same sample, unprepared, and sown 

 at the same time, in the same soil, had not 

 tillered into more than two, three, and four 

 stems. 



"I prepared the various mixtures from the 

 above specified salts exactly neutralized, and 

 then added from eight to twelve measures 

 of water. The lime of steeping varied from 

 fifty to ninety-four hours, at a temperature 

 of about 60° Fahrenheit. I found, however, 

 that barley does not succeed so well if steeped 

 beyond sixty hours. 



" Rye-grass and other gramineous seeds 

 do with steeping from sixteen to twenty 

 hours, and clovers from eight to ten, but not 

 more; for, being bi-lobate, they are apt to 

 swell too much and burst. 



"The very superior specimens of tall oats, 

 averaging 160 gtains on each stem, and 

 eight available stems from each seed, were 

 prepared from sulphate of ammonia. The 

 specimens of barley and bear were prepared 

 from nitrate of ammonia; the former had an 

 average of ten available stems, and each 

 stem an average of thirty-four grains in the 

 ear; and the latter an average of also ten 

 available stems, with seventy-two grains in 

 the ear. 



"The other specimens of oats which were 

 next the most prolific, were from muriate of 

 ammonia, and the promiscuous specimens of 

 oats were from nitrate of soda and potass — 

 strong, r.umerous in stems, (some having not 

 less than fifty-two,) and not so tall as either 

 the preparations from tlie sulphate or muri- 

 ate of ammonia. 



" It was objected by some that the tallest 

 oats were too rank, and would break down 

 before coming to seed, but I have no fear of 

 that, as they were strong in proportion to 

 their height ; and should there even be any 

 ground for the objection, I am confident that 

 a combination of sulphates of ammonia and 

 soda, or potass, would rectify the excess of 

 height, and render the grain equally pro- 

 ductive. 



" I have at present a series of experiments 

 going on in the country, with seeds prepared 

 in seven differrnt ways, and sown in pure 

 sand, and in a tilly subsoil taken six feet 

 from under the surface, and in which there 

 is no humus or organic matter of any kind. 

 Along with the prepared seeds are also some 



