60 THE COMPOSITION OF FERTILE AND BARREN SOILS. 



valuable hints to the practical farmer. For instance, it would enable him to 

 determine whether a piece of land wants lime, and if you submit the land to 

 minute analysis, he could not give any valuable information beyond that ; or 

 it would enable him to say whether there is an excess of organic matter in the 

 soil, whether it requires draining, whether it is fit for burning. These are the 

 great points to be desired ; but to ascertain them we do not want a minute 

 analysis. I would further say that in referring to the chemist for an analysis, 

 the farmer would often derive greater information from the analysis if he were 

 to put the chemist in possession of some facts relating to the soil, which he 

 might have observed, but cannot correctly account for. For otherwise the 

 chemist must submit the soil to a strict analysis, and on beholding the relative 

 proportions, he might be led to attach an undue value to some ingredients, 

 without its being attended with any practical effect ; but by your mentioning 

 one particular fact it may set him on the right direction ; and frequently in such 

 cases he might find out the true cause of the peculiarity of the soil and be able 

 to give a useful opinion. 



Lime and Dung. 



Mr. CHARLES WILLS asked how far it was a good system of farming to apply 

 lime and dung in manure at the same time ? 



Professor VOELCKEB. I should not object to use good dung and lime. At 

 times it is necessary to introduce the fertilizing matters lime cannot afford. It 

 is I ><i' I practice to depend on the use of lime alone, and you are likely to detract 

 from the land by giving it only one substance, while you may be taking out 

 many others that are not in superabundance, or which the plants have not sufli- 

 cient time in the soil to collect. I should think the use of farmyard manure 

 with lime a good practice dung, however, not to be in a rotten state. 



Mr. WILLS asked if they were not injurious one to another ? 



Professor VOELCKER. Not in the least. In fact you have a certain quantity 

 of lime in farmyard manure, but the cases of soils differ, and more lime may be 

 required than the manure contains. So far from thinking that they neutralize 

 one another, 1 believe that by lime you increase the efficacy of 'farmyard manure. 



Mr. WILLS described a practice which was observed in a humid district, and 

 stated that it was usual there to dress the land with 3 or 4 cwt. of lime and 

 80 seams of dung per acre. 



Professor VOELCKER said it was a better practice to use lime in small quan- 

 tities at several times, than in large quantities. He thought to use lime in 

 such quantities as Mr. Wills had mentioned was a bad plan. 



Mr. LAMBSHEAD asked what soils are benefited by lime? 



Professor VOELCKER. Clay soils, formed by the decomposition of trap rock 

 1 do not know the local name for it (Mr. WIDDECOME. Dunstone) which 

 I have seen in this neighbourhood, would be very materially benefited by lime. 



Guano, Phosphates, and Root Crops. 



Mr. W. 11. WHITEWAY asked the Professor in what soils he would recom- 

 mend the use of guano in preference to superphosphate for root crops ? 



Professor VOELCKER. I should think hardly any. 1 would not use guano 

 by itself for root crops ; it is a waste so to use it, except on a few soils containing 

 phosphates in abundance, which may be improved by a small dressing of 

 guano. In all other soils it is a waste to use so important a fertilizer by itself 

 for roots. 



Mr. WHITEWAY. What would you mix with it ? 



Professor VOELCKER Superphosphate. Remember, I only speak of root- 

 crop cultivation. 



Mr. BlOKFOBD asked whether superphosphate would be beneficially used here 

 on clay soils ? 



Professor VOELCKER. Clay soils differ materially. 



Mr. BiCKFOKD. I was referring to a heavy yellow clay. 



