16 VOELCKER on the Scouring Lands 



Sample, No. 3. Hay from Scouring Land at Meare. 



In a perfectly dry state this hay produced in burning 



10-24 per cent, of ash in one experiment, and 

 10*38 per cent, of ash in another. 



The ash was next submitted to a complete analysis, which 

 furnished the subjoined results : 



Composition of the Ash of Hay from Scouring Land at Meare. 



Lime 12-31 



Magnesia 2-71 



Oxide of iron -89 



Potash 17-47 



Chloride of potassium 26'01 



Chloride of sodium .. 1*70 



Phosphoric acid 6*42 



Sulphuric acid 3'76 



Silica 27-22 



Carbonic acid and loss .. .. 1*51 



100-00 



Dried at 212 F., 100 parts of hay, No. 3, were found to contain 

 1-782 i>er cent, of nitrogen, which is equivalent to 

 11-137 per cent, of nitrogenized compounds. 



Sample, No. 4. Hay from Peat-Land at Meare, earthed over with Scouring 

 Land. Hay scours. 



100 parts of this hay in a perfectly dry state furnished 

 8'76 per cent, of ash, and 

 2-354 per cent, of nitrogen, which is equal to 

 14*712 per cent, of nitrogenized compounds. 



A careful perusal of the preceding analytical results suggests 

 several observations. 



1. The proportion of mineral matters is greater in the scouring 

 than in the sound herbage. Thus whilst the hay from peat- 

 land at Meare contained only 7 per cent, of mineral matters in 

 round numbers, the hay from scouring-land in the same locality 

 contained as much as 10 per cent. Every 10 Ibs. of such hay, 

 therefore, contained 1 Ib. of mineral substances, which is a very 

 large quantity indeed. 



2. Not only is the absolute quantity of mineral matter greater 

 in scouring than in sound hay, but the ashes of both likewise 

 differ materially in composition. In the ash of hay from peat- 

 land, it will be seen, a very much larger proportion of silica and 



