212 ON THE APPLICATION OF MANURE IN A LIQUID FORM. 



single season ; which is, I believe, a much greater height than any 

 seedling tree of that species was ever seen to attain in the open soil. But 

 the quantity of earth, which a small pot contains, soon becomes exhausted, 

 relatively to one kind of plant ; though it may be still fertile relatively to 

 others : and the size of the pot cannot be changed sufficiently often to 

 remedy this loss of fertility ; and if it were ever so frequently changed, 

 the mass of mould, which each successive emission of roots would enclose, 

 must remain the same. 



Manure can therefore probably be most beneficially given in a purely 

 liquid state ; and the quantity which trees growing in pots have thus 

 taken, under my care, without any injury and with the greatest good 

 Affect, has so much exceeded every expectation I had formed, that I am 

 induced to communicate to the Society the particulars and the result of 

 my experience. 



I have for some years appropriated a forcing-house, at Dovvnton, to 

 the purposes of experiment solely upon fruit-trees ; which, as I have 

 frequent occasion to change the subjects upon which I have to operate, 

 are confined in pots. These were at first supplied with water in which 

 about one-tenth, by measure, of the dung of pigeons, or domestic poultry, 

 had been infused ; and the quantity of these substances (generally the 

 latter) was increased from one-tenth to a fourth. The water, after 

 standing forty-eight hours, acquired a colour considerably deeper than 

 that of porter ; and in this state was drawn off clear, and employed to 

 feed trees of the vine, the mulberry, the peach, and other plants. A 

 second quantity of water was then applied, and afterwards used in the 

 same manner; when the manure was changed, and the same process 

 repeated. 



The vine and mulberry tree, being very gross feeders, were not likely 

 to be soon injured by this treatment ; but I expected the peach-tree, 

 which is often greatly injured by excess of manure in a solid state, to 

 give early indications of being over- fed. Contrary, however, to my 

 expectations the peach-tree maintained, at the end of two years, the most 

 healthy and luxuriant appearance imaginable, and produced fruit in the 

 last season in greater perfection than I had ever previously been able to 

 obtain it. Some seedling plants had then acquired, at eighteen months 

 old, (though the whole of their roots had been confined to half a square 

 foot of mould,) more than eleven feet in height with numerous branches, 

 and have afforded a most abundant and vigorous blossom in the present 

 spring, which has set remarkably well ; and those trees which had been 

 most abundantly supplied with manure have displayed the greatest degrees 

 of health and luxuriance. 



