The Earlier Results. 135 



inasmuch as it will convey a good idea of the method and 

 objects of the experiments, it seems desirable to briefly 

 indicate the matters dealt with in each report. The first 

 report is concerned solely with the produce of hay, estimated 

 in cwts. per acre, yielded by each of the plots, there being 

 seventeen of these at the time. The second report deals with 

 the produce of constituents per acre on each plot, and 

 contains estimates of the dry matter, the mineral matter, and 

 the nitrogen carried away per acre by the crop on each plot, 

 as well as estimates of the proportion of nitrogen recovered 

 in increase for one hundred parts supplied in manures. The 

 third report embraces a description of the plants, variously 

 developed by different manures. These plants are appro- 

 priately arranged under the three heads of gramineous 

 herbage, leguminous herbage, and miscellaneous herbage. 

 This report further contains an estimate of the total yield of 

 each kind of herbage. 



The fourth report is concerned with the chemical composi- 

 tion of the hay, and contains estimates of the dry matter, of 

 the constituents of the ash, of the nitrogen, of the woody 

 fibre, and of the fatty matter. The fifth report, after noting 

 that the most striking points so far brought out by the 

 inquiry were those which illustrated the very great variation 

 in the description and character of the plants developed by 

 the different manures, proceeds to discuss (1) the general 

 description and proportion per cent, of the different kinds of 

 herbage (gramineous, leguminous, and miscellaneous), and 

 the number of species in relation to the manures employed, 

 and to the amounts of crop yielded ; (2) the description and 

 proportion per cent, of the predominating species in relation 

 to the manures employed and to the amounts of crop yielded, 

 details being added as to the names and proportion per cent, 

 of the five predominating grasses, the two predominating 

 leguminous plants, and the three predominating weeds on 

 each plot ; and (3) the tendency to the development of leafy 

 or of stemmy produce, and the order of ripeness. This 



