INFLUENCE OF AMMONIA ON QUALITY 69 



weight per bushel on the unmanured land is 52*0 Ibs., and on 

 plot 4A, receiving 200 Ibs. of ammonia salts with super- 

 phosphate and alkalies, 54-0 Ibs., while on the farmyard manure 

 plot it is 54-2 Ibs. At Woburn, the weight rises from 51-2 Ibs 

 on the unmanured land, to 53-4 Ibs. with a manuring of 183 Ibs 

 of ammonia salts with superphosphate and alkalies, but sinks 

 to 52-7 Ibs. when the quantity of ammonia is doubled. The 

 presence of a full supply of available ash constituents has a 

 considerable influence on the weight per bushel. When the 

 ammonia salts are used continuously alone, the weight per 

 bushel falls 2 Ibs. at Rothamsted, and 1*2 Ib. at Woburn. The 

 quality of barley is much more affected by the conditions of 

 manuring than is the quality of wheat. 



As the price of good malting barley is very much higher 

 than that of ordinary feeding barley, it becomes important to 

 inquire What is the influence of manuring on the production 

 of the higher priced grain ? In considering this question 

 it must be understood at starting that the most essential factor 

 in the production of a good quality of malting barley is the 

 character of the climate or season rather than the character of 

 the manure employed. A fine quality of malting barley consists 

 of large thoroughly matured grains of pale colour, in which the 

 storing up of starch has been carried to its utmost limit, and 

 which has been harvested in fine weather, so that no commence- 

 ment of germination has taken place. In order that the grain 

 should be fully matured it is necessary that the manuring should 

 be of a moderate and well balanced character ; any deficiency 

 in any of the elements of plant food will hinder the formation 

 of a large and perfect seed, while any manuring producing 

 great luxuriance of growth will prevent the final complete 

 ripening of the crop. A heavy crop will never yield the finest 

 barley. 



The use of nitrogenous manures tends to increase the per- 

 centage of albuminoids in the grain, and generally to diminish 

 the proportion of starch. The effect is very small with moderate 

 dressings of manure, and increases more rapidly as the quantity 

 of nitrogenous manure becomes greater. The percentage of 

 nitrogen in the corn and straw of the Rothamsted barley was 



