THE EFFECT OF MANURES. 



;•■» 



Bocanso a plant diminiahcs i)i proportion to otliorK after being 

 treaiti'd with a certain fertilizer, it does not follo'.v that this jdant 

 would not also he improved if it grew alone. One species of 

 plant often receives more hcnetlt from a certain manure than 

 another. 



Th« Effect of Manures. — It was observed that those manures 

 whi(!li are the most effective with wheat, barley, or oats on arable 

 land were also the most effective in bringing forward the meadow 

 grasses. Again, those manures which weri' the most beneficial 

 to beans or clover benefited most other sj)ecies of leguminous 

 plants. 



The Gritminem and Legiiminostp nnmifest somewhait different 

 raanurial requirements. There is perhai»s no crop more in- 

 fluenced than the grasses in its character, as well as its quantity, 

 by the attention bestowed upon it. This applies also to the 

 leguminous plants. 



The changes were most marked where the most liberal ma- 

 nuring was employed; the increase M-as much greater in the 

 second year than in the third as compared with the second. By 

 means of manures the yield of dry matter, per acre, in the hay 

 crop, was in several of the experiments considerably more than 

 doubled. Every description of manure diminished the number 

 of species and the frequency of weeds. 



Dead leaves occurred in most places where the manuring was 

 the heaviest and the crops were the heaviest. This is a disad- 

 vantage in manuring so highly as to cause the crop to fall and 

 die at the bottom before the bulk is fit for cutting. 



In the words of the Agricultural Gazette for July, 1880 : *' They 

 live in harmony on the unmanured, open park, having nothing 

 to fight for in a state of nature. Season after season the same 

 plants appear in about the same proportions. But toss them a 

 bono, ground fine, or any other choice bit, and their harmonious 

 companionship terminates at once. Every act of improved cul- 



/ 



