TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. f\' 



nary management, if it do not already produce the maximum average crops which the 

 seasons will allow, will probably require the additional use of nitrogenous rather than 

 mineral manures, to bring its yield up to that point. 



It is somewhat different with the meadow-land of the arable farm. Not only is 

 the amount of mineral constituents removed from a given area of land in an ordinary 

 crop of hay, much greater than that contained in what may be called, so to speak, a 

 corresponding grain-crop, but the proportion of the mineral constituents which will 

 be returned to the land by the home manures in the case of the meadow, will generally 

 be very much less than in that of the corn-land. 



It is very important, therefore, to study the effects of different characteristic ma- 

 nures, both on the amount, and on the composition, of the meadow-hay crop*. 



It was found, that mineral manures alone increased the total produce of hay, in 

 the case of the experiments in question ; but that they caused the increased develop- 

 ment of the highly nitrogenous Leguminous plants, almost exclusively — the Grami- 

 naceous ones appearing to be scarcely benefited at all. Ammoniacal salts, on the 

 other hand, increased the growth of the less nitrogenous Graminaceous plants, almost 

 to the exclusion of the Leguminous. The increase by either manure, used separately, 

 was, however, comparatively very limited. But, by the combination of both mineral 

 manure and ammoniacal salts, an increase of about 2 tons of hay had been obtained 

 annually, for several consecutive years; and the produce was almost exclusively 

 Graminaceous. It contained, in fact, not 5 per cent, of Leguminous and Weedy herbage 

 put together. The kinds of the Grasses themselves, which were developed, also varied 

 very much according to the manure employed. The proportion of cw/m-beariug 

 flower or seed, and of leafy produce, respectively, likewise varied very remarkably. 



From the above facts it would be expected, that the chemical composition of the 

 mixed produce — or hay, would be very much affected by the manures employed. 

 Such, in fact, was the case. The percentages of nitrogen, of impure fatty matter 

 extracted by ether, and of cellular matter or " woody-fibre " — and, of course, of 

 the complementary substances — varied very much. And, looking at the composition 

 in connexion with the known conditions and characters of growth, it was concluded 

 that in such green and unripened produce, high percentages of nitrogen, and of crude 

 fatty matter, were indications of low condition of elaboration, and of comparatively 

 low feeding capacity. 



Turning to the composition of the ash of the hay, it was found that the percentages 

 of potash, and of phosphoric acid, were very much increased by supplying these sub- 

 stances in manure. The amounts of these constituents, taken from a given area in 

 the crop, were also very much increased by such supply. The acreage amount of 

 silica — a constituent which had not been supplied in the artificial manures — did not 

 increase commensurately. This was the case, notwithstanding that, not only were 

 the larger crops very prominently Graminaceous, but the Graminaceous produce 

 itself was in large proportion stemmy. 



Where hay was grown for the supply of a neighbouring town, the supply of the 

 necessary mineral — or soil-proper — constituents, was generally fully maintained by 

 town manures of some kind brought by return carriage. But, where hay was grown 

 on an arable farm, and mown for consumption by stock, or, still worse, for sale, the 

 return was but too often by no means so complete. It was, indeed, highly desirable 

 that the meadow-land attached to the arable farm should receive a fairer share of the 

 home manures, than was usually, or at least frequently, the case. This was the most 

 efficient, and the most economical means, of keeping up the mineral supplies of the 

 meadow-land at such a point as to allow the growth of the maximum crops which the 

 seasons will allow, by means of specially nitrogenous manures. Without the latter, 

 indeed, little or no increase of the Graminaceous produce can be anticipated; whilst, 

 it is by means of such produce, that we must hope to get, in the long run, our largest 

 crops. The question of keeping up the fertility of grass-land by means of sewage, or 



* For a detailed account of their results, see — " Report of Experiments with different 

 Manures on Permanent Meadow-land," by the Authors, in the Journal of the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society of England, as follows : — " Part I. — Produce of Hay per acre," vol. xix. part 2 ; 

 " Part II. — Produce of Constituents per acre," and " Part III. — Description of Plants deve- 

 loped by different Manures," vol. xx. part 1 ; and " Part IV. — Chemical Composition of the 

 Hay," vol. xx. part 2. 



