Domestic Notices : — Scotland. 143 



whereasthose at greater distances, and especially of inferior soil, must follow a 

 five, a six, or a seven course, which only allows two fifths, two sixths, and 

 two sevenths, respectively, to be under corn crops, thereby limiting the 

 amount of food derived from farinaceous substances, while it does not increase 

 but diminish the means of fattening live stock, as compared with what would 

 be afforded under the change contemplated by Mr. Oliver. This was explained 

 and illustrated by details which we cannot enter into. 



Mr. Oliver next adverted to the probability of succeeding in the discovery 

 of fertilising substances, by referring to the recent progress made in chemistry 

 and vegetable physiology since the publication of Sir Humphry Davy's 

 Lectures ; to the interest taken in the subject recently by such distinguished 

 scientific individuals as DeCandolle, Macaire, Liebig, Professor Johnston, and 

 others ; to the interest also beginning to be felt by practical agriculturists in 

 the subject ; and, above all, to the successful results obtained by those who 

 had instituted and conducted experiments with new specific substances 

 adapted to specific crops. The results of several were stated ; but our limits 

 prevent us entering into it further than to give the import of one or two very 

 shortly. In adverting to the experiments on ammoniacal water and other 

 substances by Mr. Bishop, overseer at Methven Castle, and read at the last 

 meeting, it appeared that an application of ammoniacal water, which cost 

 about 1/. \5s., gave an increase of 274 stones of hay per Scotch acre, leaving 

 a profit (if taken at 6d. per stone) of upwards of 51. In consequence of 

 suggestions circulated last spring by Professor Johnston of Durham, to whose 

 intelligence and zeal Mr. Oliver adverted in strong terms, experiments were 

 instituted partly in England and partly in Scotland. 



Near Aske Hall, in Yorkshire, on the property of the Earl of Zetland, six 

 bushels of common salt, which cost 13s., gave 1 ton of additional hay per 

 imperial acre; 20 bushels of soot, which also cost 13s., gave 18 cwt., or 

 90 stones; 1 12 lb. nitrate of soda, which cost 22s., gave 12 cwt., or 60 stones. 



At Erskine, the property of Lord Blantyre, near Glasgow, 1201b. of nitrate 

 of soda gave one ton of additional hay per imperial acre ; and the same 

 weight of saltpetre gave 16J cwt. ; but on heavy soils the effect was about 

 one half only 



Results equally favourable were obtained by Mr. Fleming of Barrochan, on 

 grass and almost every other description of farm produce ; but we have not 

 space to follow Mr. Oliver in all the details which he gave of these expe- 

 riments, which is the less necessary as the directors were recommended, on 

 the motion of Mr. Finnie, Swanston, to publish the paper in their Trans- 

 actions. We shall, therefore, only, in taking leave of this highly interesting 

 paper, give the result of a single experiment with a mixture of the sulphate 

 and nitrate of soda, on potatoes: — 



s. d. 

 Sulphate of soda, 75 lb., dry, at 10s. per cwt., ) fi „ 



or 1501b. in crystals at 5s. - -) 



Nitrate of soda, 75lb. at 22s. - - 14 9 



21 6 



The return for this 21s. 6d. was upwards of eight tons of potatoes. The 

 results of these experiments are, no doubt, too limited for the introduction of 

 general principles ; but we agree with Mr. Oliver, that they hold out sufficient 

 encouragement for further enquiry on the subject of specific manures. 



Sir John Robison described a new form of roofing-tile, of French invention, 

 which appears to combine several advantages over those used in this country ; 

 being lighter than Scotch tiles, in the proportion of 68 lb. per square yard to 

 1101b. per yard, which is the usual weight. The joints of the French tiles 

 fit into one another in such a way as to render them easily made absolutely 

 weather-tight, and so as to afford no lodgement for water to be blown inwards 

 by the wind, or to be affected by frost. The general aspect of roofs formed 



