504 MR. J. B. LAWES, DR. GILBERT, AND DR. PUGH ON 
Bean (b)\—Seeds, in Pumice with 50 cub. cent. water —Very much like the last (Bean 
a with soil), excepting that the development of roots is scarcely so great. 
Bean (c)—Meal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent. water.—A little mouldy matter on the surface 
of the soil, which appears dry. 
July 1. 
Wheat (a)—Seeds, in Soil with 50 cud. cent. water.—Plants all dead; the entire con- 
tents of the bottle apparently quite dry. The air has a slight musty odour. 
Wheat (b)—Seeds, in Pumice with 100 cub. cent. water.—Odour rather more marked 
than that of the last ee a); a coating of organic matter on the surface of the 
pumice. 
Wheat (c)—Meal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent. water —Soil quite dry ; covered with mould ; 
odour of air slight. 
Barley (a)—Seeds, in Soil with 50 cub. cent. water.—Plants quite dead and dry; air 
inodorous. 
Barley (b)—Seeds, in Pumice with 100 cub. cent. water—Soil dry and covered with 
mould. Air like that of Wheat 4; more foul than that of any of the others. 
Barley (c)—Neal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent. water—Surface dry. The air hasa slightly 
musty odour. 
Bean (a)—Seeds, in Soil with 50 cub. cent. water—Plants all dead, and much decom- 
posed; forming a black mouldy mass of organic matter on the surface of the apparently 
dry soil. The air has no perceptible odour. 
Bean (b)—WSeeds, in Pumice with 50 cub. cent. water—The same as the last (Bean a). 
Bean (c)—Meal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent. water—Soil dry ; slightly mouldy ; the air 
from over it inodorous. 
In order to see the effect upon the organic matter of an increased amount of moisture, 
100 cub. cent. of water were added to each of the nine bottles of decomposing matter, 
at this date (July 1). 
August 28. 
Final Report, and termination of the Experiment. 
Wheat (a)—Seeds, in Soil with 50 cub. cent. water.—Very little odour, and that not 
unpleasant. On removal from the bottle, it was found that the organic matter was well 
decomposed, only very indefinite remains of stems and leaves being visible in the soil. 
On the addition of oxalic acid to the mass, to retain the ammonia during the evapora- 
tion to dryness, a copious evolution of carbonic acid took place, and the surface of the 
fluid was constantly covered with a brown froth during the process. 
Wheat (b)—Seeds, in Pumice with 100 cub. cent. water—The mass has a disgusting 
mouldy odour. The form of the grain is retained, but all the contents are gone, and the 
