170 Second Note by Dr. Voelcker. 



From these results it appears that though the old Cheviot turf 

 has been down so long, and has had such a time for the storing up 

 of vegetable matter, yet, on taking the soil to the depth of nine inches, 

 there is not half a per cent, less vegetable matter in the ploughed-up 

 and cultivated land than in the old turf. This, and the very dilTerent 

 appearances presented by the soils, led me to examine further, and 

 see in which part, or layer, of the soil the excess vegetable matter 

 was. The figures show that this was by far the most prominent in 

 the firnt inch— i.e., where the matted roots were, and with consequent 

 absence of real soil formation. 



Still more pertinent is the difference shown by the two samples in 

 respect of the moisture they held, the Cheviot turf being spongy and 

 moist throughout the whole topsoil, while the fivo-year-old pasture 

 was uniform soil throughout, and seemed well drained, and not in 

 stagnant condition like the other. This, of course, carries with it 

 most important consequences as regards the health of stock grazed 

 upon the respective pastures. Though the figures do not show that 

 there is actually more, or even as much, vegetable matter in the 

 five-year-old pasture as in the old Cheviot turf, the form in which it 

 exists, and the general condition of the soil induced by its presence, 

 are vastly superior in the case of the newer pasture. I should 

 describe the old Cheviot soil as one which was sour through accumu- 

 lation of vegetable matter and retention of moisture, producing an 

 acid and unhealthy condition of the soil, preventing its proper 

 aeration and drainage, or the healthy penetration of the roots into 

 the subsoil. On such accumulation of acid matter alone coarse and 

 inferior grasses would grow, thrive for a time, and then die down, in 

 part or whole, adding further to the matting of dead or dying roots. 

 On the five-year-old pasture, on the contrary, there is not this 

 stagnation : the vegetable matter is, by aeration, influence of drainage, 

 cultivation, &c., brought into assimilable, instead of unhealthy, condi- 

 tion, and soil formation, instead of humus accumulation, is the result. 



These points, to my mind, bear strong evidence to the superiority 

 of the newer pasture, and to the efficacy of the system which Mr, 

 Elliot pursues. 



J. A. VOELKER. 



November, 1900. 



SECOND NOTE BY DR. VOELCKER. 

 In November, 1900, I appended to Mr. Elliot's new edition of his 

 book, "The Agricultural Changes required by these Times," a note 

 on the examination of some soils from the Clifton-on-Bowmont farm. 

 In these I made a comparison between an old hill-side Cheviot turf 

 and an adjoining one laid down five years previously with Mr. Elliot's 

 mixtures. The general bearing of the observations and analyses was 

 to show that, though the old turf had accumulated rather more 

 vegetable matter and nitrogen, yet this was confined practically to 

 the very top portion, which consisted of a matting of roots and 



