558 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[September 



bird's-foot trefoil, the perennial red clover, 

 &e. 



3. The Miscellaneous Herbage, chiefly 

 Weeds. — In this the reporters include, as 

 found in their plots, the rib-grass or plan- 

 tain, common carraway, the milfoil or yar- 

 row, the sheep's-sorrel or dock, the silene 

 or catch fly, various species of ranunculus or 

 crow's-foot, the germander speedwell, and 

 the bed-straw or cheese-rennet. 



The soil of the half-acre plots of natural 

 pasture at Rothamsted, on which these 

 trials were made, in a somewhat heavy, 

 loam, with a heavy clay subsoil resting on 



chalk. These plots were yearly dressed in 

 February or March with one and the same 

 kind of 'manure. But each plot had a dif- 

 ferent kind- of manure : two plots, however, 

 for the sake of comparison, were left un- 

 man ured. After three years' experience, 

 during which their produce had been care- 

 fully ascertained, these plots were, in 1858, 

 botanically examined. The result of these 

 lengthened trials and observations was as 

 follows, {Jour. Roy. Ag. Soc, vol. xx., 

 p. 250.) 



The effect of these manures on the pro- 

 duce per acre of hay will be found in the 

 subjoined table, which I thus abridge : 



MANURES. 



(Per Acre, per Annum.) 



Series 1. — Without Direct Mineral Manure. 



Unmanured, 



Unmanured (duplicate plot,) 



2,000 lbs. Sawdust, 



'200 lbs. each, Sulphate and Muriate Ammonia, 



200 lbs. each, Sulphate and Muriate Ammonia, and 2,000 



lbs. JSawdust, 



275 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, 



.550 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, 



Series 2. — With Direct Mineral Manure. 



ANNUAL PRODUCE. 



1856. 

 tns. cwts. 

 1 2 

 1 

 1 

 1 15 



1 15 



1857. 

 tns. cwts 

 1 5 

 1 3 

 1 

 1 13 



1 13 



' Mixed Mineral Manure,'* 



' Mixed Mineral Manure," and 2,000 lbs. Sawdust,. . 



'Mixed Mineral Manure," and 200 lbs. each, Sulphate and 



Muriate Ammonia, 



; Mixed Mineral Manure," and 200 lbs. each, Sulphate and 



Muriate Ammonia, and 2, >00 lbs. Sawdust, 



' Mixed Mineral Manure," and 200 lbs. each, Sulphate and 



Muriate Ammonia, and 2,000 lbs. Cut Wheat Straw,. . 

 ' Mixed Mineral Manure," and 400 lbs. each, Sulphate and 



Muriate Ammonia, 



'Mixed Mineral Manure," and 275 lbs. Nitrate of Soda,.. . 

 * Mixed Mineral Manure," and 550 lbs. Nitrate of Soda,... 



Series 3. — With Farm-yard Manure. 



14 tons Farm-yard Manure, 



14 tons Farm-yard Manure, and 100 lbs. each, Sulphate 

 and Muriate of Ammonia, 



1 10 



1 



12 



1 



16 



1 13 



1 



15 



1 



19 



2 16 



2 



17 



3 



4 



2 16 



2 



17 



3 



1 



2 8 



2 



14 



3 







3 2 



3 





3 



7 









1 



17 









2 



10 



1 15 



2 



7 ; . 



1 



17 



2 3 



2 



13 



2 



7 



The estimated average annual amount of 

 hay per acre from the aftergrass from the 

 1 7 plots was as follows : 



Plot 



1 produced of hay in 



lbs. 



539 



do 



2 



do 



do 



do 



617 



do 



3 



do 



do 



do 



503 



do 



4 



do 



do 



do 



594 



do 



5 



do 



do 



do 



594 



do 



6 



do 



do 



do 



823 



do 



7 



do 



do 



do 



823 



do 



8 



do 



do 



do 



689 



do 



9 



do 



do 



do 



689 



do 



10 



do 



do 



do 



800 



Plot 11 produced of hay in lbs. 800 



do 



12 



do 



do 



do 937 



do 



13 



do 



do 



do 1,067 



do 



14 



do 



do 



do 823 



do 



15 



do 



do 



do 823 



do 



16 



do 



do 



do 638 



do 



17 



do 



do 



do 638 



After then three years employed in these 

 experimental grounds, the first four general 

 conclusions to which the authors of these 

 reports arrive, with regard to the influence 

 of the fertilizers upon the growth of the 

 natural grasses, are : 



