(>4 



On the Inorganic Constituents of Plants, 



rise to, and the conclusions which may be drawn from them, will 

 form the subject of a future communication. 



A piece of ground divided into twenty-four beds, was sown with 

 Talavera Spring Wheat, drilled in rows, six inches apart on the 

 21st of March. The ground was tolerably uniform and had not 

 received any manure for some years, having previously been used 

 for the cultivation of garden annuals. It was however in good 

 condition ; in fact as the results of the experiments shewed, in 

 rather too good condition for the purpose. On the 19th of April, 

 the plants being fairly up, and from two to four inches in height, 

 the manures were applied, being sown broadcast across the drills. 

 Twenty-two of the squares were manured, two and two, with 

 eleven different substances, whilst the remaining two were left 

 without any manure. On the 1st of June, the plants being then 

 about a foot and a half high, twelve of the squares, eleven of them 

 having different saline manures, and the twelfth being one of those 

 left without any manure, received in addition an equal quantity of 

 silicate of Potash ; thus the first square had a saline manure alone, 

 the next had the same saline manure and in addition a quantity of 

 silicate of Potash ; the next had a second saline manure, the fourth 

 had the same saline manure, with the addition of silicate of Potash, 

 and so on ; one square alone being left without any manure what- 

 ever as a standard of comparison. Towards the end of July, the 

 Wheat came into blossom, it was cut at the end of August, and 

 threshed out early in September. During the growth of the 

 plants and ripening of the grain, very marked distinctions were 

 perceptible ; these are described in the following details. 



1. Phosphate of Ammonia. The quantity of this salt taken 

 was rather more than 2 lbs. per rod or 3 cwt. per acre. The 

 value of the salt can hardly be fairly compared with other saline 

 manures, as, the demand for it being very small, it has not yet been 

 made on a scale of any magnitude, and hence it is difficult to state 



