80 



On the Inorganic Constituents of Plants, 



applied to the Potatoes, namely, Phosphate, Muriate and Sulphate 

 of Ammonia, Sulphate of Soda, Nitrate of Soda, Common Salt, 

 Phosphate and Sulphate of Lime, Sulphate and Muriate of Potash 

 and Sulphate of Magnesia, the twelfth square being left untouched 

 for comparison. The effects produced by these manures were far 

 less marked than had been anticipated, the plants in all the 

 squares grew well, and no luxuriant growth or darker coloured 

 foliage indicated the ammoniacal manure, as had been the case 

 with the Potatoes and Wheat. The only squares in which any 

 difference could be perceived were those to which Common Salt 

 and Nitrate of Soda had been applied, but even in these the 

 superiority above the others was so very slight that it could not be 

 perceived without a careful comparison. About the middle of Au- 

 gust the plants ceased to produce pods and began to wither up, 

 they were therefore gathered and the seed threshed out. The 

 following table shews the produce in seed and the weight of dry 

 straw, produced by each square. 



Sulphate of Soda 



A fourth series of experiments was made with Mangel Wurzel. 

 Sixteen squares sown with Red Mangel Wurzel on the 12th of 

 May, were manured on the 26th of June ; the various substances 

 being applied as a top dressing, sprinkled round the young plants, 

 as was done with the Potatoes, to a distance of about 6 inches on 

 either side of the rows. The plants were 12 inches apart and the 

 distance between the rows was 24 inches. The roots were taken 



