Experiments on Lawns. 



99 



mate, at the rate of 20 gallons of the saturated solution per acre, 

 and Nitromuriatic acid, at the rate of 10 gallons per acre, only 

 lowered the produce to the extent of 1 cwt. 48 lbs. per acre. 



It has been found that the appearance of the grass when grow- 

 ing, and its quantity when first cut, are no guides to the actual 

 value of a given manure ; for it appears that in some instances the 

 quantity of mere water contained in the grass is very considerably 

 greater than in others. For example the dried produce obtained 

 from grass treated with Muriate of lime was only 1-7 of the original 

 weight ; but Sulphate of soda, Nitrate of potash, Nitrate of soda, 

 in small quantity, and Gas water alone, furnished 1-6 ; and Nitrate 

 of potash, Nitrate of soda, in larger quantity, Gas water mixed with 

 Sulphuric acid, or with Sulphate of iron, or with bleaching powder, 

 gave 1-5 ; while the lime used in purifying gas by the moist way 

 yielded 1-3. So that while 1 ton of fresh grass produced by means 

 of gas lime would yield dry 6 cwt. 74 lbs., 1 ton from Nitrate of 

 potash, Nitrate of soda, in large quantities, Gas water mixed with 

 Sulphuric acid, or with Sulphate of iron, or with Bleaching powder, 

 give but 4 cwt. ; 1 ton from Sulphate of Soda, Nitrate of potash, 

 Nitrate of soda in small quantities and Gas water alone, give only 

 3 cwt. 37 lbs. ; while 1 ton from Muriate of lime yields so little as 

 2 cwt. 96 lbs. or considerably less than half as much as the first. 



Among the manures which produced no effect on this occasion 

 was Woolwich Humus, a substance consisting of ancient decayed 

 vegetable remains found in excavating some docks at Woolwich, 

 Soot, Sulphate of iron, Guano ; while Poittevin's manure, Dutch 

 manure, Clarke's Aimatic compost, Lance's Carbon, and Chatwin's 

 artificial manure all diminished the quantity of dry grass more or 

 less. It does not however follow that they are prejudicial, or even 

 useless ; because Woolwich humus, which in these experiments was 

 of no value, was found in the Kitchen garden a very useful sub- 

 stance. It is possible that the manner of application, a top dressing, 

 or the season, autumn, were unfavourable to their action. 



