100 



Experiments on Lawns. 



Note by Mr, E. Solly. 

 It is, I think necessary to observe, that, notwithstanding all the 

 care that was taken in selecting the ground, the turf which formed 

 the subject of the preceding experiments, varied greatly in quality : 

 each experiment w r as made it is true on a small space of ground, 

 but as the number of experiments was considerable, the space over 

 which the whole series extended was necessarily large ; and in- 

 cluded a considerable variety of turf, hence it is impossible to com- 

 pare the produce of the different squares with the ordinary un- 

 manured grass of the Lawn, as the quantity of the latter is very 

 variable. The produce of the standard square No. 24, was 8 cwt. 

 64 lbs. dry hay, whilst that of No. 44 which had been manured 

 with 7 cwt. of Bone ash, was only 2 cwt. 98 lbs. dry hay, which 

 is about the quantity which would have been given by a similar 

 square without any manure at this part of the lawn. In the same 

 way, it may be remarked that the superior produce of the strong 

 mineral acids, Nos. 47, 48 and 49 over that of Bone ash, Nos. 44 

 and 45, is in part due to the difference naturally existing between 

 the soil and turf where the experiment was made. 



The experiments with ammoniacal compounds are amongst the 

 most satisfactory, and in those the increase of produce is so large as 

 to be quite independent of variations in the soil, &c. It is rather 

 unfortunate that the strength of Gas liquor varies very greatly, so 

 that the same quantity at one season of the year frequently contains 

 much more ammonia than at others. The Gas liquor used in these 

 experiments was very strong ; every gallon required about 4670 

 grains of the strongest Sulphuric acid to neutralise the ammonia, 

 and on evaporation left nearly 20 oz. of crystallised Sulphate of 

 ammonia. The Gas liquor commonly employed is much weaker; 

 some used in the garden the preceding year, required only about 

 1600 grains of acid per gallon, and gave 7 oz. of the crystallised 

 salt. The object which I had in the experiments 38 to 43, was to 

 ascertain what quantity of Gas liquor produced the maximum effect 



