SECOND EEPORT ON VARIOUS MANURES AT CHISWICK. 145 
able than the unmanured soil; the nitrate of soda the most 
efficacious of all the uncombined manures. The value of the 
nitrate still further showed itself in the admixture with mineral 
manures as in box 6. 
The foliage in Ijoxes 4 and 6 was generally of a richer, darker 
colour than in the rest. The plants in boxes 4 and 5 were 
rather unequal, and suffered considerably from drought, as also 
did those in 6. All began to flower about the same time ; but 
the flowers were not only more numerous, but also finer in boxes 
4 and 6 than in the others. In box 2 they were few in number 
and weak in development. 
"When examined in April 1871, the roots in box 1 were the 
lowest in point of development, those in box 3 (ammonia salts) 
the most luxuriant, next those in box 5 (mineral and ammonia), 
then those in 4 (nitrate of soda). 
Comparing the growth with that which took place in the fore- 
going season, we find considerable difi'erences and much less 
fluctuation. 
The unmanured plants last season were the feeblest of all — 
not so this year. The plants subjected to mineral manures were 
higher last year than this, those in 3 also higher. 
In box 4 there was greater similarity in degree of growth in the 
two seasons. 
In 5 the growth was also about the same, but relatively slightly 
less developed in the present season. 
In 6 the development was uniformly higher this year than in 
the last, when it was also high. 
The root-growth in the two years presents some few points 
of contrast. Boxes 1, 2, 4, and 6 presented the same relative 
degree of vigour in both seasons. The roots in box 3 in the 
former season were inferior to those in the present. In 5 the 
growth was nearly the same. 
The plants examined in April 1871, at the same time as the 
roots, exhibited much individual variation ; this is to be accounted 
for probably by the fact that some of the plants were seedlings 
from the former year. The fact of these individual variations 
(in hairiness, breadth of leaf, shape of flower-spike, &c.) show- 
ing themselves in the same box is worth notice as indicating 
