136 



On the Nitrate of Soda. 



Result of Experiments with Nitrate of Soda, made at Newton 

 Hall, in the County of Northumberland. By J. C. Jobling, 

 Esq., communicated by J. Grey, Esq. 



One acre of strong turnip-soil, from which the turnips had been 

 pulled in the spring, was sown with barley in April last. So soon as 

 the barley was well in blade, four stones of nitrate of soda were 

 sown upon one half-acre of it. In harvesting, housing, and thrashing 

 the produce of this acre, that half treated with nitrate has been kept 

 accurately apart from that which was without such treatment, and the 

 following is the comparative result : — Half an acre treated with nitrate 

 produced 29i Winchester bushels, weighing 115 stones, with 144 stones 

 of straw : half-acre without nitrate, 23^ bushels, weighing 94 stones, 

 and 105 stones of straw. Difference in favour of nitrate, 6 bushels 

 21 stones of barley, and 39 stones of straw. The cost of the nitre, in- 

 cluding labour in sowing and carriage, was 11^. 60?. 



It may be remarked that the sample of barley with nitrate is darker 

 than that without it, and that the clover-seeds do not appear to have taken 

 so well as on the other half-acre. The increased value cannot be esti- 

 mated at less than 40s. per acre, after deducting the cost of the nitrate. 



Half an acre of wheat, with J cwt. of nitrate of soda, produced 

 18 bushels of wheat, weighing 16 stones, and 142 stones w^eightof straw. 

 The adjoining half- acre, without nitrate, but managed in other respects 

 exactly the same as the other, produced 15 bushels of wheat, weighing 

 64 stones 11 lbs., and 117 stones weight of straw. The relative quan- 

 tities stand thus : — 



No. 1 . . 18 bushels. Weight . . 76 st. Olb, Straw . . 142 st. 



No. 2 . . 15 .... 64 11 .... 117 



Difference 3 11 3 25 



upon the half- acre. 



jResults of Experiments with Nitrate of Soda. By the 

 Hon. Henry W. Wilson. 



To the Secretary. 



Sir, 



I SEND you, according to my promise, the result of my experiments with 

 nitre and the nitrate of soda upon wheat. Last year I tried them to a 

 considerable extent upon a light sandy soil, sowing in the spring 1 cwt. 

 per acre : the difference between the produce of each was scarcely 

 worth notice, not exceeding a quarter of a peck, but there was an excess 



