On the A])jjIicafion of Manures. 



243 



the vegetable organization the power of itself elaborating the 

 alkaline or earthy matters which it may chance to contain.* 



It follows, then, that whichever of this class of constituents 

 enters necessarily into the fabric of the vegetable, must be present 

 also in the soil in which it grows, and hence we may derive an 

 important lesson as to the application of the substances employed 

 as mineral manures in encouraging the growth of particular 

 plants, and also as to the injurious effects of certain crops upon 

 tile growth of those which are to succeed them. 



Every known vegetable seems to contain a given proportion of 

 alkali — soda near the sea, potass in places more inland. 



The former of these may readily be referred to the salts pre- 

 sent in the waters of the ocean, whilst the latter may be supplied 



Experiment III. 



HORDEUM VULGARE. 



Weidit 



of its 

 ashes. 



Soluble portion of these ashes 

 In water, j lu nitric acid. 



'[After being treated with 

 Without 1 alkaline carbonate. 

 1 previous \ Earthy Earthy 

 treatment. ; phosphate. : sulphate. 



Portion 

 insoluble 

 in these 

 menstrua. 



300 grs. containing ^ , . 



7.7 



1.53 



1-6S 





0-45 



2-04 



Planitd i/t a gree/ihouse, a/tcl 















watered ivith a solution of 

 nitrate of strontian, con- 

 taining bounces of Trie salt 

 to 10 gallons of water. 















1. In sulphate of str on tian. 

 Produce dried 3 S3 grs. 



61-0 



11-3 



17-0 



3-6 



1-3 



0-9 



2. In Carrara marble. 



Produce dried 230 grs. 



34-0 



7-S 



li-j 





2-5 



0-8 



3. In washed sand. 



Produce dried 260 grs. 



15-0 



10-5 



5-9 



0-9 



2-0 



2-1 



4. In flowers of sulphur. 

 Produce dried 78 grs. 



7-0 



0-9 



-1-0 



none 



none 



O-I 



See LinuGean Trans., vol. xvii. part II. 



* Lamparlius has lately instituted some experiments, which seem at first 

 sight to militate against the notion, that the inorganic constituents are de- 

 pendant on the nature of the soil in which they grow. He divided a piece 

 of ground into five equal parts, each 20 feet square : after measuring them 

 equally, he strewed over the first olbs. of finely-powdered quartz : over the 

 second, the same quantity of ammonia; over the third, as much chalk; 

 over the fourth, as much of carbonate of magnesia: the fifth being lefc 

 without any addition. A certain quantity of wheat was sown in it and the 

 crop analysed, but no difference in their respective fixed ingredients was" 

 discoverable. Mayer, however, justly observes, that these experiments 

 prove nothing, because the earths added were not in a soluble condition, 

 and therefore could not afiect the constitution of the plants. 



