4nali/ses of Ashes of Plants. 



139 



cereals require two kinds of manuring, mineral and vegetable — 

 the roots recimxe principally only one, the first of these.* Supply 

 your roots with mineral nourishment, and whilst by the increase 

 of their produce you are enabled (so to speak) to grow a larger 

 quantity of mutton and beef, and milk, you will ensure also a 

 more abundant return of the more valuable crops, for which the 

 turnip and mangold eventually become the mineral as well as 

 vegetable sustenance. 



Now what is the mineral food which the different root crops 

 require ? 



This is the question which we hope in some degree to answer 

 in the following pages ; and we trust that the obvious importance 

 of the subject will be our excuse for entering into considerable 

 detail for its elucidation. 



The crops which form the subject of our present report were, 

 as in the former case, collected from different localities ; they are 

 in most instances the produce of ordinary culture. It has appeared 

 to us best at the outset to examine — not peculiar or anomalous 

 specimens, but those of ordinary average growth. As in our last 

 report, so in the present/ v, e have given the histories of a great 

 many samples, that could not for want of time be subjected to 

 complete analysis. Of their mineral matter the quantity is deter- 

 mined, but its composition is unknown — it is right that they 

 should remain on record in the Society's publications, and they are 

 given with all the information which could be collected concern- 

 ing them. Our obligations to gentlemen who have supplied us 

 with specimens for analysis, are here thankfully acknowledged. 

 We are indebted in this particular to Sir J. Johnstone, Bart. ; the 

 Rev. A. Huxtable ; Mr. Arkell, of the Agricultural College 

 of Cirencester; Mr. Thomas Browne, of Cirencester; Mr. 

 Morton, of Whitfield; Mr. Guppy, of Bradninch, Devon; and 

 Mr. Wickham, of Batcombe, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset- 

 shire. 



We have again to acknowledge with pleasure the invaluable 

 assistance received from Mr. Henry Tanner, of Exeter, in the 

 general prosecution of the research. 



* It is never inte'nded by this to assert that the root-crops can be raised 

 without any organic food in the soil ; but there is great reason to believe 

 that, with a small supply of "stimulating" organic nourishment (as 

 guano), to enable them to form their leaves y the turnip or the mangold may 

 be raised without further vegetable supplies from the soil. 



