512 



Agricultural Chemistry — Turnips, 



Sfxected Results. 



1 cwt, superphcspliate lime, 4 cwts. pliosphate soda, manure 



1 , , , , 4 , , phosphate magnesia, manure 



1 , , , , 4 , , ])hosphate potass, manure . 



2 , , , , 1 J > 6^ch phosphate potass, soda, 

 and magnesia, manure 



As 18, with 15 lbs. phosphate ammonia 



5 cwts. superphospl)ate lime 



4 ,j ^ cwt. sulphate ammonia « . , 



4 , , J ) 4 J > rape-cake 



4 J, 4 15 lbs. plios. amm, 



0-76 

 0-70 

 0-66 



O'GS 

 0-73 

 0-81 



0- 87 



1- 18 

 1-29 



Thus, of the purely mineral manures, the superphosphate of lime 

 (No. 22), as in the first year, gives a higher weight of bulb than 

 any of those where alkalies are also supplied. The substitution 

 of 1 cwt. of superphosphate of lime, by half a cwt. of sulphate of 

 ammonia (^see Nos. 22 and 5), raises the weight of bulb from 

 0-81 to 0-87; by 4 cwt. of rape-cake (No. 10) to 1 -18 ; and by 

 4 cwt, of rape-cake, with ] 5 lbs. of phosphate of ammonia, to 

 1 • 29, the highest weight obtained during this season — that by 

 dung not excepted. 



The farm -yard dung, as in the previous year, must be supposed 

 to have afforded the most liberal supply of all the matters 

 necessary for conversion into the substance of the plant ; yet we 

 find that 4 cwt. of superphosphate of lime, with 4 cwt. of rape- 

 cake, and 15 lbs. of phosphate of ammonia (No. 11), give a 

 higher average weight of bulb than the farm-yard dung; that by 

 the former being 1 '29, and by the latter 1*19. We have, how- 

 ever, 20,096 plants per acre by farm-yard dung, and only 10,320 

 by the artificial organic compost. This deficiency of plants is, 

 however, easily accounted for, by the fact that the dung was 

 ridged in, and the artificial compost drilled with the seed; so that 

 the defect of rain during the early stages of the plant, whilst it 

 might only retard growth in the one case, would lead to positive 

 destruction in the other. 



The very great destruction of plants, as well as the small 

 weifjht of bulb, in the case of No. .3, where rape-cake alone was 

 drilled with the seed, further show the impropriety of applying 

 organic manures near to the seed or young plant, and the in- 

 efficiency of mere supply of constituents if the healthy develop- 

 ment of the collective apparatus of the plant be not secured. 



