Experiments with dijferciit Top-Drcxsiiif/s upon fV/ieat. 27 
Last season we purchased a first-rate sampk? of nitrate of soda, 
containing in round numbers 97 ])er cent, of pure nitrate, at 
15/. 10s. ])er ton, and sulphate of ammonia at IG/. per ton. 
lioth these manures, tlierefore, were a good deal elieaper than in 
1860. The price of the guano was 13/. a ton. 
All the manures were finely sifted and mixed with coal- 
ashes, and sown on the 5th of April with Reeves' broad-cast 
distributor. 
The effects of the top-dressing were most visible on the 
2 plots to which nitrate of soda was applied, on which the usual 
dark-green colour made its appearance in a lew days, and could 
be observed for a long time afterwards. 
Tire effects of the sulphate of ammonia and the guano were not 
quite so soon exhibited, as was also the case with the special 
wheat-manure. 
I"or a long time no visible effects were produced by the ulmate 
of ammonia manure, but subsequently the wheat on Plot VIII. 
improved, and looked decidedly better than on the unmanured 
part of the field, though it never acquired such a deep green 
colour as that grown on the plots top-dressed with nitrate of soda 
and the ammoniacal manures. 
The crop was carefully reaped, and after threshing the corn 
and straw, cavings and chaff Avere accurately weighed, and gave 
the following results : — 
Table I.— 1861. 
Showing the Produce in lbs. ami bushels of Wheat of the Experimental 
Plots, calculated per Acre. 
(^Average weight per bushel, G2 lbs.) 
Plot. 
Head. 
Tail. 
Total in Bushels 
of 62 lbs. each. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
bush. 
lbs. 
I. 
2476 
40 
40 
36 
II. 
2512 
10 
40 
44 
III. 
2776 
26 
45 
12 
IV. 
189fi 
28 
31 
2 
V. 
1| cwt. of nitrate of soda and 3 cwt. of salt 
2784 
32 
45 
26 
VI. 
2336 
10 
37 
52 
VII. 
2 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia 
2708 
46 
44 
'J6 
VIII. 
2392 
36 
39 
10 
There was no appreciable difference in the weight of the wheat 
from the different plots. On an average it weighed 3 lbs. more 
per bushel than the wheat grown in the preceding year. 
