Annual Report foi' 18S8 of the Consulting Chemist. 349 
should be meant a manure made from bones and acid only, with- 
out any admixture whatever ; all manures containing bone 
mixed with other ingredients to be designated by such names 
as Bone Compound, Bone Manure, &c. Hereby the farmer haa 
gained the advantage that in stipulating for Pure Dissolved 
Bones its composition is defined, and he can secure himself 
against having any manure that has a bit of bone in it palmed 
off on him as Dissolved Bones. 
Fish Chiano is a manure which appears to have very much 
gone out of general use in this country ; comparatively few 
samples have been sent to me for analysis. 
Basic Slag or Cinder continues to be tried experimentally, 
but not much more than this ; and I am still unable, either from 
my own investigations or from i-eliable ones made by others, to 
speak any more .favourably of it than I have done pi'eviously. 
Nitrate of Soda and Sulphate of Ammonia. — The prices of 
these, especially that of the former, have much increased, but 
the cost of nitrate of soda has riot interfered with its being 
the most generally used manure for nitrogenous top-dressing. 
Those who speculate on the effect of commercial transactions as 
likely to cause a still further rise in price must bear in mind 
that it does not stand alone, but that in sulphate of ammonia 
the farmer has a manure of home manufacture practically as 
efficacious as nitrate of soda, and that it is chiefly the con- 
sideration of the relative price of the unit of nitrogen in each 
which determines the economical employment of one or the other. 
Sorghum. — The Agricultural Department of the Privy 
Council, through Mr. Charles Whitehead, its agricultural adviser, 
has undertaken an investigation into the cultivation of sorghum 
as a forage plant. It was believed that if sorghum could be 
grown successfully in this precarious climate, its use both for 
ensilage and for feeding purposes would, on account of the 
amount of sugar it contains, be especially advantageous. In 
response to invitations to expei'iment on it, 52 farmers under- 
took to do so. As too frequently occurs, the inclement and 
wet season upset all calculations, and practically destroyed all 
chance of the success of the experiments. In 46 cases there 
was total failure, and in the remaining 6 only a minimum of 
success ; and, as a result of the enquiry, it was abundantly shown 
that sorghum will not answer in this country in cold and wet 
seasons. Nor did maize succeed last season much better ; only 
in the south-eastern and eastern counties did there appear any 
hope even of future success. Only in two cases was there 
enough to cut for fodder, and in none enough for ensilage 
purposes. 
