and  Subsoils  of  some  of  the  Fields  at  Rothamsted.  337 
salts  and  nitrate  of  sodium  are  applied  as  a top-dressing  in 
March.  On  Plot  15  the  ammonium-salts  have  since  1878  been 
ploughed  or  harrowed-in  in  autumn.  The  farmyard-manure 
and  rape-cake  are  also  applied  in  autumn.  During  twelve 
seasons,  1808—79,  the  straw  of  the  preceding  crop  was  returned 
to  the  land  in  the  form  of  chaff  in  the  A division  of  Plots  5,  6,  7, 
8,  11,  12, 13, 14,  and  on  17  or  18,  according  to  which  of  the  two 
received  mineral  manure  only.  On  Plot  15a  the  straw  was 
returned  during  six  seasons,  1874-9.  The  effect  of  the  straw 
on  the  produce  has  been  very  small.  Further  particulars  of  the 
manuring  will  be  found  in  the  previous  Report.  The  samples 
of  soil  were  taken  between  October  10  and  18  from  six  places 
on  each  plot,  to  the  depth  of  27  inches.  In  most  cases  in 
which  a plot  consists  of  two  “ lands,”  only  the  A division  was 
sampled. 
Geescroft  Field. — Sampled  April  9-13,  1883.  This  field  has 
been  cropped  with  beans  since  1847,  but  in  the  later  years  the 
produce  has  much  fallen  off,  and  wet  seasons  have  so  interfered 
with  the  cultivation  that  the  experiment  has  been  discontinued. 
Since  1870,  small  crops  of  beans  have  been  obtained  in  1874, 
1875,  1877,  and  1878;  and  the  usual  manures  have  been 
applied  in  1875,  1876,  and  1878.  In  1879,  1880,  and  1881 
the  land  was  ploughed  several  times,  but  no  seed  sown. 
In  1882  the  land  was  ploughed  in  February  ; grass-seeds  were 
sown  in  September,  which  failed.  In  April  1883,  samples  of 
soil  were  taken  from  most  of  the  plots,  in  two  or  four  places, 
and  in  some  instances  to  the  depth  of  72  inches. 
The  Nitrogen  as  Nitrates  in  Soils  of  various  History. 
In  the  previous  Report  the  three  drain-gauges  at  Rothamsted, 
containing  uncropped  and  unmanured  soil,  were  described,  and 
the  results  of  the  systematic  analysis  of  the  drainage-waters 
during  the  last  four  years  were  given.  We  are  now  able  to 
give  the  mean  results  of  six  years,  May  1877  to  April  1883. 
The  nitrogen  as  nitrates  has  averaged,  in  the  case  of  the  soil 
20  inches  deep,  42 ‘5  lbs.  ; in  that  of  the  soil  40  inches  deep, 
36T  lbs.  ; and  in  that  of  the  soil  60  inches  deep,  4T9  lbs. 
per  acre  per  annum.  The  mean  of  the  three  results  is  40’2  lbs. 
This  quantity  will  represent  the  mean  annual  production  in  the 
soils  in  question,  if  we  assume  that  no  loss  of  nitrates  by 
reduction  has  taken  place.  The  soils  of  the  drain-gauges 
cannot,  however,  at  present  be  taken  as  representing  land  in 
good  agricultural  condition.  The  soils  have  undergone  no 
tillage  during  13  years,  saving  the  small  disturbance  resulting 
