Nottinghamshire aoitl Lincolnshire in 1888 : Class ]. 555 
ing this manure for the purpose, and such land as this in parti- 
cular. That it was right to withhold them is clearly proved from 
the results, wliich could hardly have been better with them. 
The problem seemed to the writer sufficiently intei-esting to 
see what science in high places could say towards its solution, 
and a sample of soil taken from a field typical of both the 
Messrs. Machin's farms has been obligingly analysed by Dr, 
Voelcker with the following result : — 
Sample dried at 212° F. 
•Organic matter 2'19 
Oxide of iron . '83 
Alumina ......... 1'48 
Carbonate of lime .... ... "57 
Sulphate of lime "31 
Magnesia "40 
"Potash -28 
Soda . -15 
Phosphoric acid , . "22 
Insoluble silicious matter 93*57 
100-00 
'Containing nitrogen '12 
Equal to ammonia ....... "15 
per cent. 
Total lime (CaO) . 0-45, equal to carbonate of lime, 0-80 
Sulphuric acid . . 0-18. 
(Signed) J. AuGUSTtrs Voelckek. 
Dr. Voelcker entirely supports the opinion of the Judges as 
to the exceedingly light, sandy, and poor character of the soil 
mechanically. He also adds that the amount of phosphoric 
acid is decidedly high for such a soil (yet scarcely so high, the 
writer ventures to think, that Dr. Voelcker would go the length 
of advising no application of superphosphate for the root crop) ; 
and that the potash is also high, whilst the organic matter is 
extremely low as compared with average soils, and low even for 
a sandy soil (a further justification of Messrs. Machin's practices 
as previously explained). 
But not only do the Messrs. Machin discard the usual, and, 
in their particular case, the useless in artificial manures, but 
they supply the unusual in very large doses of potash as kainit, 
and of nitrogen as sulphate of ammonia. In feeding stuffs, 
again, Mr. W. Machin is a great believer in decorticated cake, 
which, when it can be got soft and good, science agrees with 
him in believing to be a good material to mix, as he largely 
mixes it, with com. As much, therefore, of artificial assistance 
as can be employed profitably seems to be taken advantage of, 
and great discrimination is exercised. 
