480 Report of Experiments on the Grototh of Wheat. 
annual produce over the 'last 12 years, on the former of 22§ 
bushels of dressed corn, and 2603 lbs. = 23j cwts. of straw, 
and on the latter of 26| bushels of corn, and 3061 lbs. = about 
27^ cwts. of straw, a nearly identical, but perhaps rather higher, 
amount of nitrogen applied as nitrate of soda during the 12 years 
only on plot 95, gave 25| bushels of dressed corn, and 3187 lbs. 
= nearly 28i cwts. of straw. The nitrate has, therefore, given 
rather less corn, but rather more straw than the ammonia-salts on 
plot 105 ; and whilst it is probable that the nitrate supplied 
rather more nitrogen than the ammonia-salts, the mineral condi- 
tion of plot 105 was doubtless more favourable than that of plot 95. 
The conditions and the results were, however, sufficiently near 
in the two cases to indicate that a given amount of nitrogen will 
probably, in the average of seasons, and under parallel conditions 
of soil, give very nearly identical results, whether supplied as 
nitrate of soda or as ammonia-salts. There is, however, little 
doubt that nitrogen in the condition of the nitrate becomes more 
rapidly distributed in the soil, and is more rapidly active. 
Hence its suitability for Spring dressings ; and, hence also in a 
great measure its tendency to favour great luxuriance of stem 
and leaf, Avhich, under unfavourable conditions of soil and season, 
leads to the production of an undue proportion of straw. 
On plot 9a, in the 1st year of the twelve 475 lbs., and in the 2nd 
and 3rd, 275 lbs. of nitrate of soda alone were applied ; but 
during the last 9 years the same amount as on plot 95 (550 lbs.) 
has been applied, and not alone, but in conjunction with the 
mixed mineral manure. The results with nitrate of soda and 
mineral manure on plot 9a, compare best with those of ammonia- 
salts and mineral manure on plot 7 ; though, taken over the 
whole 12 years, 9a received neither quite so much nitrogen nor 
so much mineral manure as plot 7. Comparing the results as 
they stand, the average annual produce with the ammonia-salts 
and mineral manure was 36 § bushels of dressed corn, and 
4212 lbs. = rather over 37^ cwts. of straw, against 34^ bushels 
of dressed corn, and 4426 lbs. = 39^- cwts. of straw, with the 
nitrate and the mineral manure ; or nearly 2 bushels less corn, 
but nearly 2 cwts. more straw, equal about 100 lbs. more total 
produce, with the nitrate than with the ammonia-salts. 
Here again, then, when used in conjunction with a mineral 
manure supplying liberally every constituent likely to be needed 
except silica, as well as when used alone, the nitrate indicated a 
tendency to produce more straw and less corn than the ammonia- 
salts. Indeed, the crops growing on the nitrated plots always 
showed to the eye during growth, more stem, and broader leaves, 
than those grown under otherwise parallel conditions with am- 
monia-salts. 
