244 'rhe Wohnrn Field F.rperi)nenfif, 11H)7. 
gained. It has also to be allowed that the fact of the inanurial 
applications being, in many instances, out of proportion to 
what the farmer could profitably employ — under altered 
conditions of corn-growing — militated not inconsiderably 
against the ready acceptance of the experiments by the 
“ practical farmer,” and placed them, as it were,- beyond 
his reach. 
Without admitting that this x;omplaint was justified, and 
while maintaining that scientific inquiry must, in many cases, 
be carried on independently of direct cost or return, it was felt 
by the Committee that if the plan could be revised in some 
respects so as, without destroying their scientific value, to 
commend them more fully to the practical man, this would 
be very desirable. In this sense marked modifications were 
introduced when entering upon the fourth decade, and these 
will now be briefly noted. 
1. In place of ammonia salts (this being a mixture, in equal 
parts, of sulphate of ammonia and muriate of ammonia) sulphate 
of ammonia alone is now employed, experience having shown 
that muriate of ammonia cannot be considered a regular article 
of commerce for manorial use ; moreover, the action of 
chlorides on such a soil as that of Woburn is likely, in the 
long run, to have an influence the reverse of beneficial. 
2. The rates at which nitrogen is used in its various 
forms of sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, and rape 
dust have been considerably reduced and brought within 
practical limits. Previously the smallest application of nitrogen 
was equivalent to 50 lb. of ammonia per acre, represented 
by a dressing of about 2 cwt. per acre of sulphate of ammonia, 
or 2^ cwt. of nitrate of soda, while the heavier applications 
went up to 5 cwt. of nitrate of soda per acre. These are 
amounts manifestly beyond the reach of the practical farmer 
at the present day. The quantities accordingly were reduced 
by one-half, 25 lb. of ammonia per acre being used as the 
ordinary dressing, this being equivalent to rather less than 
1 cwt. per acre of commercial sulphate of ammonia or rather 
over 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda. The double application (50 lb. 
ammonia) is retained in some instances in order to afford 
a comparison. 
3. Mineral manures, instead of being of the former complex 
nature and high cost, are I’educed to a general application 
of 3 cwt. of mineral superphosphate of lime and ^ cwt. of 
sulphate of potash per acre. The soil being light and sandy, 
it was deemed desirable to keep up the application of a certain 
amount of potash, but, experience not having shown any need 
for the special use of salts of soda or magnesia, these were 
dropped. 
