Chemical Aspects. 
47 
sampled and analysed. The results of the analyses, and the 
conclusions based upon them, are set out in Dr. Voelcker’s 
very complete report, contained in pp. 37-57 of Profitable 
Clciy Farming. It is sufficient to say here that the general 
conclusion come to was that though corn crops had been 
grown continuously on the land during the interval of twelve 
years, the soil showed no signs of being exhausted ; and 
Dr. Voelcker gave it as his opinion that, assuming that the 
artificial manuring, as suggested by him, were kept up, the 
capabilities of the soil would allow of the practically indefinite 
continuation of the system of corn growing without any 
exhaustion of fertility, the immediate requirements of the 
plant being amply provided for by the artificial manures 
applied yearly; also that it would be unnecessary to employ 
farmyard manure as long as Mr. Prout continued to carry 
out the thorough cultivation which he was practising. 
Dr. Voelcker in his report made careful and exhaustive 
calculations of the constituents and their amounts which the 
crops of wheat and barley would respectively remove, and of 
how these requirements would be met by the artificial manures 
and by the plant food which might be expected to be, under 
cultivation, gradually liberated from the soil. He summed up 
his conclusions as follows (page 57) : — 
“ No fear whatever need be entertained that, under this system of cultivation 
and manuring, the land will be impoverished. ... I can see no reason why, 
with this system of manuring, and an occasional dead summer fallow, in order 
to give a thorough cleaning to the land, Mr. Prout should not be able to grow 
wheat or barley profitably for an indefinite number of years without injury to 
his land.” 
These words, written in 1880, have now (1905) received 
ample justification, for twenty-five years later we still find the 
son pursuing the system initiated under scientific advice by 
the father, and ready moreover, as has been shown, to maintain 
that the system is one that can be profitably carried out 
despite the agricultural changes that have taken place in the 
meantime. 
It was suggested by one of us that, a period of twenty-five 
years having elapsed since the late Dr. Voelcker analysed the 
soils of Blount’s Farm and reported on them, it would be well 
to take samples again, and by analysing them, ascertain whether 
up to this date any deterioration had taken place. This was 
accordingly done, and fresh samples of the soils of the three 
original fields, taken on September 26, 1903, were analysed by 
the present Dr. Voelcker. 
It is unfortunate that no records were kept of the actual 
spots at which the respective samples of 1865 and 1877 were 
taken. It was sought to obtain information on this point 
