EXPERIMENTS ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OE PERMANENT MEADOW. 345 
herbage much declined, excepting that the Rumex acetosa was in some seasons very 
prominent. With the superphosphate and the greater predominance of the grasses, 
the number of species also declined more than with the ammonia-salts alone. 
On both plots the Festuca ovina became by far the most prominent grass, constantly 
increasing, and in 1877 it made up more than half the total crop in each case. 
Agrostis vulgaris was the next in order of predominance, and has also gradually in¬ 
creased, and in 1877 the two grasses, Festuca ovina and Agrostis vulgaris, made up 
nearly 83 per cent, of the total produce grown by ammonia-salts alone, and within a 
fraction of 80 per cent, of that by ammonia-salts and superphosphate. On the plot 
with ammonia-salts alone, three other grasses, Anthoxanthum, Holcus, and Dactglis, 
together contributed about 10 per cent, more, and no other single grass as much as 
a quarter of 1 per cent. On the plot with the ammonia-salts and superphosphate, 
Anthoxanthum, Alopecurus, Holcus, Avena elatior, Poa pratensis, and Dactglis, 
together contributed an additional 14 per cent., and no other grass more than a small 
fraction of 1 per cent. 
Thus, not only did the herbage consist mainly of two grasses, but the one which 
took the lead, Festuca ovina, is the prevalent plant on poor common-lands; and on 
both these plots both grasses, but especially the Festuca ovina, showed very inferior 
characters of development. They consisted chiefly of very dark green, leafy herbage, 
growing in patches or tufts, with very little tendency to produce stem and seed, and 
particularly in dry seasons, dying at the bottom, without properly ripening, and always 
yielding a soft, woolly, and very inferior hay. 
13. 400 lbs. Ammonia-Salts, and Mixed Mineral Manure, with and without Potass; 
Plots 9 and 10. 
The next table compares the results obtained on plots 9 and 10. During the first 
six years of the 20 both received annually 400 lbs. of ammonia-salts, and the “mixed 
mineral manure,” including potass. The only difference was that plot 10 received also 
2000 lbs. of sawdust per acre per annum during those six years, and again in the seventh 
year, but without effect. After the first six years, both plots -were manured as before, 
with the important exception that, from that date, the potass was omitted from the 
manure of plot 10, and a somewhat increased amount of sulphate of soda was applied 
instead. The table shows the average produce of hay, and its contents of nitrogen 
and mineral matter, over the first six years when both plots were manured alike (except¬ 
ing the sawdust on plot 10) ; over the next 14 years during which the potass was still 
applied to plot 9, but omitted on plot 10, and over the total period of 20 years. 
2 v 
MDCCCLXXX. 
