REPORT ON THE INDUSTRY OP MANURES. 
83 
present, to assume, in comparing the action of the two substances, that only thirty-two 
(or even sixty) per cent, of gunpowder exist as gas or vapour, at the moment of its 
explosion. 
It is to be expected that the investigations which are now being actively pursued upon 
the true chemical effects produced in the explosion both of gun-cotton and gunpowder, 
under conditions similar to those which attend their employment in practice, will aid 
materially in furnishing the correct data so essential for a thorough and impartial com 
parison of the nature and merits of these two explosive agents. 
REPORT ON THE INDUSTRY OF MANURES. 
The Reporter is so largely indebted for this section to the collaboration of his friend 
Mr. F. 0. Ward, that he cannot refrain from renewing here, in a special manner, the 
expressions of gratitude already proffered to that gentleman, in the introduction, for 
other services of a similar kind. 
The great manurial problem, and the grave collateral questions involved in its dis¬ 
cussion, are so remote from the sphere of the Reporter’s habitual studies, that, in his first 
sketch of this section, he had merely added to the simple record of the Jury’s proceedings 
the tribute of homage which it was at once his duty and pleasure to offer to the great 
founder of modern husbandry—Justus Liebig. 
Finding, however, that his friend Mr. F. 0. Ward had been led, by special circum¬ 
stances, to bestow particular attention on this subject, the Reporter gladly availed him¬ 
self of that gentleman’s liberal offer, to furnish him with an epitomized view of the 
question in its most important bearings. 
This assistance was the more readily accepted by the Reporter, because, on the one 
hand, previous experience had assured him that no exposition from his friend’s pen would 
be otherwise than masterly and luminous; whilst, on the other hand, he felt that this 
report, taken as an outline of modern chemico-industrial progress, would be utterly in¬ 
complete, unless the industry of manures, and the great agricultural problems bound up 
therein, were adequately represented in these pages. 
The essay laid before him by his friend, appeared to the Reporter, he does not hesitate 
to say, one of the ablest and most philosophically conceived compendiums of a complex 
and difficult subject, that have ever come under his notice. Nay, more—on several 
points hitherto involved in doubt and difficulty, Mr. F. 0. Ward has advanced explana¬ 
tions which the Reporter believes to be as original as they are (to this mind) satisfactory. 
He therefore, with pleasure, adopted and indorsed his coadjutor’s work : contributing 
himself, for incorporation into its text, much valuable information, of a special kind, 
obligingly communicated to him by Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert, Mr. Gruning, and others. 
The completed section, thus jointly-produced, after having undergone careful digestion, 
has been subjected, as well by his coadjutor as himself, to the most scrupulous revision, 
in order to the elimination of any incidental errors or misconceptions. That perfect 'ac¬ 
curacy has been attained on all points, especially on those which are still the subjects 
of vehement controversy, would be too much to expect. The Reporter will not, however, 
affect to disbelieve that here and there some useful hint may be gleaned from these 
pages ; some great truth of husbandry be found, set forth in novel aspects ; or even some 
new link appear supplied, in the great chain of agricultural cause and consequence. 
It may be indeed, and probably will, be objected, by the advocates of a theory herein¬ 
after somewhat freely disallowed, that neither the Reporter nor his friend can lay claim 
to any experimental acquaintance with the subject they have undertaken to treat. This 
disadvantage 'is admitted ; it is a very real one, and it should weigh much with every 
reader in estimating the value of the opinions here advanced. But it may be alleged on 
the other hand as a compensating advantage, that in the midst of a vehement controversy, 
calm bystanders may sometimes discern truths, overlooked by more or less impassioned 
disputants. 
Be this as it may, these prefatory observations will at least prevent even a single reader 
from attaching to the statements which follow more weight than they may intrinsically 
possess. For the rest, on Mr.F. 0. Ward’s behalf as well as on his own, the Reporter can 
truly say that no labour has been spared to elucidate in these pages the great agricul¬ 
tural problems, now everywhere so anxiously debated, and fraught with such momentous 
issues, social, political, and economical. 
