JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 28, 1888. 
54G 
lawn, with flowers and shrubs surrounding, betoken a cherished 
home. One of the walls of the building is quite covered with 
a splendid Gloire de Dijon Rose bearing a wealth of lovely blooms, 
and the most attractive flower bed was a mass of seedling Pansies 
of a superior strain. Beyond are the fields, of which glimpses are 
obtained between the trees, and in some of those fields are the 
•experimental plots that a number of practical and scientific 
agriculturists inspected on Wednesday, the 21st inst. 
In the spring of 1886 Mr. Martin J. Sutton, aided by Dr. J* 
Augustus Voelcker, arranged a series of experiments on permanent 
and temporary pastures for the purpose of ascertaining the effect 
■of certain manures, alone and in combination, on crops of grass. 
The quantities were such as might reasonably be applied in ordinary 
agricultural operations, and such as any grass land farmer would be 
willing to pay for in the event of their proving profitable. The 
trials were arranged in six fields on poor brashy soil resting on 
chalk, and therefore particularly suited for these experiments. In 
1886 six plots M'ere set apart in each field. No. 1 was not 
manured at all, and is the standard with which the other plots are 
compared. In 1887 twelve more plots were added to four of the 
fields, and the same rule followed applied to these plots also. 
Every plot measured exactly 100th part of an acre, and was enclosed 
with galvanised iron wire. This separation of the several plots has 
been maintained from the commencement of the tri-als. Each 
group of plots is surounded with hurdles at a suitable distance to 
keep off cattle and ground game. Extreme care has been taken 
in every field to choose a portion which fairly represents the whole 
in herbage and in aspect. The manures were selected and approved, 
and several of them were analysed by Dr. Voelcker, and when sown 
■screens were employed to keep every particle within its proper 
boundary. Weekly inspections bave been made through the spring 
and summer of each year, and the progress of the various grasses 
and Clovers in every plot carefully recorded. Immediately each crop 
was cut it was weighed, then dried on its own plot, and finally 
weighed as hay. The drought from which the neighbourhood 
suffered up to the end of the first week of October, 1886, caused the 
aftermath to be exceedingly slight in that year, but the second 
crop was cut, carefully weighed, dried artificially, and weighed 
again as hay. In 1887 the prolonged drought, followed early by 
severe and autumnal frosts, proved so detrimental to the aftermath 
that it was a failure. That is the explanation given by Mr. Sutton 
in his carefully tabulated record of the trials, printed in manual 
form, and the work is highly worthy of perusal. 
The object of the experiments is wholly educational and in¬ 
tended to show the effects of different manures on existing 
pastures with the view of ascertaining which could be profitably 
applied, for it is a fact that money can be lost by injudicious ex¬ 
penditure on fertilisers, while on the other hand wise investments 
may be made in them for pastures and other crops ; but the 
experiments under notice apply to pastures alone, a subject to 
which Mr. Sutton has given great attention, and his knowledge is 
embodied in his standard work thereon. The cost of the manures 
per acre as represented by each plot in the fields is given, and the 
loss or gain resulting clearly stated. This, the third season’s 
experiments, show two things very clearly. First that the real 
value of manures cannot be tested in one year because of the 
differing residues and their influence on the succeeding crop, and 
■secondly that a combination of nitrogenous with mineral ingredients 
is necessary for achieving the best results, because as the plots 
demonstrate, where either nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia 
are used alone, a strong growth of the coarser grasses are favoured 
at the expense of Clovers and full and fine bottom herbage ; and 
where those quick manures are excluded the reverse occurs, and the 
crops as a rule lose weight. Good farmjard manure contains all 
the elements, with humus, hence proves its value at Dyson’s Wood. 
It did not, however, show this the first year, for every plot which 
had a dressing at the rate of ten tons per acre in the spring of 1887 
resulted in a loss that year, but the same plots this year, to which 
nothing else has been applied, will show a substantial gain, as they 
are among the best in the series. But it must be borne in mind 
the manure was from covered yards and cake-fed animals, much 
so-called farm manure that is used on land being delusive—a mere 
apology for the genuine article. The advocates of “ muck ” were a 
little jubilant after inspecting the crops, and not without reason ; 
but in very few instances is it so good as in the sample used, or 
produced in sufficient quantity for adequately enriching the ground ; 
and, as Dr. Voelcker explained in his most interesting address, 
chemical manures can be profitably used either in addition to it, 
which he advocates where practicable, or instead of it in its 
absence. 
It may be stated as a rule throughout the experiments that 
nitrate of soda is somewhat a brisker stimulant than sulphate of 
ammonia, inasmuch as the grass is riper, but it is doubtful if the 
crops will weigh heavier, and the results this year will perhaps show 
that there is a little more “ wear ” in the latter than the former. 
It should be said that in some of the series of plots this point 
will be tested, as nothing has been applied to them since 1886, and 
some of them will be left without further dressings. Possibly 
nitrate of soda, broadly speaking, may be preferable for dry soils 
and districts, sulphate of ammonia for those of a wet, cold nature. 
In some of the plots basic cinder is placed in comparison with 
coprolites, both mixed with kainit, to the apparent disadvantage of 
the former, the superphosphate of lime plots also comparing 
favourably with the cinder. Bones dissolved, boiled, and raw, are 
in comparison with no great difference in the crops judging from 
appearances, but those dressed with the first-named are perhaps the 
best in three cases out of four. A good profit was derived last 
year with nitrate of soda and muriate of potash, an outlay of 
17s. 6d. per acre yielding a gain of £2 16s., and this year’s crop, 
without a further dressing, is very promising both in bulk and 
quality, as it shows a fair mixture of Clover. The tide appears to 
be rising in favour of muriate of potash over the sulphate or 
kainit. The guano plots are weak, this “ hot ” manure not being 
good for dry soils in dry seasons. Further reference wuU be made 
to these valuable and suggestive experiments, and deductions drawn 
from them and others by our able agricultural coadjutor. 
At the close of the inspection upwards- of thirty gentlemen were 
entertained at luncheon by Mr. Sutton, who gave a cordial welcome 
to all, and invited a free informal discussion on the whole subject 
of manuring. Expressions of opinion were delivered by Dr. 
Fream, and Messrs. Simmons, Farmer, Hunter, Pringle, Luckhurst, 
Caird, Milton Druce, and others. Dr. Voelcker summing up the 
various suggestions and analysing the observations in a masterly 
address. A rather heavy and prolonged shower suggested that 
method of utilising time, and though much of interest was doubt¬ 
less missed outside which would have been seen had the afternoon 
been fine, yet none appeared to regret the rain keeping them in the 
marquee, and perhaps Mr. Sutton will feel the desirability of holding 
a similar parliament of professors, cultivators, and students (of 
which a number attended from the Downton Agricultural College) 
on a future occasion. 
BRITISH TOBACCO. 
Befoee the cultivation of Tobacco in Britain is absolutely con¬ 
demned we ask to be heard in its defence, inasmuch as we have spent 
several hundred pounds in the interest of the British agriculturist with 
a view to establish the fact whether Tobacco could or could not he 
grown here, and we believe the evidence we offer will more than justify 
further experiments. 1Vith regard to the manufactured Tobacco sent 
out by Messrs. Cope, in common fairness it ought to be understood that 
no foreign element in the shape of scents or flavourings has been used, 
whereas we are given to understand that the custom prevails to add 
some form of flavouring or perfume to the various grades of Tobacco 
sold by the manufacturers. It is therefore not surprising that after 
the public taste has been educated to the use of the blended and arti¬ 
ficially flavoured article it should object to the novel character of the 
real and pure Tobacco. We maintain that the fairer test would have 
been, either to have given the artificial assistance usually added to the 
foreign Tobacco, or to have sent examples of the latter, pure and 
dressed in the same way as the British grown.— James Caeter & Co. 
METEOKOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32''40’'N.; Long. 0° 8-0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
Hygrome- 
a . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
a 
1888. 
S rtx 
ter. 
"Z a 
perature. 
Temperature 
1 
June. 
, 
C 
In 
On 
Dry. Wet. 
fi o 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
gras.s 
Inches. 
deg 1 deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
det?. 
deer. 
deff. 
In. 
Sunday . 
3“.O07 
.51.8 , 4-8.2 
N.E. 
56 4 
64 7 
47 8 
7>'9 
46 7 
Monday. 
30180 
5 2 j 40.1 
N. 
55 3 
.56 3 
4?.9 
7.5.2 
3 5.7 
O.OiD 
I'uesday ... 
. ly 
80.‘J07 
50.0 4.80 
N. 
54 6 
54 7 
46 2 
(57.2 
46.7 
0.016 
Wednesday. 
. SO 
51.7 5'U 
N. 
54.1 
57 7 
45 9 
72 8 
46 1 
o.oy.’t 
Thursday... 
. 21 
29 970 
57.1 55 2 
N. 
53 6 
(57 7 
47.7 
]i-6.7 
4'.3 
0.231 
Friday . 
3iv64 
.^8 3 i 57.1 
N.E. 
54 8 
73.4 
.'54.2 
.U.i 
- 
Saturday ... 
. 13 
30.185 
59 6 55.3 
N.E. 
56.2 
70.6 
51 1 
1189 
4i.T 
0110 
80. 0> 
54.2 1 513 
55.0 
6J.2 
481 
8S.II 
4'..9 
0.479 
REMARKS. 
nth.—Overcaat all flay. 
13th.-Cloudy, and very cold throogliont. 
19th.—A little rain early: dull aori ratv dav; showers at night. 
20 th.—Dull earlv, wet till sih.M., then .-howery, with one glimpse of sun ; bright moor- 
light night. 
21 't.—Dull, with occas'onal slight showers ; heavy rain, with d'stant lightning and 
thunder, at night. 
22nd.—Dull morning fair afternoon, with some sunshine. 
2;ird.—Fine aud bright; heavy rain after midnight. 
An uncomfortable week, with some very cold days, the mean temnerature being 
scirc !y that due to the midille of Ma-. On several nights the 9 l’M. temiterature iower 
than has sometimes been observed in January.—3. J. STMOSS. 
