ON THti MIXED HERBAGE OE PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1387 
On both, plots, the produce much diminished, the herbage greatly deteriorated, and 
calculation showed that not so much nitrogen was annually taken up in the total produce 
as was supplied in the manure, and the increased amount of nitrogen yielded over 
that in the unmanured produce was not more than one-fourth as much as was supplied. 
It is obvious, therefore, that a large proportion of the supplied nitrogen had been 
without effect. 
After 13 years, it was decided to stop the application of ammonia-salts on plot 6, 
and to apply the mixed mineral manure, including potass, instead. The application of 
ammonia-salts alone was, however, continued on plot 5. It seemed of interest to 
determine what would be the effects of the change—on the amount of produce, on the 
distribution of species, on the character of development of the herbage, and on its 
chemical composition; also to ascertain whether, or in what degree, the hitherto 
unrecovered supplied nitrogen would be reclaimed in subsequent years, under the 
influence of the mineral manures. 
Let us see by reference to the table which follows (LXXIX., pp. 1388-9), what have 
been the effects of the change in the manuring on the botany of the plot. Besides the 
usual particulars, the produce on plot 6, with the ammonia-salts succeeded by mixed 
mineral manure, is compared with that on plot 5, with the exclusive and continuous 
supply of ammonia-salts, and also with that on plot 7, with the exclusive and continued 
supply of the mixed mineral manure. 
Inasmuch as plot 6 received the same amount of ammonia-salts as plot 5 for 13 
years, from 1856-1868 inclusive, the first two botanical separations (of 1862 and 1867) 
show the character of the herbage under the influence of that manure ; and it is only 
the separations of 1872 and 1877 that show the character and the degree of the change 
in the herbage induced by the substitution of mineral manure for ammonia-salts. 
Compared with the produce without manure, that on plot 6 showed an average of 
13 fewer total species; but the deficiency was less in the years after than before the 
change, the numbers being in the four separation-years, 34, 32, 39 and 38. Compared 
with plot 5, with the continuous supply of ammonia-salts, plot 6 gave four fewer total 
species in the first two years ; but in the third it gave eight more, and in the fourth 
nine more—that is under the influence of the mineral manure. Lastly, compared with 
plot 7, where the mineral manure was applied continuously from the commencement, 
there were fewer species on plot 6, but a much less deficiency in number after than 
before the change of manure. 
According to the results of the four complete separations, the percentage of the total 
Graminese in the total produce does not seem to have varied much as a direct result of 
the manures, though it has done so considerably as an effect of season. The partial 
separations of intermediate and succeeding years do, nevertheless, show a tendency to 
increase in the proportion of the grasses. 
Since the change, however, the Leguminosse have increased in percentage in a 
striking degree, whilst the Miscellanea have diminished. 
