ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OE PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1323 
4. Mixed mineral manure, alone [includingpotass); Plot 7. 
Having considered the effects on the mixed herbage of applying purely nitrogenous 
manures, in various forms and quantities, for many years in succession, under which 
conditions the plants have to rely upon the soil itself for the mineral constituents 
required, we now come to discuss the effects of applying annually, from the commence¬ 
ment, a full mineral manure alone, including potass, the same as was applied to plot 15 
after the application of nitrate for 18 years. Of course, now the vegetation is left to 
obtain its nitrogen from other sources than manure; that is, from the soil itself, or 
from the atmosphere, as the case may be. 
Referring to Part I., p. 307, et seq ., for more detailed statements of the results as 
to the amounts of produce, of nitrogen, and of mineral matter, yielded, it may be 
here repeated that such a mixed mineral manure gave much more produce than 
ammonia-salts alone, and nearly as much as with either the smaller or the larger 
amount of nitrate of soda. There was also an increase in gross produce, in nitrogen, 
and in mineral matter, taken up over the later as compared with the earlier years. 
Even the gramineous herbage, so markedly influenced by nitrogenous manures, 
increased considerably, especially in the later years, under the influence of the purely 
mineral manure. Leguminous herbage, though in less actual amount than the 
gramineous, increased in much greater proportion, indeed, in a very striking degree. 
Miscellaneous plants, however, rather declined than increased. 
Although no nitrogen was supplied, there was a great increase in the amount taken 
up as compared with the produce without manure, especially by the increased legu¬ 
minous growth. Upon the whole, without nitrogenous manure, the amount of nitrogen 
taken up under the influence of the purely mineral manure was one and two-thirds 
as much as without manure, and nearly three times as much as by applying the same 
manure to either wheat or barley on arable land. Further, with this greatly increased 
yield of nitrogen in the produce, without the supply of any by manure, there was 
found a great reduction in the percentage of nitrogen in the upper layers of the soil, 
indicating the source whence the nitrogen of the vegetation had been derived. 
Bearing in mind these striking facts, we now turn to the botanical characteristics of 
the mineral manured plot, as shown in Table LXVIIL, pp. 1324-5. 
As already referred to, it has been found that the number of species compared with 
that without manure is diminished, whatever the description of manure applied. 
Taking the average of the four years of complete separation, there were 49 species 
found in the samples from the unmanured plot, 33 only by ammonia-salts alone, 39 
(over three separation-years only) with the larger quantity of nitrate, and 42 with 
the smaller quantity. We have now with the mixed mineral manure alone an 
average of 43, which is higher than on any plot with nitrogenous manure, whether 
used alone or in conjunction with minerals. The fact is that, with nitrogenous 
manure, there is more of forced luxuriance of individual species, varying, it is true, 
