ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 
132 7 
and a few grasses of very limited habit of growth, there was actually less with the 
manure than without manure ; but of no fewer than 10 species there was greater or 
less increase with the manure. That is to say, there was comparatively little relative 
predominance of any particular species, but a generally increased development of the 
numerous plants constituting the flora of the unmanured plot, a result which is 
strikingly different from that obtained with the increased luxuriance induced by the 
application of nitrogenous manures. 
Of the four Leguminosse enumerated as found in the samples, it will be seen that, 
whilst Trifolium repens, T. pratense, and Lotus corniculatus , have contributed a 
decreasing, and, in the later years, a very insignificant amount, Lathyrus pratensis has, 
on the average, furnished three-fourths of the whole of the leguminous herbage; with, 
however, very fluctuating quantities according to season, and, as has been already 
alluded to, probably a decreasing amount in the more recent years. It is of interest 
to observe in the columns showing the increase over the unmanured produce, that there 
is actually less of the deep-rooting and self-reliant Lotus corniculatus with than without 
the manure, and that almost the whole of the increase is due to the comparatively 
shallow-rooting Lathyrus. It is, however, worthy of note that the partial separations 
of the second crops indicate a lower proportion, and scarcely any more actual produce, 
of the mixed leguminous herbage with the manure than without manure; and it is 
also significant that, in these second crops, the Trifoliums bear a much larger propor¬ 
tion to the Lathyrus than in the first. An examination of the samples of the partial 
separations leads to the conclusion that this is explained by the fact that, owing to the 
habit and conformation of the plants, new and stronger shoots are more freely pro¬ 
duced from the thick-branched stock of the Trefoils which remain after cutting, than 
from the comparatively thinner and less branching stock of the Lathyrus, in which 
the relatively few shoots that are produced after cutting are of very slender and feeble 
character. 
Among the Miscellanese, Rumex Acetosa is the most prominent on the mineral 
manured plot, as it was also on the ammonia plot, and on that with the larger amount 
of nitrate of soda. But the mineral manured plot was more favourable to Conopodium 
denudatum, and to Achillea Millefolium, both of which, however, fluctuated very 
greatly in amount, according to season. No other miscellaneous plant, except Luzida 
campestris, was in any noticeable degree of prominence. The last division of the 
table shows that Plantago lanceolata, and the various species of Ranunculus taken 
collectively, were in each year in actually less amount with the mineral manure than 
without manure ; so also, but in a less degree, was Pimpinella Saxifraga, and, in two 
out of the four years, Luzula campestris. 
The only plants which uniformly yielded more with the mineral manure than without 
manure, were Rumex Acetosa and Conopodium denudatum, Achillea Millefolium doing 
so in three out of the four years. Thus, under the conditions of maturation rather 
than of luxuriance, that is of tendency to consolidation of tissue, and to reproduction, 
8 G 2 
