01ST THE MIXED HERBAGE OE PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1331 
the results yielded with superphosphate of lime in conjunction with salts of soda and 
magnesia, but without potass. 
The superphosphate of lime alone yielded more gross produce, but only a little more, 
than was obtained without manure, and the excess was the less in the later years. 
Indeed, not only the actual amount of produce, but the yield per acre of both nitrogen 
and mineral matter declined more rapidly with the superphosphate alone than without 
manure. In fact, the superphosphate of lime alone yielded, over the first 17 years of 
its application, less than two-thirds as much produce as the mixed mineral manure, and 
not three-fifths as much nitrogen. It is obvious, therefore, that the results which were 
obtained on plot 7 were in only a very small degree due to the superphosphate which 
the manure supplied. Let us see how the botany of the superphosphate plot bears out 
this conclusion. (See Table LXIX., pp. 1332-3.) 
It will be seen that the effect of the manure was, as already said, upon the whole, 
extremely meagre. In fact, there was scarcely any increased luxuriance induced ; and 
such increase in produce as there was, was mainly due to an increased tendency to 
stem-formation and consolidation of tissue in the case of some species. There was 
thus but little artificial struggle induced, and we have an average of 47 species as 
compared with 49 without manure. Both the percentage in the total herbage, and the 
actual quantity per acre, of the total Graminese rather declined, whilst those of the 
Leguminosae rather increased ; and the percentage, but not the actual quantity, of the 
miscellaneous herbage also showed some tendency to increase. 
Compared with the produce without manure, there was, however, on the average, 
a slight increase of gramineous, a decrease of leguminous, and an increase of mis¬ 
cellaneous herbage, the result being but insignificant increase of total produce. 
The column showing the average increase or decrease in the yield per acre of each 
individual species by superphosphate of lime alone, compared with the unmanured 
plot 3, shows a slight increase in quantity, in the order named, of Holcus lanatus , 
Poa trivialis, Avena Jiavescens, Lolium perenne , and Avena pubescens, a very slight 
increase of Cynosurus cristatus and Dactylis glomerata, and an actual deficiency of 
Briza media, Agrostis vulgaris, Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, and, 
though very trifling, even of Festuca ovina. Upon the whole, therefore, the increase 
is partly, though not entirely, among some of the better agricultural grasses, and as 
has been said, it was due rather to consolidation of tissue than to increased luxuriance 
or succulence ; in fact, to stemmy development but with dwarf growth. 
Of the Leguminosae, Trifolium pratense and Lotus corniculatus yielded less in each 
separation-year than without manure. On the other hand, in the three later of the 
four years, Lathyrus pratensis gave some increase, and on the average Trifolium repens 
gave a very slight increase. Lastly, on this plot of languid competition, and coincident 
great variety of species, we have in the last two separation-years a small quantity of 
the hard-wooded, somewhat shrubby Ononis arvensis, which is scarcely observable on 
any other plot. It is also on this plot of languid competition, and on one other plot 
only, that fairy rings develop in any marked degree. 
