MANURING EXPERIMENTS WITH PADDY RICE (SECOND YEAR). 
5 
It may thus be seen that among the three important ingredi¬ 
ents of plant-food the phosphoric acid exists in our soil in the 
minimum, and that a supply of nitrogenous and potassic fer¬ 
tilizers without the simultaneous application of phosphates 
does not materially increase the yield over that obtained 
without any manure. The stock of nitrogenous nutrients in 
the soil sufficed, however, for a considerable development of the 
rice, when a fair amount of phosphoric acid was provided for 
in the manure ; yet the addition of nitrogen to the soil had a 
further very marked effect. As to the stock of potash in the 
soil, both years’ experiments prove that it does not quite suffice 
for a maximum crop, and that a slight addition of it to the 
manure distinctly increases the yield. 
With regard to absolute produce of grain and straw, some 
differences are noticed between the two years, particularly as 
regards the unmanured plots and those which had not been 
supplied with phosphatic manure. A close coincidence could 
not, of course, be anticipated, as the variety of rice was not 
the same, and the meteorological conditions differed, those of 
1890 being extremely favourable, those of 1889 less suitable 
to rice. The chief reason for the differences between the two 
years is, however, the different condition of the plants raised 
in the seed bed. In 1889, 240 plants were used for each plot, 
in 1890 only 182, and in these plants there was contained : 
1889. 1890. 
Dry matter. 20 -55 grms. 62.66 grins. 
Nitrogen .0.366 ,, 1.774 ,, 
Phosphoric acid.0.087 >> 0.334 >> 
Potash .0.192 ,, 0.653 >> 
The far larger amount of phosphoric acid and nitrogen in the 
plants of 1890 secured, of course, a better development espe¬ 
cially on those plots which did not receive these nutrients in 
the manure. 
We have next to consider—how far is the soil exhausted by 
the crops of the two successive years ? First referring to the 
consumption of nitrogen we found the following results : 
