Middletown transcript., 1869-12-04
From the Southern Planter and Fdrmer.
DIR. voELcKER's CHEMICAL. INvEsTI-
e5GATIONs IN ls0s.

DIR. voELCKER's CHEMICAL INvEsTI-
aGATIONs IN 1893.
In lecture delivered by DR.. voelcker,
in May last, at the rooms Of the Royal
Agricultural Society Of England. we find
reported some remarkable results of field
experiments instituted at his instance. and
especially interesting in regard TO nitro
genous manures applied to clover and
the value Of clover fallow as the best pre-
paration for wheat. We submit them to
the careful study Of our readers; and COM
mend them tothcif CARLY attention I 4 y
-r" Let me give you brief account Of
some of the field experiments which have
been carried on for a number of years,
chiefly by former pupils of mine, who are
now members Of club which may be
called the field club of the Royal Agricul-
tural College, at Cirenccster. That is
club in tho proceedings of which take
much interest; because, as I have init
mated, it'includes many of my former pu-
pills, men who are rising in the agricul-
tural world, and who are willing and
qualified TO make trustworthy and useful
practical field experiments. Now would
refer especially to series Of experiments
Of clover seeds and on clover, some of the
results of f4which were published in the last
part of the journal Of the Royal Agri-
cultural Society of England. Without
wearying youywith MANY details, would
lallude to series of experiments carried
out in the years 1867-68, at Escrick
Park Home Farm, near York. by my
friend and former colleague Mr. Cole
man.. In all my field experiments, 1 may
remark, the same manuring substances,
or their mixtures, were employed in the
several localities in which the experiments
were tried They were the following: {:
Nitrate Of soda, sulphate Of ammonia,
mineral superphosphate, common salt, inu-
riate of potash, sulphate of potash, and
sulphate Of lime. L am always careful
to have two plots on which no manure is
used. In preceding years / tried these
various substances upon heavy soils; one
of the objects which had especially in
view being to ascertain under what cir
cumstances the artificial supply of potash
was attended with practical benefit to the
farmer. Speaking generally, l may say,
the result was not favorable to the arti-
fetal supply Of potash on most of the
heavy soils. In the majority Of cases the
increase of produce was not sufficiently
striking to repay the greater portion of the
outlay attending the purchase of potash
manure while in many instances could
see no beneficial effect whatever resulting
from the application of potash manures to
heavy land Now. If we look at the
chemical composition of clays of better
description, we shall find that most ol
them abound in. silicate of potash, and
under the decomposing influence of at
mosphcric action they readily yield solu.
bic potash Indeed, in some of the ex,
periments, the results Of which published
some time back in the Journal on the
effect Of water passing through the soil
it appeared that some kinds Of liquid ma
Enure-,very dilute, liquid manure, con
tanning but little potash-in passing
through clay soils, actually became charg
ed with potash, the drainage waters pos
sessing more potash than the liquid ma
nure contained in its natural condition
This shows clearly that ON certain ella,
soils the application of potash manure i
not desirable. / here allude more espe
cially to such soils az the excellent one
l use the wordii' excellent" in purel
chemical point of view-of Mr. Mechi'
farm at Tiptree. Mr.. Mechi had to dea
} with very unproduotive clay soil; bu
; as it Is full of mineral matters, he foun
the more he worked his land the bette
: became his crops In his case there wa
: actually more potash removed from til
! land by passing the tank liquid througl
itself Here we have ready explanatio
Of the fact, that in good clay soils an ar
Z tifcial supply Of potash is not attende
; with any benefit to the person using il
aII have, therefore, been anxious during th
: last year OF. two to try experiments, main
ly in light soil,1 and a capital opportunit
+ was Afforded for this purpose in the cas-
$ Of the extremely poor soil of the HON
' Farm, belonging to Lord Wenloek.
. gave tie analysis of this soil in th
{ 'yoals,dl Itthere appeared that the SO
i contained us much as 91,S (that is, nearl
g 92) per cent, Of quartz sand, an exceed
8 ingly small quantity of potash, a mer
trace'of phosphorici acid,1 and very lit
8 lime. : That soil was ascertained to |
e pooriin every description of mineral ma
IS ter which is necessary to bring iagricu
g tutal produce to- perfection -but L hs
s the qualification of finding that on such
y soil the supply of the mineral food flr
% quired for the clover crop is attendt
n with The most beneficial results. 5a
i o. incidentally / had occasion to- NAL
81 some observations, with respect to the ut
l.. ity of nitrogenous Inanures; and belle
4 that such manures will prove very usef
n to the practical farmer who has ,frequen
nd lylto dealwith variety.of soils. and ough
ID therefore, to be in position to judge wh
Of description of manure is best suited to pa
e ticular classes of soils!d Now, irsverting
| tbaa ~ :. a,,,,aots r,k.oh mana ,,ada II