f the manures used in the experiments was sown on it.

I have heard it said that Mr. Lawes, at this time, was a believer in
what was called "Liebig's Mineral Manure Theory." Liebig had said that
"The crops on a field, diminish or increase in exact proportion to the
diminution or increase of the mineral substances conveyed to it in
manure." And enthusiastic gentlemen have been known to tell farmers who
were engaged in drawing out farm-yard manure to their land, that they
were wasting their strength; all they needed was the mineral elements of
the manure. "And you might," they said, "burn your manure, and sow the
ashes, and thus save much time and labor. The ashes will do just as much
good as the manure itself."

Whether Mr. Lawes did, or did not entertain such an opinion, I do not
know. It looks as though the experiments the first year or two, were
made with the expectation that mineral manures, or the ashes of plants,
were what the wheat needed.

The following table gives the kind and quantities of manures used per
acre, and the yield of wheat per acre, as carefully cleaned for market.
Also the total weight of grain per acre, and the weight of straw and
chaff per acre.

Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year,
on the Same Land.

Table 1.--Manures And Produce; 1st Season, 1843-4. Manures and Seed
(Old Red Lammas) Sown Autumn 1843.

Manures:
FM Farmyard Manure.
FMA Farmyard Manure Ashes.[1]
SiP Silicate of Potass.[2]
PhP Phosphate of Potass.[3]
PhS Phosphate of Soda.[3]
PhM Phosphate of Magnesia.[3]
SPL Superphosphate of Lime.[3]
SAm Sulphate of Ammonia.
RC Rape Cake.

---+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| |
P | Manures per Acre. |
l +-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----+-------+-----+-----+
o | | | | | | | | | |
t | | | | | | | | | |
s | FM | FMA | SiP | PhP | PhS | PhM | SPL | SA | RC |
---+-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----+-------+-----+-----+
|Tons.|Cwts.|lbs. | lbs. | lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |
0 | Mixture of the residue of most of the other manures. |
1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 700 | .. | 154 |
2 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |