the most eminent chemist that Europe can produce, for 90 bushels is so unheard-of a crop, that no expense should be spared which would enable us to ascertain what the soil contained to enable it to produce such a crop, which is the more remarkable as the field seems to have been a good many years under the plough.  As your Wakefield Farmers’ Club has many wealthy members in it, allow me to hint the desirableness of your undertaking this analysis, which, if properly performed, will be worth a thousand times more than its cost.  When you are aware that even Davy missed 16 per cent. of alumina in one of his analyses and that the chemists of the present day don’t seem to have detected the potash which exists so abundantly in potato-tops, you will, I think, agree how exceedingly important it is that such analysis should be checked by others, made without any communication between the parties.  You speak of an original letter of Liebig’s appearing in the “Farmer’s Journal.”  On what subject is it? as I have no means of referring to the periodical in question.  Does it throw any light upon the new manure for which he is said to be taking out a patent?  You speak of humus and humic acid.  What do you understand by humus? as, according to Liebig, humus sometimes means one thing and sometimes another, and he appears to treat it very much as modern chemists treat phlogiston, as something which they don’t comprehend, but which they need to explain the phenomena of vegetation.  If you are a believer in humus, what is it composed of, and how does it act in forwarding vegetation?  I suppose you will reply, By combining with oxygen and forming humic acid.  But would not the theory of the decomposition of carbon do quite as well?  I don’t perceive the injurious effects of quicklime upon grass land which you anticipate in your paper, but the contrary, and the more caustic it is the more beneficial is its action, so far as I can judge from my own experiments; and it is my practice in liming grass land to spread it as soon as I can get it into the state of flour.  I shall be glad to hear the result of your electrical experiment—­at present I am rather sceptical on the subject.

P.S.—­Am I to suppose that you have abandoned the idea of manuring an acre of wheat for thirteen shillings?

* * * * *

THE CULTIVATION OF WHEAT.

October 1st, 1852.

To the Editor of the “Manchester Guardian.”

The increasing quantity of agricultural produce consumed in this country makes it desirable that the cultivation of the land should be carried to the highest point consistent with profit; and the increasing scarcity of agricultural labourers will shortly render it difficult for the farmers in some districts to gather in their crops.  It therefore becomes increasingly desirable that every mechanical contrivance which will facilitate their doing so should be made as perfect as possible; and also that the crops themselves should be so cultivated as to make these mechanical aids to work to the greatest advantage.