Vol. XI. No. 253. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



organic matter and ferric oxide that it contains. Fur- 

 ther, the most probable explanation of the difference in 

 colour between red and yellow soil.^ is that the parti 

 cles of the former are surrounded by a film of ferric 

 o.xide thicker than that which is present on those of 

 the yellow soils. Lastly, the transportation of ferric 

 oxide through soils is explained by its reduction to fer- 

 rous compounds by dissolved organic matter, and remov- 

 al of the more soluble ferrous compounds, thus formed, 

 in water containing carbon dioxide. 



SEAWEED AS MANURE. 



The following information concerning seaweed as 

 manure is given in the concluding part of LeaHet 

 No. 254 (August 1911) of ihe Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries : — 



It is difficult to form an estimate of the money value of 

 seaweed to the farmer. The fertilizing material present in 

 1 ton of seaweed posses.sing the average composition would 

 cost 8s. to IO.S , if purchased from a dealer in the form of 

 a merchantalile manure in a finely divided state ready for 

 putting on to the land. This value is arrived at l>y allowing 

 12.S tor each per cent, of nitrogen, is. for each per cent, of 

 potash, and 3.s for each per cent, of pho.sphoric acid. No 

 account is taken of the sodium, calcium and magnesium 

 .salts, which on most soils, but especially light soils, would 

 he di^tinctly heneficial; nor is any allowance made for 

 a possible stimulating etfect of the iodides present. It does 

 not, however, follow that seaweed is worth S.t to lOs. a ton 

 on ever}- farm near the sea coast. The question of avail- 

 ability of its constituents — i.e., of its decomposition under 

 various conditions —would have to be ascertained by careful 

 trials before even a tentative estimate of its money value 

 could be made. 



In farm practice, seaweed more or less takes the place of 

 dung, but there are several important differences. Seaweed 

 contains no fibre, and, consequently, doe.s not produce the 

 black, structureless material characteristic of the dung heap; 

 in decomposing it forms soluble substances which easily wash 

 away. For the same reason it decomposes more completely 

 than dung. It is even said to facilitate the decomposition 

 of dung on light .soils and in dry districts, but there is no 

 definite proof of this. A ton of dung and seaweed would 

 break down in the soil more quickly than a ton of dung 

 alone, and would therefore have less of a drying effect if put 

 on late. The freedom of seaweed from weed seeds and from 

 spores of disease organisms is of considerable advantage on 

 light soils where weeds are coiumou, or on soils liable to such 

 diseases as finger-and toe, the spores of which can hardly be 

 kept out of dung. 



E.xperiments to test the manurial value of seaweed have 

 been made at Trondhjem, at the Khode Isliind E.xperiment 

 Station, and by a few workers in Great Britain. In Hendrick's 

 trials, seaweed proved fully as effective as dung, for early 

 pototoes, so far as quantity of produce was concerned, but it 

 somewhat retarded ripening. On the ether hand, seaweed 

 and superphosphate proved better than dung and superphos- 

 phate. It is, however, on such gross feeding crops as mangolds 

 and the cabbage trilie that seaweed would be expected to 

 show its fullest effects. 



Reference has already been made to the fact that seaweed 

 decomposes more completely than dung, and is converted into 



soluble or gaseous substances. It should therefore not be 

 allowed to rot in heaps by itself, but should be put straight 

 on to the land, or, if this is not practicable, mixed with any 

 dung which will absorb some of the decomposition products. 

 The value of a heap of seaweed is much lessened by exposure 

 to rain, but exceptions to this rule may arise in the case of 

 special garden crops. 



Analysis shows that the .seaweeds have not all equal value 

 as manure. The long, broad, leaf like Laminaria is richer 

 than Fucus, the common black weed of the rocks. Seaweed 

 cut or thrown up in the early part of the year is richer than 

 that obtained late in summer or autumn. 



On the other hand, the foreign species gathered with 

 the seaweed, Zostera, Salicornia, and Glyceria, are distinctly 

 poorer in composition, and contain a certain amount of fibre 

 that does not readily decompose. They are therefore of less 

 fertilizing value, as the practical man has already discovered. 

 In .Jersey, Zostera is gathered from the .shallow sandy bays 

 and heaped uj) in alternate layers with dung, but it is not 

 usually applied direct to the land. A'ery thick, fleshy fronds 

 of Laminaria may decompose so slowly in the soil, that on 

 light land they may do some harm, by opening up the soil 

 and drying it out. 



The high manurial value of seaweed has already been 

 pointed out. On the basis of the current unit values, the 

 fertilizing materials in 1 ton of fresh seaweed would, in 

 a finished luanure, cost about 10« , and in I ton of dried .sea- 

 weed about 40.«. to Cu)s. The amount obtainable inu.st be 

 enormou.s, and it is worthy of consideration whether it cannot 

 be more widely utilized than it is at present, especially by 

 farmers near the coast. 



Sugar from Shredded Cane.— At the Wisconsin 



Sugar Company at Menomonee Falls, nothing further has 

 been done with the dried shredded cane received from Cuba 

 last year. It is still stored up in the sheds of the United 

 States Sugar Company at Madison, and it is said that it has 

 not deteriorated in value. The management is planning to im- 

 prove the facilities to work up the cane as soon as this year's 

 campaign is over, and it is believed that all the obstacles met 

 heretofore will be overcome, if not entirely, then sufficient to 

 produce results. (The f'n'-i Ri:rt,ii\ Xovember 1911.) 



Sugar Imports into the United States.— 



From the monthly summary to September 30 of the United 

 States Department of Commerce and Labour, we find that the 

 imports of sugar into the I'nited States for the nine months 

 then ending, from foreign countries, including about 100,000 

 tons, however, from the Philippines, aggregated 1,789,000 

 short tons, valued at 8.5 millions of dollars, these standing as 

 against 1,883,000 short tons during the same period la-t 

 year, then valued at 103 millions of dollars. Of these su.:^ os 

 1,600,000 tons, valued at V-5 millions of dollars, came from 

 Cuba, and the year before Cuba sent 1,781,000 short t .ns, 

 valued at 07 millious of dollars. Very little sugar had ome 

 from .Java up to the date given, the .same amounting to 

 103,000 short tons, valued at i?4,s.oS,000. We note this 

 autumn, beet sugars have again made their appearance in the 

 imports and aliout 12,000 short tons are reported as having 

 come in, valued at §-593,000. (The L'lulsiana Planter^ 

 November ■2.5, 1911.) 



