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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ilrilleJ by ihe three other niaiuires, and wlieii my sheep be- 

 gan to feed the rape in the latter end of Jul.y, it was quite 

 palpable that the gnano rape was doing the best. After 

 my sheep had been feeding the rape about a fortnight, the 

 rape drilled with the three first-named manures began to 

 show mildew ; tlie rape with the guano was growing luxu- 

 riantly without being much affected by mildew, and at the 

 end of six weeks I considered that I had one-fifth more feed 

 per acre after the guano rape than after that manured with 

 Nos. I, 2, and '3. In consequence of my wishing to try the 

 relative merits of guano in competition with farmyard dung, 

 my sheep fed a piece of early tares and were folded ou the 

 land, after which I put a heavy dressing of farmyard ma- 

 nure. One part of the field was left for guano, which I 

 drilled at the rate of two cwt. per acre without farmyard 

 dung. The result of this experiment proved the guano tur- 

 nips to bo much the best. The first time that guano was 

 used in its pure state without any mixture of ashes for 

 turnips, the crop was destroyed, in consequence of the seed 

 coming in contact with it, there not having been a sufficient 

 quantity of earth allowed to cover the manure previous to 

 the depositing of the seed. Having lost my crop of tur- 

 nips, which was a few acres only, I was induced to re-sow 

 the land with rape broadcast, the seed beiog covered lightly 

 with the hoes in preference to ploughing, as I wished to 

 keep the manure on the suifiice. The rape came up with 

 a good plant ; but I soon perceived that it grew iu rank, 

 just as the manure was drilled; and by the time it was ready 

 for hoeinsr, where there was no guano drilled, the rape- 

 plant died gradually away. I have mentioned this, because 

 I think it affords another striking proof of the great value 

 of guano. I am sure I may say that during the last three 

 years I have not lost an acre of turnips from the fly where 

 guano has been used ; nor have I sustained any injury from 

 the effects of guano, except on three or four acres where I 

 first drilled it in its pure state. Having now, I think, said 

 enough as to the advantage of guano, and shown plainly 

 that in every instance guano has had the pre eminence, so 

 far as my own experience has extended, I shall now, gen- 

 tlemen, make a few remarks on the application of guano. 

 In reference to the best system of applying guano for root 

 crops, I certainly advocate the use of the drill in preference 

 to sowing guano broadcast, although on mai^y farms that 

 method is adopted with success, as a moans of preventing 

 injury to the germinatioa of the seed— that is, on lands 

 where the ridge-system is practised. The farm in my oc- 

 cupation being best calculated for the drill-system on the 

 flat, I shall confine myself to that mode of application, 

 ■which, from practical experience, I have found to answer 

 the best. With regard to drills, we have a great variety in 

 use. Many of them I consider very good for drilling arti- 

 ficial manures ; but, as economy in horse and raanual-fabour 

 is a great item in the farmer's expenses, I wish to show 

 that the drill which I have been using, and which was ma- 

 nufactured by Messrs. Reeves, of Bratton Westbury, has 

 many advantages. In 1857 I used Reeves' patent 'drill 

 with great success. As respects economy, guano can be 

 used either with or without a mixture of ashes. At the 

 same time, I should recommend two bushels of dry ashes 

 mixed with 2 or 21; cwt. of guano to the acre, which Reeves' 

 drill will distribute with a regularity quite equal to that 

 of any other diill that I have ever used with twelve 

 bushels of ashes. On afarm where the land is somewhat level 

 this drill will with two horses put in nine acres per day, 

 and the same horses will take the manure with the drill for a 

 day's work. I always give one turn with the harrows after 



the drill, to cover the seed. I should state that the principle 

 of this drill is to deposit the guano, allowing a sufficient quan- 

 tity of earth to cover the manure before the seed is deposited, 

 which prevents the guano from burning the seed. This drdl 

 may be used with equal advantage in drilling guano or super- 

 phosphate, either with or without ashes. Our friend Mr. 

 Nesbit, iu hia admirable work on Agricultural Chemistry, 

 mentions that iu drilling guano for root crops it is necessary 

 that the guano should be mixed with four or six times its 

 weight of ashes, to prevent it from burning the seed ; but, 

 with all due respect for Mr. Nesbit's valuable information re- 

 specting the mixture of ashes with guano, I trust I have 

 shown plainly from my experience that two bushels of dry 

 ashes per acre is a sufficient quantity to be mixed with guano 

 or superphosphate. I hope I have aho shown that the drill 

 which I have need is most economical and advantageous. In 

 conclusion, I must confess that my object in introducing this 

 subject has been rather to glean iuforroation from the di^:cussion 

 than to give the results of my experiments. I now thank you 

 for your attention, and I shall be happy to answer any ques- 

 tions you may feel disposed to ask me on the subject 

 (cheers). 



Mr. J. Thoha.s (Blestoe) wished to ask Mr. Saiusbury 

 what quantity of ashes he had been accustomed to use to a 

 cwt. of guano ? 



Mr. Sainsbury said ha had been in the habit of using 

 two bushels of dry sahea to 2^ cwt. of guano. 



Mr. King : What drill do you use ? 



Mr. Sainsbury : Reeves's. 



Mr. CoussMAKER ( Westwood, Surrey) wished to make a few 

 remarks founded ou his own experieuce. He had not used 

 artificial manures to a very large extent, having always acted 

 on the maxim, which he learnt a good many years ago, from a 

 gentleman in NorthamptOBshire, Mr. Hildyard, that a good 

 farm, like a good joint of meat, oaly required bsstiiig with its 

 own dripping. Having kept plenty of stock, he had 

 generally been able to manure his farm with farm-yard 

 dung. He did not mean to deny that artificial manures 

 might be used advantageously in many inatancfs, and espe- 

 cially when a farmer toak a farm which was not iu good order ; 

 but when a farm had been got iiito good order, it would not, in 

 his opinion, require much artificial manure. With reg&rd to 

 the relative merits of different kinds of artificial manu -e, he 

 quite agreed with Mr. Sainsbury, that guar.o was the best of 

 all (Hear, hear). He happened to live iu the neighbourhood 

 of Aldershott, where there had been started a new uiauure, 

 derived from the camp— animal carbon, or whatever they 

 pleased to term it. He was induced to buy a certain quan- 

 tity of this manure for the purpose of trying it against guano 

 in money value. Having given £7 per ton for this Aldershott 

 maaure, and £14 for guauo, he used twice ns much of the 

 former as of the latter, and the result showed that guano was 

 decidedly superior to the new manure (Hear, hear). His ex- 

 perieuce with regard to guano proved that, if they entirely de- 

 pended upon it, they would force the plant very much iu its 

 early stages, and afterwards leave it in the lurch (Hear, hear). 

 He thought the best application was a half-dressing of guauo 

 with a half-dressing of farm-yard dung. If he bad to manure 

 for roots, he would not apply farm-yard dung to half tbe land 

 and guauo to the other half, but woida put a half-dressing of 

 each on the whole of the land, experience having convinced 

 him that that was the best mode of proceeding. Mr. Ssinsbnry 

 had mentioned the drill system ; he (Mr. Coussmaker) had 

 always sown his guauo broadcast. Iu so doing, however, he 

 had met with one great disadvantage, and he would be very 

 much obligedjo any gentleman who would suggest to him a 



