290 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZLN'E. 



The effect of using only a ton of water per acre 

 for mangolds has recently been reported by Mr. A. 

 S. Ruston. The following table gives an abridged 

 statement of the results per acre in the season of 

 1854. The seeds were drilled in April ; the roots 

 weighed in October ; the amount of water per 

 acre about one ton : — 



Drill. 



Water drill 



Dry drill . 

 Dry d.ill . 



Water drill 



Dry drill . 

 Dry drill . 



Water drill 



Dry drill . 

 Dry drill . 



Water drill 



Dry drill . 

 Dry drill , 



Water drill 



Dry drill . 

 Dry drill . 



Water drill 



Dry drill . 

 Dry drill . 



Water drill 



Manure 



r IJ cwt. Lawes' super- 1 

 1 phosphate of lime J 



Ditto 



None 



r IJ cwt. Lawes' super- 1 

 L phosphate of lime J 



Ditto 



None 



r 1 cwt. Lawes' super- T 

 t phosphate of lime J 



Ditto 



None 



r I5 cwt. Lawes' super- "l 

 t phosphate of lime J 



Ditto 



None 



f 1 cwt. Lawes' super- 1 

 1 phosphate of lime J 



Ditto 



None 



{1^ cwt. Lawes' super- 1 

 phosphate of litne J 



Ditto 



None 



r 1 cwt. Lawes' super- 1 

 L phosphate of lime J 



Manure. 



13 loads 



roduce. 



27 14 



It is not, however, every soil or situation that 

 is adapted to the use of the water-drill ; but then 

 the exceptions are probably not very numerous. 

 Some soils may, as in the instance given by Mr. 

 Ruston, form a kind of concrete with the water. 

 On other lands water may not be attainble ; but still 

 there are very many farms where water is sufficiently 

 near to the surface to be profitably obtained. Its 

 application too does not involve nearly so much 

 labour and expense as we might reasonably antici- 

 pate. The evidence of a practical farmer, on this 

 head, who has for years extensively used a water- 

 drill, is very satisfactory. Mr. Ruston tells us {ibid 

 vol. XX. p. 366.) 



" The mode of working these drills is far less dif- 

 ficult than would be generally conceived. The 

 main thing is the supply of water required, and, 

 upon an occasional farm, this does grow into a 

 slight difficulty. On our fen-farms, where every 

 field is surrounded by ditches, which throughout 

 the entire year have a supply of water, this difficulty 

 has no existence. And upon what we technically 

 term our high land farms, where hedges generally 

 prevail, we have either open ponds and reservoirs, 

 or pumps supplied by unfailing springs, where am- 

 ple supplies of water can be procured. In cases 

 like these we find it necessary to purchase either 

 some old oil casks, or, what is better, because 



stronger and more durable, some old sherry butts. 

 These we fit up with a sort of hopper at the top, 

 where the water is cast into them, and a leather 

 hose at the end, where the water is discharged ; 

 this hose being made sufficiently long to admit of 

 its being hung by a loop upon one end upon the 

 top of the cask, when no discharge is required, by 

 which means any improper escape of the water is 

 avoided. These casks are placed in an ordinary 

 dung-cart, and, to prevent any rolling motion, a 

 little long soiled straw is placed on either side of 

 them. This simple and inexpensive method, where 

 proper water-casks, for other uses, are not required, 

 answers every practical purpose. It very seldom 

 happens that more than two of these casks are re- 

 quired to keep a drill fully at work. These will 

 serve for distance exceding half-a-mile, and three 

 would convey the full quantity of water required if 

 the distance exceeded a mile. Where two only are 

 required to be used one horse is ample ; where three 

 are needed two horses will be necessary. One cart 

 containing the full cask may always be set down in 

 the field where the drill is working, being careful 

 to place it in such a position that it will not inter- 

 rupt the drill in its work, but will, at the same 

 time, be convenient for use. The hose is un- 

 fastened from the top of the cask, and that end of 

 it is placed in the cistern of the drill, allowing the 

 water to continue to run until a sufficient quantity 

 has been obtained, when the hose is again fastened 

 as before. Where water is procured from the 

 ditches which surround the field in which sur- 

 round the field in which the drill is at work, the 

 method adopted is very simple indeed. A large 

 tub is placed at the side of the ditch just where 

 the drill turns out at the end ; this tub is kept 

 filled with water, the drill draws up by the side of 

 it, and the men at once, with pails, fill the cistern." 



The oat crop has not been tried with the water- 

 drill to any great extent ; what has been done, 

 however, in this way, may well prompt us to in- 

 stitute extended and more accurate trials. We are 

 all aware how much the oat plant delights in a 

 moist season; and how poor a return in a dry 

 climate it makes for the application of the best ar- 

 tificial manures. So that we might reasonably ex- 

 pect that the use of a considerable portion of water 

 would be attended with valuable results. Here, 

 again, we have the evidence of Mr. Ruston. He tells 

 us — {Ibid, vol. XX. p. 375.). 



" During the last two years I have sown all my 

 oats with the water-drill. Where these crops have 

 been sown upon land where coleseed had just been 

 eaten, and which was in thoroughly good condi- 

 tion, I have applied 2 cwt. per acre of Lawes' su- 

 perphosphate of lime. In one or two instances, 

 where the oats were sown upon wheat stubbles, I ' 

 have this year applied 1 cwt. of Peruvian guano 

 and 1 cwt. of superphosphate, properly mixed, per 

 acre. The results have been eminently satisfac- 

 tory ; and, had I contemplated writing this paper, 

 I would have made some careful experiments to 

 show the precise amount of benefit derived by this 

 crop from the use of the water-drill. But although 

 I have failed to do this, 1 can nevertheless record 

 my convictions, arrived at by a most vigilant at- 

 tention to the crops whilst growing, and to their 



