THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Zi^ 



This manure was applied in March to a piece of 

 wheat which was sown after old lea, and which I 

 thought required some nitrogenous manure— the 

 minerals being more abundant than available ni- 

 trogen. It was sown over the whole field with the 

 exception of the two ridges which were left to see 

 the effect of the application. Where the manure 

 was spread, a much darker hue was soon per- 

 ceptible, and the wheat got the start of that on the 

 two ridges that were left unmanured. This dark 

 green gradually died away, and the wheat was 

 again the colour of that on tlie two unmanured 

 ridges, but the leaf was wider and the plant was 

 stronger, A few days before harvest it could be 

 distinctly seen that the unmanured portion was at 

 least three days later in ripening than that which 

 had been manured, and 1 beheve that there was 

 quite one sack per acre more in the manured 

 portion than on the two ridges which were left 

 unmanured. I calculated that I got seven sacks 

 per acre on the two ridges, and eight sacks per 

 acre on that which was manured. The same 

 manure was applied to barley which followed a 

 crop of wheat — it was spread over a part of the 

 field where the chalk was turned up by the plough 

 through the little depth of soil. Here the effect 

 was very striking, the produce being, I believe, 

 doubled — both straw and grain. I also applied it 

 to spring vetches on a thin chalk soil. These 

 vetches were sown after wheat; it was only sown 

 over a part of the field, so that, as in the other 

 instances, I had the opportunity of judging of the 

 effect. It caused no apparent differerce in the 

 growth of the vetches ; but, what was very sur- 

 prising, it gave great vigour to the charlock that 

 was growing with the vetches— the plants were 

 twice the height where this ammoniacal dressing 

 was laid on. I do not ajiprove of top-dressing as 

 a rule, but where it was resorted to, and where it is 

 required, I would recommend the following as a 

 good mixture for cereals : — 



Nitrate of soda 25 per cent. 



Sulphate of ammonia. ... 25 „ 



Common salt 30 „ 



Vitriolized guano 20 „ 



100 

 The nitric acid and ammonia in the nitrate of soda, 

 sulphate of ammonia, and vitriolized guano, are of 

 different solubility ; therefore, where this mixture 

 is applied, the plants will be supplied with food 

 during their progressive stages of growth. In the 

 vitriolized guano, we have also soluble phosphate, 

 which is of especial value to the barley crop. The 

 salt I add, as a corrective of any tendency of the 

 other compounds to produce over luxuriance. 



Mr. Si'ooNKR, in replying to the observationa 

 which had been made, only wished they had been 

 more numerous, assured that if the members 

 would only draw a cheque upon their memory and 

 experience, and give the club the benefit of the 

 amount for which that cheque would be honoured, 

 they would all of them derive advantage. The 

 Chairman had commenced with the question why 

 the nitrogen of the atmosphere was not made 

 available by means of some chemicsl application ? 

 He could only tell him, that if he knew of such an 

 application and could put them up to it they would 

 be much obliged to him. Sulphuric acid, of which 

 he (Mr, Spooner) manufactured largely, had, for 

 one of its ingredients, the oxygen of the atmos- 

 phere ; and as they could not obtain that from the 

 atmosphere fast enough, they were obhged to have 

 recourse to the use of nitrate of soda; snd the 

 oxygen which gave to sulphuric acid its pungency 

 and potency was derived from the atmosphere by 

 the aid of nitrate of soda. Of course he meant to 

 say that it was converted from sulphurous to sul- 

 phuric acid by these means ; and to sulphuric acid 

 they (the farmers) were much indebted, for without 

 it, or some acid equally strong, there could be no 

 superphosphate of lime. Thus they could use up 

 the oxygen of the air. But what would they think 

 when he told them that whilst they did so, they 

 were obliged to allow the nitrogen to escape up 

 the chimney. If it only could be arrested, an 

 important point might be gained, but chemists had 

 united all their efforts to arrest it in vain. Some- 

 times, indeed, a shout had been raised like the false 

 " hark hollow ! " sometimes heard in fox-hunting ; 

 for the discovery after all had proved to be falla- 

 cious, and they were found to remain in possession 

 of precisely the same amount of knowledge on 

 the subject as before. The Chairman had next 

 observed that nitrate of soda, being a stimulant, it 

 was good for the outgoing tenant, but by no 

 means desirable for the incoming tenant to employ. 

 There was a certain amount of truth in this, but it 

 would not do to take it. Good farming ought to 

 be practised whether by the outgoing or by the 

 incoming tenant. If, indeed, a tenant were used 

 ill, then he had every inducement to make hay 

 whilst the sun shone; but he (Mr, Spooner) could 

 hardly recommend it. And at the same time it 

 was hardly desirable for the incoming tenant to 

 despise the use of that which he saw other parties 

 using year after year with advantage. It would 

 therefore be prudent to use a certain amount of 

 nitrate of soda and other salts. With regard to 

 the top-dressing which Mr. Summers had re- 

 commended, it had its advantage, and they 

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