30G Norfolk Farming. 



The experiments at Holkham Park have not been confined to wheat. 

 Since the year 1853 some portion of the farm has been devoted to 

 testing- the various merits of new artificial manures, and comparing 

 their cost and yield with the old established ones ; also in endeavouring 

 to furnish some data for the quantity which can be successfully applied, 

 and the state in which they should be deposited in the land. From 

 these experiments an important fact or two may be considered proved. 

 The first is, that excessive doses of artificial manure for roots are use- 

 less, and that from 3 to 4 cwt. of superphosphate is quite as much as 

 need be applied. Another point which at first appears equally clear 

 is not so successfully demonstrated. The trials of 1853 tend to show 

 that with the water-drill half the quantity of artificial manure will pro- 

 duce as much, if not more weight, than a double dressing with the dry- 

 drill. But the force of this is rather weakened by the experiments of 

 the following year, for there it seems that 3 cwt. of superphosphate, 

 Avhether applied dry or wet, produced nearly as much as 6 cwt. One 

 caution in the use of guano with the water-drill may not be out of 

 place here. Mr. Coleman says — " Do not by any means use guano 

 unless in very small quantities. I am sorry to say that in one season 

 I spoiled nearly all my beets by the use of H cwt. per acre ; although 

 1 cwt, did not affect swedes so much, still it is very dangerous to use 

 in a liquid state." He goes on to say — '• I consider the liquid-drill 

 will be invaluable in a dry season, as sufficient water may be sown to 

 bring the turnips up in the driest years ;" and there can be no doubt 

 that Mater distributes the manure more evenly than any amount of 

 ashes. Mr. Coleman continues — " It depends in a great measure upon 

 the distance that water has to be carted as to the expense ; I do not 

 find it takes much more labour than by the old process, as by sowing 

 the seed with the manure we save the horses that were used in the 

 broadcast manure distributor, so that the extra cost is not so very 

 much," and the cartage and trouble of making and mixing ashes are 

 also done away. 



Another noticeable point is, that tiie dry season of last year pro- 

 duced a wretched crop of roots. It will be seen by these experiments 

 that the growth of swedes at Holkham was but little more than half 

 what was produced the previous year, and this coincides with the pre- 

 viously expressed opinion that the turnip crop of 1857 in Norfolk was 

 the worst that had been known for many seasons. With regard to 

 the relative value of the different superphosphates, the result of the 

 Holkham experiments must not be regarded as entirely conclusive. Mr. 

 Coleman, in his valuable remarks which are appended to last year's 

 trials, refers to some hints that had been thrown out about the super- 

 phosphate furnished by certain local manufacturers not being a fair 

 specimen of the manure they generally supplied to the public. It is 

 but right to say that these hints were pretty generally believed ; but as 

 the Holkham authorities have gone to the trouble and expense of 

 having the manures analysed, it, of course, now rests with the farmer 

 to see that the manure he purchases is as good as that provided for 

 these trials. Any further observations would be superffuous ; the 

 results speak for themselves, and any little explanation that may yet 



