86 THE farmers' handbook. 



grain produced by such treatment contains a large proportion of nitrogenous 

 matter, which is said to injure the keeping qualities of the beer, the starch 

 in the grain being likewise diminished. 



Oats thrive best in a damp climate and moist soil, with a moderate summer 

 temperature. They contain considerably more potash in the straw than the 

 other cereals. 



A] ore specific recommendations for the manuring of the cereals will be 

 found on page 112 of this Handbook. 



Grass. 



A crop of 1 1 tons of meadow hay per acre contains on the average 49 lb. 

 nitrogen, 51 lb. potash, and 12J lb. phosphoric acid. 



The question of the appropriate manuring of grass-lands is complicated by 

 the questions as to whether it is intended for permanent pasture or to be cut 

 for hay, and whether grass or clover is to predominate. It may be stated 

 generally that the proportion of clover is increased by the application of 

 manures containing potash and phosphoric acid, and diminished by the 

 application of nitrogenous manures. 



Too heavy manuring of any kind, especially nitrogenous, tends to the 

 growth of coarse grass. Manures containing lime, such as plaster, also 

 promote the growth of clovers. 



For grass the best results have been obtained by the application of mineral 

 manures (superphosphate and potash salts) together with sulphate of 

 ammonia. . Heavy grass crops were obtained to the almost total exclusion 

 of clover. To promote the growth of clovers, omit the ammonium salts 

 from the above mixture, and manure with mineral fertilisers alone. 



Stable manure and compost is an excellent manure for grass lands, 

 especially when mixed with sulphate of ammonia. 



Root Crops. 



These exhibit a greater variety in their food requirements than the cereals, 

 and differ more amongst themselves. In all cases the crops contain a larger 

 proportion of nitrogen than the cereals, but they appear to possess to a far 

 greater degree the power of assimilating the nitrogen as it exists in the 

 soil ; consequently the application of nitrogenous manure alone is, as a 

 rule, without much benefit, the exception being the mangel crop, for which 

 purely nitrogenous manures are distinctly beneficial. They all produce far 

 more bulky crops than the cereals, and remove proportionately larger 

 quantities of the soil ingredients. They, therefore, require liberal manuring, 

 and are especially benefited by the application of potash. 



Potatoes. — A crop of 6 tons of potatoes weighs about 18,000 lb. of tubers 

 and haulm, and removes from the soil 67 lb. nitrogen, 80 lb. potash, and 

 24 lb. phosphoric acid. As in the case of the cereals, these quantities are 

 abundantly present in the poorest land, and it is only a question of the 

 power of the crop to assimilate them. Potatoes do well in most soils — 

 best in loose, mellow soils. Virgin soil appears particularly well adapted to 

 their growth. This may be partly due to the manuring of potash the. soil 

 receives from the clearing and burning away of the timber. The subsoil 

 should be porous, the tubers being liable to rot in land with stiff subsoil, or in 

 very retentive soils. The soil should not be too stiff, otherwise there is not 

 room for the roots to develop. They are surface feeders, and, as might 

 be expected from the preponderance of potash in their composition, the 



