744 



a crop of 59^ bushels of grain and 32^ cwts. of straw per acre. The 

 land continuously unmanured for twenty-nine years gave only i8| 

 bushels of grain and 9J cwts. of straw. 



Cooke from his experiments recommends the use of i cwt. of 

 nitrate of soda, 2 cwt. of superphosphate, and i to i cwt. ot sul- 

 phate of potash ; these quantities to be maintained or lowered 

 according to the previous treatment of the soil. Professor Tanner, 

 in his investigations in the growth and qualities of barley, found 

 that for malting purposes, that grown with ammonium sulphate was 

 much superior to that grown with nitrate of soda, so if the 

 barley is meant for malting purposes the nitrate of soda in the above 

 mixtures should be changed to 210 Ibs. of sulphate of ammonia in 

 the first, and 90 Ibs. sulphate of ammonia in the second The 

 barley grown with nitrate of soda was highest in albuminoids, con- 

 sequently the best for feeding purposes. To grow barley for malt, 

 use sulphate- of ammonia ; to grow it for feeding, use nitrate of soda. 



Phosphates alone give very poor results, in fact no better than 

 no manure, unless the soil is very rich in nitrogenous matter. 



ROOT CROPS. 



Root crops demand a liberal supply of manure, which they use 

 in large quantities. They require more manure than any other 

 crop and give a larger proportionate return per acre than other 

 crops. Phosphates may be said to be the prime essential manure 

 for all root crops, but a general manure containing nitrogen and 

 potash, as well as phosphates, must also be applied if a maximum 

 crop is desired. The varieties of root crops differ somewhat from 

 each other as to their actual requirements beyond phosphates. 

 Potatoes require and assimilate a large amount of potash, while 

 mangolds and beet roots are more greedy of nitrogen. 



The different reqirements of each variety should be attended 

 to very closely in the manuring of root crops, as they are so liable to 

 diseases, more especially in the early stages of their growth. By 

 supplying proper nourishment they are more able to resist the 

 attacks of the pests that are apt to prey upon them. Root crops 

 are grown in a great many places entirely with farmyard manure, 

 enormous quantities are scarcely profitable, as the root crops do not 

 appear to be able to assimilate their food readily from farmyard 

 manure. Some of the benefits they derive from this manure appear 

 to be of a mechanical rather than chemical nature, its action on the 

 soil being more in the direction of keeping it open, creating warmth, 

 retaining moisture. The best effects have been produced with not 

 more than ten tons per acre of farmyard manure ploughed in some 

 months before sowing, with an addition of mineral manures at the 

 time of sowing. 



TURNIPS, 



Turnips have a peculiarity of absorbing a large amount of 

 sulphuric acid, and this may account for the opinion held by som< 



