747 



T.l \\s AND IV. AS. 



Farmyard manure was at one time considered to be the 

 necessary manure lor peas and beans, and is still held by SOIIH 

 be the best manure for them. Hut it has been proven that they can 

 be grown even more successfully with artificial manures than farm 

 yard manure. The manure must have potash in it to be of any use. 

 Phosphates and nitrogen, either singly or together, have very little 

 effect on the crop when potash is absent, (iypsnin is said to have 

 a good effect on them, but the only action it appears to have is to 

 influence the decomposition of the insoluble compounds of potash, 

 thus setting the potash free for the use of the crop. It will be found 

 cheaper to add potash ready for the crop than adding gypsum to 

 hasten the decomposition of combined potash. 



Heans and peas may be manured with success with the follow- 

 ing mixture : Eight to 10 tons of farmyard manure and 2 cwts. of 

 superphosphates, or 4 cwts. of Thomas's phosphates, and i cwt. of 

 sulphate of potash, or _>.\ cwts. of kainit. 



If no farmyard manure is used, then 3 cxvts. of superphosphates, 

 2 cwts. sulphate of potash, or 6 cwts. kainit and I, cwt. nitrate of 

 socla, mixed with the phosphates and potash, but not to be used as 

 a top-dressing. 



Clover may be treated with farmyard manure, or 6 cwt. of 

 Thomas's phosphates and 2 cwt. sulphate of potash per acre. 



POUDRKTTK AS A MANURE. 



This manure is made from nightsoil by drying the collected 

 excreta, either by itself or with the addition of some chemical. It 

 contains sometimes as much as 2 per cent, of nitrogen, but more 

 often not more than i per cent., about 3 per cent, of calcium 

 phosphate and 1^5 per cent of potash. It is very seldom worth the 

 price asked for it. Sometimes it is enriched by the addition of 

 superphosphate. It is too bulky to allow it to be used except near 

 to where it is made. Pouclrette, made from earth-closets, Gilbert 

 and Voelcker have shown to be of very little value. 



Sewage also is of very little value to the farmer. Sanitary 

 authorities use it from a hygenic point of view, irrespective of cost, 

 rather than from an agricultural standpoint. It is very variable in 

 its composition, being governed by the refuse from which it is made. 

 Scott and Morton state that London sewage contains 3 Ibs. of solid 

 matter per ton, consisting of i Ib. of organic matter containing 

 nitrogen equal to 3 ozs. of ammonia ; nnd 2 Ibs. of mineral matter 

 yielding T> oz. of phosphoric acid and i^ ozs. of potash, equal to 5 

 ozs. of fertilizing matter. If this is valued at the same price per 

 unit as an ammoniacal guano, it would be worth only 2d. per ton of 

 sewage. One ton of guano contains as much fertilizing matter as 

 1 200 tons of sewage. Sir C. A. Cameron gives the value of Dublin 

 sewage at i^d. per ton. If the sewage is passed on to land for 



