752 



6. That seed drilled in requires more nitrogen than that sown 

 broadcast. 



7. That soil rich in lime requires more superphosphate than 

 one poor in lime. 



I have been writing these pages for farmers who not only admit 

 the necessity of manuring their land but actually do manure it. There 

 are not, it is to be hoped for the credit of the colonies, any farmers 

 who will deny the beneiits to be derived from manuring ; yet there 

 is, I am sorry to say, a large number who never give their land any 

 manure but that derived from stocking. Cropping takes a large 

 amount of the plant food from the soil, and this must be returned 

 in some way or other if the soil is to maintain its fertility. Stock 

 only enrich the land to less than the extent of what they take off it. 

 The droppings do not necessarily return all that is taken from the 

 soil. In the case of milch cows, for instance, a large amount of 

 fertilizers is carried away in the milk, and fat stock also remove all 

 that has been eaten into their systems to make up -the Mesh and bone. 

 Within the last few days I have heard of a man who has followed 

 the course of cultivation without manuring for forty years. His 

 land now produces, when cropped, the remarkable amount of four 

 bushels of wheat to the acre. Does it seem surprising that that 

 man should be in pecuniary difficulties? 



It is scarcely worth while attempting to follow the reasons, or 

 absolute want of them, of this ruinous method of farming. The 

 excuse a great many farmers make is that they are going to take one 

 more crop and then manure the next, but the next never appears to 

 be any better treated. These are the men who rail most about 

 farming being unprofitable, the bad markets, bad government and 

 bad seasons. Sometimes they will tell one all they need is a good 

 shower of rain in order to secure a good crop. This reminds me 

 very much of a gentleman farmer in Scotland who was too mean to 

 pay for manure. His land got so poor that he thought it advisable 

 to sell the estate. A certain wealthy Scotch iron manufacturer, who 

 had been brought up on a farm in his young days, went to see the 

 estate with the view of buying it. After examining the land the 

 following colloquy took place between Mr. Ironmaster and Mr, 

 Want-to-sell-an-estate : 



Mr. Ironmaster: "Your land seems to be very barren." 



Mr. Want-to-sell-an-estate : " Not at all sir, not at all ; it onb 

 wants a good shower of rain to make everything spring up and 

 show that it is exceedingly fertile." 



Mr. Ironmaster : " What is that you say, a shower of rain, did 

 you say ! a shower of dung would do it more good." 



