198 Fertilisers [pt. hi 



people : in Scotland also the right to collect it sometimes 

 forms part of the covenant with the landlord. Seaweed 

 contains about the same amount of nitrogen as ordinary 

 farm crops, and a considerably higher percentage of 

 potash than these or the Zostera and other plants often 

 collected with it. The different weeds vary, the long 

 broad leaf -like Laminaria being richer than Fucus, the 

 common bladder-wrack of the rocks. Further the weed 

 cut or thrown up earlj'^ in the year is richer than that 

 obtained later in summer or autumn. The average com- 

 position of wet weed is usualW^: 



Water Organic matter Nitrogen Potash (KoO) PjOj 



70-80 13-25 0-3-0-5 0-8-1 -8 0-02-017 



It is thus YQvy similar to farmyard manure except 

 that it contains less phosphoric acid. On drjdng, how- 

 ever, a very rich manure is obtained which ought to be 

 utilised to a greater extent than is done at present. 



It is largely used for potatoes in Jersey and in Scot- 

 land, the dressings being from 25-30 tons in Ayrshire 

 and up to 45 tons in Jersey: some artificials are also 

 applied. In Thanet 10-15 tons per acre is applied to 

 lucerne and to market garden crops. 



Definite manurial trials with fresh seaweed as hauled 

 up in farm carts have been made in Scotland by Hend- 

 rick^ and in Ireland by the officers of the Department^. 

 The general result is that fresh seaweed is not much 

 inferior to dung, while there can be little doubt that 

 dried weed powdered up would make an admirable 

 concentrated fertiliser. 



1 See Joiirn. Board of Agric, 1910, xvii. p. 458 and LeaOet 254, fur 

 fuller details on the composition and use of seaweed as manure. 



2 Trans. Highland and Agric. Soc, 1898, p. 118. 



3 Jouni. of the Dept. of Agric. and Tech. Instruction. Jan. I!tl4. 



