Fortunes for Farmers 



paid for superphosphate goes in carriage, the 

 freight of the raw material from abroad and the 

 heavy rail rate from the works to the farm. 

 Supersede common low grade superphosphate 

 by higher grades, not less than 30 per cent, 

 experiment with nitrogen, ammonia, and potash 

 in various combinations on your crops, and keep 

 a careful account of what pays best. Probably 

 the most astonishing results can be obtained 

 on potatoes. 



Another point is the mechanical application 

 of manures. Now that distributors are cheap no 

 farmer should be without. Consider which pays 

 best : to apply the manure evenly in small quan- 

 tities, so that the soil and crop are regularly fed, 

 or to sow by hand, getting a lump here, a handful 

 there, and none at all elsewhere. The difference 

 is greater than most would imagine, and should 

 be noted by the up-to-date farmer. 



England is behind in the use of manure, 

 Germany uses more, and Rider Haggard reports 

 that Denmark is far ahead of us. The Danes allow 

 perhaps twice the capital that we do per acre 

 for land no better than ours, they use more labour 

 and much more manure; whilst the Channel 

 Islanders in some places use ^10 worth of guano 

 to every acre. Compare this with the usual 

 3 cvvt. low grade supers that the English farmer 



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