44 CARROTS, MANGOLDS AND S'JGAR BEETS. 



"Generally speaking, all nitrogenous manure, either 

 should not be used at all, or only sparingly, for roots, on stiff* 

 ish land, and all soils which contain a good deal of clay, 

 are naturally cold and unfavorable to a vigorous and rapid 

 growth. On the other hand, raw, or better still, dissolved 

 Peruvian guano is an excellent manure for root crops upon 

 light land, which, like most productive sandy soils and fria- 

 ble turnip loams, favors the quick and vigorous growth of 

 roots, and is conducive to early maturity. 



"Nitrate of soda has the same general effect upon "root 

 crops as nitrogenous manures, but it appears to be more en- 

 ergetic in its action, and, on the whole, to be a useful addi- 

 tion to home manures, and to increase the produce in roots 

 more considerably than salts of ammonia. Its effect' is spec- 

 ially marked upon mangolds, and, to my knowledge, heavy 

 crops of mangolds have been produced upon rather light 

 land by i 1-2 per cent, of Nitrate of Soda, two cwt. of 

 common salt, sown broadcast, and four cwt. of dissolved 

 bones drilled in with the seed. 



"Potash salts in some field experiments which I have 

 tried in different parts of the country, have shown that Pot- 

 ash has a decidedly beneficial effect upon root crops, on 

 poor, sand}' soils ; while on the majority of land, and nota- 

 bly upon clays or chy loams, or soils in a good agricultural 

 condition, Salts of Potash do not increase the produce. The 

 special effect of superphosphates, dissolved bones and simi- 

 lar phosphatic manures, is to produce early maturity ; and 

 hence phosphatic manures are employed in practice very 

 largely, and with much benefit, by root growers. In free- 

 growing, light soils, it is desirable either to use dissolved 

 bones in addition to half dressing of farm-yard manure, as a 

 manure for roots, or to spread broadcast 2 or 3 cwt. of salt, 

 or 2 cwt. of guano and 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda and 2 cwt. of 

 common salt, and to drill with the seed ^ to 4 cwt. of dis- 



