ROOT CROPS. 115 



The experiment on cabbages, in 1874, having been so 

 marked, to test it more fully, I again, in 1875, tried the same 

 kinds of manure, but on a heavier soil. The piece was broken 

 up about the 20th of July, and treated in the same manner 

 as that the year before. The plants were set on the 25th. 

 They started well, but were followed by very dry weather, so 

 that no part of the piece did as well as the year before ; still, 

 those on the potash showed the best result. 



I again tried the same experiment the past season, but 

 varied it by sowing the seed in the hill on the 10th of June. 

 The seed came up nicely, but the extreme dry weather that 

 followed through June and July was very unfavorable to the 

 young plants, especially to those on the Brighton fertilizer, a 

 large part of the plants dying for want of moisture. Those 

 sown on potash and barn manure withstood the drought much 

 the best, and have yielded a very good crop. 



In all three cases, the muriate of potash has produced the 

 most satisfactory results, giving each time the largest product 

 for the least expense. 



We would respectfully suggest to members of the society, 

 who intend to compete for premiums in the vegetable depart- 

 ment, that instead of waiting for a crop that has happened to 

 be better than usual (but why, they cannot tell), they select 

 a piece of laud of the required dimensions, dividing the same 

 into as many parts as convenient, manuring each part differ- 

 ently, with such manures as convenience or fancy may sug- 

 gest. Keep a careful watch throughout the season, noting 

 particularly any difference which may appear in the several 

 parts, whether for or against the crop, and tracing it, if pos- 

 sible, to the original cause, whether that may be owing to the 

 manuring, depth of planting the seed, or varieties of the 

 same, manner of cultivation, dryness or wetness of the sea- 

 sou, or many other causes which may appear small in them- 

 selves, but which, combined, go far toward making the crop 

 a success or a failure. 



It is only by following such methods we can acquire the 

 necessary information to conduct farming intelligently and 

 profitably, and which every farmer should endeavor to obtain 

 from his own experience. 



Aaron Low, Chairman. 



