PREPARATION OF SOIL MANURES. 373 



a very useful and remunerative one ; if they have been 

 neglected, it is very probable that the growth will be 

 stunted, and that another crop would have produced more 

 satisfactory results. These are all matters for our con- 

 sideration, and should be duly weighed before we deter- 

 mine upon the breadth of cabbages we intend to grow, as 

 it will be found far more advantageous to get a large 

 crop on a small extent of ground, previously well prepared 

 for it, than to have an increased breadth of the farm occu- 

 pied by a thin and stunted crop. Deep cultivation, so im- 

 portant to all our "Farm Crops/' is always amply paid for 

 by vigour of growth and increased bulk in the cabbage 

 plant, as it not only extends the feeding area of its roots, 

 but it also offers the means of better dividing and distri- 

 buting through the mass of the soil, the manurial matters 

 which should always be liberally supplied to this crop. 

 Of these nothing is better than good, well-decomposed 

 farmyard manure, which should be spread and ploughed 

 in with as little exposure on the surface as possible, and 

 the more that can be spared to the acre, the better pleased 

 the plants will be. Where the other arrangements of the 

 farm will not admit of a full supply being allotted to this 

 crop, the deficiency may be made good by an equivalent 

 in Peruvian guano ; this it would be more advantageous 

 to apply separately, by broadcasting it on the surface after 

 the manure has been ploughed in, but before the harrows 

 have been sent on to finish the surface for planting. 

 Twenty tons to the acre of good spit-dung would be a 

 satisfactory dressing; or if not more than 10 or 12 tons 

 could be spared, from 3 to 5 cwts. of the guano, or 

 "superphosphate," previously mixed with as many bushels 

 of ashes, sand, or other suitable materials, may be ad- 

 vantageously applied in the manner described, for the 

 purpose of supplying the necessary amount of fertilizing 

 constituents. To this, as well as to our other cultivated 



