394 THE MUSTARD CROP. 



grown for feeding purposes, Peruvian or other ammoniacal 

 guanoes are perhaps the best that can be applied, either 

 alone or mixed with "superphosphate" the proportions 

 and quantity used being determined by that of the farm- 

 yard manure at command. The artificial manures may 

 be either ploughed in with the farmyard dung, broad- 

 casted and harrowed in previous to sowing, or drilled 

 in with the seed by the manure- drill in the usual 

 manner. In either case, it is always advisable to add 

 to manures of this description, before they are applied, 

 at least an equal bulk of ashes, sand, or other suitable 

 substance, which should be well mixed up with them, so 

 as to separate their particles, and thus allow the rootlets 

 of the plants more chance of meeting with them in the 

 soil. When the crop is grown for seeding purposes, the 

 addition of gypsum is recommended (p. 404), and as this 

 is inexpensive, it may be used pretty freely say half 

 a ton to the acre and is well adapted for mixing with 

 the other manures, as just described. 



In this case (as a seed crop) it enters into the regular 

 rotation, and may then take the same place as the other 

 fallow crops, between two straw crops ; the only objection 

 being, that where the mustard is carelessly harvested the 

 seed is very apt to shell out on the field, and, if covered in 

 by the plough in preparing the land for the succeeding 

 crop, to show itself the next year in a crop that will not 

 admit of the use of the hoe after a certain period of its 

 growth. This drawback, however, may always be pre- 

 vented by broadsharing, or otherwise cultivating the 

 surface immediately the field is cleared, so as to cause 

 the seed to germinate before the ploughs are sent in ; or 

 by following the crop with winter vetches instead of 

 winter corn, they may be allowed to remain, and form 

 part of the crop to be fed off in the following spring. 

 When cultivated as a seed crop, it is usually sown from 



