XI ] MANURES FOR WHEAT 307 



present in the seeds mixture and the clover has failed 

 somewhat, it may be desirable to enrich the ground still 

 further. This may be done either by spreading a coat- 

 ing of dung (10 tons per acre) on the clover before plough- 

 ing, or by a spring top-dressing of i to \\ cwts. per acre 

 of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, preferably 

 the former for wheat. When wheat follows mangolds, 

 as is not unfrequently the case, no manure is likely to 

 be required, because the mangolds will have received 

 dung and will have been frequently cultivated. Speak- 

 ing generally on soils in good heart wheat will rarely 

 require manuring ; at any rate, it will be wise to wait 

 until the early spring, if the plant then appears to be 

 growing badly or losing ground a top dressing of nitrate 

 of soda (i to i^ cwts. per acre), sulphate of ammonia 

 (i cwt. per acre), or soot (20 bushels per acre) will do 

 all that is needful. Soot has for some centuries been 

 employed as a spring top-dressing for wheat ; besides 

 the nitrogen it supplies, it also tends to preserve the 

 plant from the attacks of the small slugs and snails 

 which are so active at that time of year. 



Of course, when wheat and other cereals are grown 

 continuously on the same land, as on Mr Prout's farm 

 at Sawbridgeworth, it is necessary to employ a more 

 complete fertiliser — 2 cwts. per acre of nitrate of soda or 

 sulphate of ammonia will be required as a spring top- 

 dressing, and 3 cwts. of superphosphate or 2 cwts. of basic 

 slag, according to the amount of calcium carbonate in 

 the soil, should be sown before the seed. Potash would 

 only be necessary on the lighter soils, on which wheat 

 is not likely to be grown continuously, but in such a 

 case 3 cwts. or so per acre of kainit would be desirable. 

 Fertilisers for wheat may be crude salts, like nitrate of 

 soda or superphosphate ; the establishment of a plant 

 is little affected by the amount of humus in the soil and 



