SMALL HOLDINGS 121 



organic matter and the consequent provision 

 of nitrogen and mineral fertilisers gradually 

 increased the fertility of the land, until it was 

 able to produce fine crops of grain, pulse, 

 clover, potatoes, and mangels. This work 

 was a revelation to the farmer's felloAv- 

 countrymen. He was sent to Parliament, 

 and was there the means of establish- 

 ing a State station for research, and of 

 showing thousands of farmers how the 

 poorest land might be converted into 

 a fertile garden. 



Similar work has been carried out for years 

 in this country on a Kentish farm by Dr 

 Bernard Dyer and his coadjutor, Mr Shrivell. 

 Here, by the use of dung combined with 

 artificials, a practically barren field has been 

 actually converted into a garden, which 

 produces luxuriant crops of a large variety 

 of vegetables and fruits. In this case the 

 crops produced have been prodigious. Thus, 

 on the average of ten years, the annual weight 

 of cauliflowers on the best system of manuring 

 exceeded 25 tons to the acre, autumn-cut 

 cabbages reached 31 tons, savoys 28 tons, 

 brussels sprouts 800 sieves, summer lettuce 

 80 tons, winter lettuce 17 tons, summer 

 spinach 10 tons, winter spinach 36 tons, 

 S.H. * F 



