286 TALKS ON MANURES. 



To the market jrardcner, or to a farmer who manures heavily 

 common turnips drilleil in with superphospiiule will prove a valu- 

 able crop. On such land no other niauure will Ijc needed. I can- 

 not too earnestly recommend the use of superphosphate as a ma- 

 nure for turnips. 



For Swede turnips or ruta-bagas, it will usually be necessary, in 

 order to secure a majciraum crop, to use a manure which, in addi- 

 tion to superphosphate, contains available nitrogen. A good dress- 

 ing of rich, well-rotted manure, spread on the laud, and plowed 

 under, and then 300 lbs. of superphosphate drilled in with the 

 seed, would be likely to give a good crop. 



In the absence of manure, there is probably nothing better for 

 the ruta bagas than oOO lbs. of so-called " rectified " Peruvian 

 guano, that is, guano treated with sulphuric acid, to render the 

 pliosphalcs soluble. Such a guano is guaranteed to contain 10 per 

 cent of ammonia, and 10 per cent of soluble phosphoric acid, and 

 would be a good dressing for Swede turnips. 



The best way to use guano for turnips is to sow it broadcast on 

 the land, and harrow it in, and then either drill in the turnip-seed 

 on the flat, or on ridges. The latter is decidedly the better plan, 

 provided you have the necessary implements to do the work expe- 

 ditiously. A double mould-board plow will ridge up four acres a 

 day, and the guano being previously sown on the surface, will be 

 turned up with the mellow surface-soil into the ridge, where the 

 seed is to be sown. The young plants get hold of it and grow so 

 rapidly as to be soon out of danger from the turnip-beetle. 



MANURES FOR MANGEL-WURZEL OR SUGAR-BEETS. 



When sugar-beets are grown for feeding to stock, there is prob- 

 ably little or no difference in the manurial requirements of sugar- 

 beets and mangel-wurzel. Our object is to get as large a growth 

 as possible consistent with quality. 



" Large roots," said the Deacon, " have been proved to contain 

 less nutriment than small roots." 



True, but it docs not follow from this that rich land, or heavy 

 manuring is the chief cause of this diff"erence. It is much more 

 likely to be due to the variety selected. The seed-growers have 

 been breeding so'ely for size and shape. They have succeeded to 

 such an extent that 84 gross tons of roots have been grown on an 

 acre. This is equal to over 94 of our tons per acre. " That is an 

 enormous crop," said the Deacon; "and it would require some 

 labor to put 10 acres of them in a cellar." 



"If they were as nutritious as ordinary mangels," saiil I, " that 



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