MANURES FOR SPECIAL CKOPS. 289 



gen. Thus, without manure, the yield of beets was about 7i tons 

 of bulbs per acre. 



With 550 lbs. nitrate of soda per acre, the yield was a little over 

 22 tons per acre. With 14 tons of farmyard-manure, 18 tons per 

 acre. With 14 tons of farmyard manure and 550 lbs. nitrate of 

 soda, over 27j tons per acre. 



Superphosphate of lime, sulphates of potash, soda, and magne- 

 sia, and common salt, alone, or with other manures, had conipura- 

 tively little etTcet. 



Practically, when we want to iirow a good crop of beets or man- 

 gels, tliese experiments prove that what we need is the richest kind 

 of barnyard-manure. 



If our manure is not rich, then we should use, in addition to the 

 manure, a dressing of nitrate of soda — say 400 or 500 lbs. per acre. 



If the land is in pretty good condition, and we have no barn- 

 yard-manure, we may look for a fair crop from a dressing of ni- 

 trate of soda alone. 



" I see," said the Deacon, " that 550 lbs. of nitrate of soda alone, 

 gave an increase of 14.V tons per acre. And the following year, on 

 the same land, it gave an increase of 13} tons; and the ne.vt year, 

 on the same land, over 9 tons." 



" Yes," said I, " the first three years of the experiments (1871-2-3), 

 550 lbs. of nitrate of soda alone, ajiplied every year, gave an average 

 yield of 19^ tons of bulbs per acre. During the same three years, 

 the plot dressed with 14 tons of barnyard-manure, gave an average 

 yield of 16^ tons. But now mark. The next year (1874) all the 

 plots were left without any manure, and the plot which had been 

 previously dressed with nitrate of soda, alone, fell off to 3 tons per 

 acre, while the plot which had been previously manured with 

 barnyard-manure, produced lOj tons per acre." 



" Good," said the Deacon, " there is nothing like manure." 



MANURES FOR CABBAGE, PARSNIPS, CARROTS, LETTUCE, 

 ONIONS, ETC. 



I class these plants together, because, though difTering widely in 

 many respects, they have one feature in common. They are all 

 artificiul productions. 



A distinguished amateur horticulturist once said to me, " I do 

 not see why it is I have so much trouble with lettuce. My land is 

 rich, and the lettuce grow well, but do not head. They have a 

 tendency to run up to seed, and soon get tough and bitter." 



I advised him to raise his own seed from the best jilants — and 

 especially to reject all plants that showed any tendency to go pre- 

 13 



