188 



sow an acre. The growth of the crop will be greatly stimulated by 

 the application of some phosphate and potash fertilisers. When 

 grown, it will act in three distinct ways : as a winter covering to the 

 soil, as a summer mulch, as a plant food gatherer. Experiments at 

 the Jersey Experiment Station, U.S., found that a growth of 13 

 inches produced 1681bs. of nitrogen, worth <5. 



The Canadian field pea has also given very satisfactory results. 

 Sow about 85 to lOOlbs. per acre, or plough the crop in the early 

 spring, using a chain on the plough to cover and drag in all vines 

 under the earth. 



Green manuring may, under particular circumstances, be 

 detrimental. In dry localities it may lead to the desiccation of the 

 soil. It is calculated that one part of vegetable matter requires 

 300 to 500 times its own weight of moisture, so that every ton of 

 green manuring crop in a dry locality would absorb 300 to 500 

 tons of water ; and unless plentiful rain or abundance of artificial 

 water can be relied upon, the process may in some cases be 

 detrimental. 



The results of commercial fertilisers are much more marked 

 when applied on land well stocked with humus than when used on 

 land depleted of vegetable mould. 



VALUE OF FERTILISERS. 



Under the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act it is imperative 

 on the manure vendors to furnish with the invoice for any fertiliser 

 sold a certificate showing the per cent, of nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid (soluble and insoluble), and potash contained in the manure. 

 Mention of any other ingredient is of little or no value, and may be 

 considered as so much padding, which is liable to confuse the 

 purchaser. Failure to comply with this enactment may be meted 

 out by a =20 fine. The more concentrated the fertiliser is, as 

 regards any one or more of the three elements mentioned, the more 

 valuable it is, so much less dead weight having to be handled and 

 carried to the field. 



The value of the three chief elements of a fertiliser viz., 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash is not uniformly the same, 

 and is mostly influenced by sea and railway freight, and by its 

 degree of solubility. The market quotation is expressed at so much 

 a unit, the unit value being the value of one per cent, of the 

 particular ingredient in a ton of manure. 



Nitrogen in sulphate of ammonia or in nitrate of soda or of 

 potash is worth in Western Australia 16s. to 18s. per unit; in 

 Melbourne it is worth about 12s., and in Sydney a trifle under. In 

 blood, bones, or offal (ground fine) it is worth 14s. to 15s. in this 

 State, and about 10s. in the Eastern States. 



If we express by 10 the worth of nitrogen in nitrate of soda, of 

 potash, or of sulphate of ammonia and of ammonia in live guano, the 

 nitrogen in blood and bones or meat is only worth 7, while in wool 



