388 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
[JuNE 10, 
the pulverized wood,” together with crushed Swedish 
Turnips, and they also appear to improve by it. I 
have likewise fatted four pigs successively, mixin, 
this food with Barley-meal, and the results have proved 
most satisfactory.” 
his statement, however strange it may sound, is 
not so startling when we remember that the woody 
matter of trees is, in its chemical nature, nearly allied 
to starch, and that it always contains some nitrogen ; 
so that in reality it furnishes the ordinary materials of 
food in another form. We presume, however, that 
white-wooded trees, not resinous, are those which 
furnish Mr. Daniell’s cattle with the sawdust they 
thrive so well upon. 
A rew weeks since we published a report of a 
lecture delivered before the Society of Arts by Mr. 
Fardon, in which the following passage occurs :—“« He 
then detailed the result of 27 years’ cultivation of two 
acres of land, alternately with Wheat and Potatoes. The 
cost of cultivation was 23/., whilst the produce had 
been worth 93/., thus leaving 70/. profit, subject to a 
drawback of 177. for rates, rent. and parochial charges.” 
One of our correspondents justly remarks, that these 
sums appear too large for average years, and that the 
statement requires explanation. 
Upon writing to Mr. Fardon on the subject, he was 
so obliging as to furnish us with the following state- 
ment, from which it will be seen that although the 
quantity of land referred to a producing annually 
702. profit, less 17/. for rates, rent, &c., or 53/. net, was 
four acres, not two, yet that the result is still most 
interesting to the advocates of Spade-Husbandry. 
““ Samuel Bridge, of Stock Green, near Feckenham, in 
Worcestershire, has about four acres of stiff clay-land, on 
the blue lias formation. The land is naturally of inferior 
quality: he has occupied part of it for 27, and part for 
15 years. He grows Wheat and Potatoes, and a small 
quantity of Beans. Leaving these out of the account, 
we may consider that he grows two acres of Wheat and 
two acres of Potatoes every year, the crop being shifted 
alternately from one division to the other. 
“As soon as his Wheat crop is off he breast-ploughs his 
stubble ground, raking up and saving the stubble for litter : 
he then digs it over with a fork about 10 inches deep, 
and plants his Potatoes in the following spring ; this crop 
is kept clean while growing, and the getting up of the 
Potatoes is made a complete cultivation for the planting 
of the Wheat. 
“At first his neighbours ploughed his land for him gratis, 
but after about three years he took to digging it, and now 
prefers going to that expense rather than have it ploughed 
for nothing ; and upon stiff Jand of that kind I do not 
doubt that his choice is a judicious one. 
** He sells most of his produce, consuming a few of the 
Potatoes and the Beans in feeding a small quantity of 
bacon ; the pigs are littered with his Potato-haulm and 
stubble. The manure from these, and from his house, 
with occasionally a little burnt clay out of his ditches, 
is all that is applied to the land. 
“The cost of his manual wages per acre, including his 
own work, is as follows :— 
Potatoes per Acre. oar de 
Breast-ploughing stubble . 5 = 0 5 Or Ae 
Forking the land . . 7 et oe LE 
Planting Potatoes . 5 li EY a 
Keeping them clean . 5 e040 
Getting up and forking land for Wheat 216 3 
£6 15 3 
Wheat per Acre. a 
Planting . a F : “8 4. O 
Keeping clean x 5 a ~ 040 
Reaping, &c. . é * % eNO SHO: 
Thrashing, at 6d. per bushel 5 win: peo 
Ili 0 
Two acres of Potatoes, at 67, 15s. 3d. —13 10 6 
Two acres of Wheat, at 1 17 9 — 314 0 
Divided by the number of acres 417 4 6 
Wages, at per acre per anhum £4 6 Ih 
“ Leaving out of view the small quantity of Beans raised 
and of bacon fed, and supposing that he grew Wheut and 
Potatoes only, estimating the Wheat-crop at 40 bushels 
of grain and one ton of straw per acre; and the Potato 
crop at 12 tons per acre, which are what he obtains, 
valuing his Wheat at 7s, per bushel, his Potatoes and 
straw, at the price he obtains for them {on the land, we 
shall have the following account :—~ 
Sold annually :— £3. as 
24 tons of Potatoes, at 50s. ries i 260 OR 
80 bushels of Wheat, 2 it 7s. Be, ° 28 0 0 
2 tons of Wheat-stra.w, at 50s. ‘ uaniawhly 
£93 0 0 
Deduct :— £8, d, 
Manual wages, at 4/. 6s. 14d. peracre 17 4 6 
Seed Potatoes for t' wo acres, 25 bags, 
of 180lbs., at 4s.. per bag. eo Ot aay 
Four bushels Seed: .Wheat, at 7s. 6d. 110 0 
23 14 6 
Subject to ren ¢ and parochial payments . £69 5 6 
“‘T may mention that the man has bought his land, and 
erected a cottage and out-buildings upon it. 
“This is not the first instance that has occurred of large 
profits being made by the growth of Potatoes. I do not 
believe that these results could have been obtained on stiff 
and inferior land, under ordinary methods of culture: it 
is to fork-culture they are due. 
‘T believe it would be much better to consume all the 
Potatoes on the land in making pork and bacon, and that 
even more profitable results might thus be attained. The 
principle of selling so much produce is not admissible in 
farming, unless manure is bought. I published the par- 
ticulars of this case in the Mark Lane Express some 
months since, and it occasioned a lengthened correspond- 
ence in that and in the Worcester Journal. 1 may 
observe that the cost of digging is much less when land 
has been dry for a long period, or for a few years, than 
when it is first broken up or put under spade or fork- 
culture.’” 
Wz are continually hearing of sports, as they are 
called, when a branch of a red Thorn produces white 
flowers, or cf a white Camellia red ones, or of a Peach- 
tree Nectarines, or of a red Plum white ones, and so 
on. These are accounted for upon the supposition 
that all artificial varieties are, on the one hand, prone 
to return to their original condition, and on the other, 
to deviate from it still further, the tendency to change 
having once been gained. Although it must be con- 
fessed that such explanations explain nothing, yet we 
are compelled, in the present state of our knowledge, 
to rest satisfied with them. We have now another 
case to record still more strange than those just 
adverted to. 
Mr. Williams, of Pitmaston, a well-known, very 
skilful, and philosophical horticulturist, about 85 years 
ago planted a standard Mulberry tree; it did not 
begin to bear fruit till about 10 years afterwards, 
and for the followirig 10 years it produced no male 
blossoms, and the fruit had no seeds. But Mr. Williams 
being desirous of raising some seedling plants, and ob- 
serving in a garden about a quarter of a mile distant 
a tree with some male blossoms onit, procured some,and 
applied the pollen to about half-a-dozen female flowers 
on his tree; these all set, and the seed produced 
plants. Two or three years after he had applied the 
pollen to a bough of the old tree, he observed on this 
particular branch, which was on the southwest side of 
the tree, many male blossoms ;_ these have gradually 
extended over the whole tree, and it now scarcely 
bears any but male flowers, and this year nearly all 
the buds have proved males. ‘The appearance of the 
tree was so remarkable, from the number of large 
blossom-buds, that two practical gardeners, who had 
asked leave to see his garden, could not at first view 
make out what tree it;was. 
Now to what are we to ascribe this? A tree that 
for many years produces nothing but females, as it 
becomes older changes its nature, and ends in produc- 
ing nothing but males. We examined some branches 
sent to London by Mr. Williams, and their appear- 
ance was certainly very extraordinary. Theold Gar- 
dening books say ‘that Mulberry-trees sometimes 
become barren ;’’ and as those books were always 
written by men of great experience, it is probable that 
the fact is as they state—but why? Mr. Williams 
says that many other Mulberry-trees in his neighbour- 
hood are also barren this year; and in the neighbour- 
hood of London we have remarked several rather 
young Mulberry-trees covered with a profusion of 
male flowers only. But again we say—why? The 
occurrence is not common, and some branches of an 
exhausted old tree, as well as they, bear female flowers 
abundantly. Isit that malesarea sign of vigour, and 
that the fine warm season of last year brought the 
Mulberry into a state of unnatural healthiness ? Mr. 
Knight says, that the effect of an excessively high 
temperature is to cause, in unisexual plants, the 
production of male flowers only, while a very low tem- 
perature produces an opposite result. Cucumbers and 
Melons invariably produce male flowers only when 
the plants are young and_ very vigorous. Seedling 
Peaches and Apricots, as Mr. Williams remarks to 
us, in like manner form no pistils at first, that is to 
say when the plants are in great vigour. These 
facts look as if it might be the,constitutional vigour 
given to the Mulberry in our hot and dry and bright 
summer of 1842 that produced the efféct ; but it is 
all uncertain, and we wish that our friends would 
consider whether anything within their knowledge 
goes to prove or disprove this conjecture. 
ON THE APPLICATION OF GUANO.’ 
a. Ir should never be given in contact with seeds, as it 
kills the embryo in germination. For this reason I am 
doubtful whether it might aid or hurt the first stage of 
growth, if the seed were previously steeped in a watery 
solution of guano. We know that carbonic acid and 
vinegar are given off by seeds in germination. These 
acids seem to attract aminonia so powerfully as to kill the 
germ. This effect will be most decided when the soil is 
very dry, but itis worth while to try with solutions of dif- 
ferent strengths, whether water will take up azotized 
matter in a form capable of injuring tender seeds ; I wish 
to try iton Red Clover and Turnip seeds. The Peruvians 
irrigate immediately after the guano and crops are sown 3 
the sandy character of their soil and their want of rain 
make this necessary. or the same reason they are said 
to give the manure in divided doses at different stages of 
growth ; neither our soils nor situation admit of general 
irrigation, nor do many of our crops admit of repeated 
manuring on the large scale, but we have in mixtures a 
substitute more suited to our soils and climate than irriga- 
tion would be. 
6. As the lumps are too strong the guano should 
be put through a fine sieve, and the lumps thus 
separated should be broken and put through the same 
sieve ; this will be best done during the operation of 
mixing ; but before proceeding to it I may mention a fact 
which farmers would do well to attend to. Guano rapidly 
absorbs moisture from the air, and this absorption increases 
both with the moisture of the air and the value of the 
manure. By drying two specimens of different values for 
an hour at 150°, I found the worst lost 15 per cent. between 
water and ammonia, and the best lost 221 per cent. ; and 
by again exposing these specimens to the open night air 
for an hour at 35°, the worst recovered nearly 6 per cent, 
and the best rather more than 84 per cent. moisture. 
Inference 1.—Guano is constantly gaining weight. This 
would add much to the profit of retailers if it were not for 
the fact that part of this moisture (in mild weather) goes 
to aid the decomposition of the organic matter and its 
escape in gas. Hence, 2. Guano is constantly losing 
value; and this loss is proportioned both to the value of 
the article when imported, and to the warmth and humi- 
dity of the air in which itis kept. 3. Hence, the farmer 
will find his profit in purchasing that which has been 
recently imported (if valuable), and in mixing it as soon 
as possible: for, if too damp, it will not pass through 4 
sieve; much will be lost; and if he attempt to dry it by 
heat, he will lose much more. If any has already become 
too damp for economical use, it may be mixed with at 
least its bulk of dry but cold mill-dust, bran, or tail oats 
well dried and ground in the mill. This will absorb much 
of its moisture, reduce it to a workable powdery state, 
and increase its value as a manure, without expelling its 
ammonia. 4. In comparative experiments, and indeed 
in fair trading, each bag ought to be weighed, and havé 
its weight marked on it when imported ; and this weight 
is all that the farmer ought to pay for, or regard in his 
experiments. 5 
ts ¢. The objects of mixing guano are, 1. To partly disin- 
fect it by absorbing its volatile products and diminishing 
its smell. 2. To separate its active particles, and thereby 
diminish their action on each other. 3. To present it to 
warm soils in a form in which its action will be less vi0- 
lent at first, but more protracted and steady than whe? 
given in an unmixed state. Of course, the colder the soil 
and the earlier the season when sown, the less quantity of 
mixture is needed, and conversely. But as a general 
rule: It should be mixed as equally as possible with four 
times its bulk of finely-sifted, moderately-dry black oF 
brown-coloured earth, or peaty matter, sawdust, slightly- 
burnt clay, charred turf, coal or peat ashes,—whichever 
of these substances can be most conveniently had. | Per- 
haps newly-burnt charcoal, used as soon as cold, is th? 
est matter that can be had for mixing; but as it o@ 
seldom be at the farmer’s command, any of the above 
matters will answer in its stead. Where a considerab@ 
quantity of useless wood can be had, it might be piled UP? 
surrounded and nearly covered with clayey or spr# a 
turf, and burnt with little admission of air. Wien cds 
the charcoal, clay, and charred turfy matter, if 
broken with a spade, mixed, and put through a i) 
will make an excellent mixture for guano, especially a 
light, warm soils. Some have mixed guano with ae 
and when for a cold clayey soil, this mixture seems Me Ps 
suitable; only sand need not be given in more LAB 
double its bulk, and should be put in the soil soo” is ith 
mixing, whereas any of the other mixtures may, © 
advantage, stand beat up, under cover, for a week OF 
according to the weather, character of the soil, Iso in 
tance at which it is to be put below the seed, and @ mee 
proportion to the quantity of guano given to a the 
The colder and heavier the soil and the col Dad 
weather, the more slightly the manure ought to be eee ‘G 
and conversely. No rules can supersede expen? t of 
‘ . as par 
this. When either dung or bones are give? OietL OF 
the manure, and when the soil is moderately ™ 
disposed to clay or peat, the guano shoul 
the seed. Again, where the ground has ju! at 
the guano ought both to be given in a large d) nd no 
mixture and covered rather deeper than 17 a Gat if 
limed for a year or more. On light soils, ae x ‘AS 
f ph uano is given. 
possible, be mixed some weeks before 8 ani a EReOn 
lime rapidly expels the ammonia from pad > ands the 
renders the manure inert. No farmer who understanes her 
eli mixe et : or bones with eit! 
matter will mix either guano or dung bucneeeaeeel 
slaked lime or fully-burnt wood ashes, or burn 
7 4 stoo' 
unless the couch be well mixed ee a ote sub- 
drive off its ammonia. 
reach the soil. £ : ight 
seldom do any hurt, and for Turnips oF Cleve ee 
soils it may often be advantageous. When ov’ Tt 
soils are very dry at sowing, it might be et a weak solu 
if the top of the drills could be watered wil A oacenee! 
tion of guano. This might be done at no gr forated 
by a watering-pan. having 
a very, small rose, pertor ‘fl 
with only three or four small holes so as to spread the liquir 
but little. 
A woman might go steadily along with this 
