526 
THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 
[JuLy 29, 
to keep up the fertility of the ground than a luxuriant 
herbage, the ultimate profit to be derived from the appli- 
cation of these manures must not be regarded as limited 
to the grass crop alone. It will be observed from the 
tables that luxuriance in crops does not always imply a 
proportionate degree of weight ; for example, that portion 
dressed with salt was always inferior in its appearance, 
and yet the weight of the produce is ample.’ ”’ 
“* Tt is also somewhat curious that the weight of dried 
hay per acre from the portion dressed with soot is only 
200 stone, while with a mixture of sand No. 2, it is 202 
stone ; with No. 3, peat-ashes and soot, it is 217 stone 
—No. 4, clay-ashes and soot, 220 stone—No. 7, subsoil 
and soot, 230 stone ; and with No. 8, compost andsoot, 202 
stone. These various substances being mixed with the 
soot, may, perhaps, give a more full development to the 
ammonia, which principally constitutes the fertilising 
qualities of soot. The subsoil of No. 7, was of a rather 
rich quality, having a marly texture; the whole of the 
substances were in mixture with the soot about forty-eight 
hours, and were in a dried state before being mixed. The 
great produce and weight of dried hay, and the ultimate 
profit per acre, from the application of guano, No. 6 
saltpetre, No. 11; and nitrate of soda, No. 12, give the 
most striking evidence of their value as top-dressing 
manures for seedling grass crops.’ ”” 
EXreRiMENTS with various Manures, Simple and Compound, as a Top-Dressing upon Grass for Hay, in 1842; the Dressings were 
applied 7th May, Grass cut 24th June, and Win Hay weighed 5th July, and Stacked. 
oa 8 Value of at Gain seid 
i Quantity : Weight | Weight nerease | Increase ‘otal by y 
SB 7 TermOnee Rae sient when | upon from. |after de- yg Value | Appli-|Appli- 
éz palled. twentieth of/POT im| wich | Win of | one Applica-/ducting | qsray. [Per _Imn-| cation,|cation 
Das eae Imperial | ?' eed h, | 1-20th |Imperial tion per| Cost of | \yath, | Perial [per Im-| per 
a cre, cre. )1-20th. | ‘acre, | Acre. Acre. | Applica- ‘) ‘Acre. | perial | Imp. 
jon. Acre. 
No. to.|Ibs.|Sto.{lbs./Sto. |Lbs. .| Sto.|ibs, Se, alee Be Oi| ts Oe OF 8. djl. 8. d, 
1 |Nothing. fe ae 25) 7 6\4 10 0; 0 0 0] 0 70/4 0 4/0 0 00 00 
2 |Sand and Soot. 2Bush. each. 44] 4 | 10/2 12 77 | 4 13 4/015 0/6 6 4/2 1 4/0 00 
3 |Peat-Ashes and Soot.|2 Bush. do. 47 | 2 |,10 412 Jo 2 91] 6 16 8/0150) 7 1 8/2 4 80 00 
4 |Clay-Ashes and Soot. |2 Bush. do. 4917 | 11] 0 0 g4| 4 18 4/0150) 7 3 42 6 4/0 00 
5 |C 44 4-5ths lbs, 3212 | 11] 7 0 104 | 4 810] 0 14 0) 7 8 2t 15 10/0 00 
6 |Guano. 22 Ibs. 74| 4 | 19 |13 |g 8 272) 4 810} 014 0112 6 64 7 70 00 
7 |Subsoil and Soot. 2Bush.each, 40} 0 | 11) 7 0 104] 4 9 2}90150|/7 9 2/217 20 00 
8 |Compost and Soot. 2 Bush. do. 42] 0 | 10] 2 12 77| 2 11 8/015 0/613 4/1 19 80 00 
9 |Soil and Soot. 2 Bush, do. 43]}7 | 11) 0 0 gi} 4 2 6,9 166) 7 410212 0l0 00 
10 |Gypsum. 163 lbs. 37} 0] 10] 0 fg 0 74[4 11 4/0180; 614 82 2 4/0 00 
11 |Saltpetre, 3} Ibs. 50) 0 | 17 }12 |g 2 231 | 6 15 0) 1 00/11 8 45 8 010 00 
12 | Nitrate of Soda. 84 lbs, 52] 0 | 18] 2 12 237 | 2 0 10] 1 2 0/1113 8/5 15 1010 00 
13 |Ashes and Rape-dust./4 Bu, 221bs. 38) 8 | 11] 0 0 g4) 4 19 4|915 0/7 3 4/1 7 4/0 00 
14 |Ashes and Gypsum. |4B.111b.Gy. 8.1d.| 44} 0 | 10/12 |9 2 91) 6 12 0) 013 0} 619 8118 00 00 
15 |Ashes and Guano. 4B.111b.Gu,| 52s.7d.) 56 | 0 | 11] 0 |g! 0 g4| 4 1 8/1 00/7 8 4/014 8/0 00 
16 |Nothing. PERE OL GPS 2h axl tSoc[e7r, 6 Me 10 0} 0 0 0/0 70/4 0 40 0 00 00 
17 |Ammoniacal Liquor, |56 lbs, 378.4d.| 43 | 0 9| 0 0 54] 4 0 o| 0 14 0] 5 12 00 1 4/0 00 
18 |Sulph. of Magnesia. |8} Ibs. 21 53/2} 14/7 [2 0 164 | 4 1410} 1 5 0/9 14 2/4 12 10/0 00 
19 |Soot. la Bushels. 208. 59/0 | 10) 0 i} 74|4 3 4/015 0} 611 sl ill 4:0 00 
AS a oan ents] } 748.04] 48] 0 | 10} 7 |o10| 0 sa] 4 0 0/0169) 619 00 0 ov 159 
21 |Salt. 22 Ibs. 12s. 50] 0 | 16] 0 0 194) 415 1 4/014 0/10 0 85 8 40 00 
4 Bu. and 8 | 
22 |Subsoil and Urine. { Gall. Water.| > 36s. 48) 7 | 12/0 |240] 0 0114} 4 1110 S| 0150/7115 Ol 18 80 00 
Urine. | 
23 |Urine. /125 Gall 528. 1d.| 50] 0 | 15 0 0174) 4 12 8 9/0 160/911 0/217 glo 00 
24 |Mossand Urine. { /£20- 90480 lh s6s. | 36] 0 | 10 0 8 74/4 |2 6 6/0126) 6 9 2212 oo 00 
25 |Carbon Animalised. |441-5thivs, | 25s. 41; 2] 8 0 44} 4 | 1 5 10/015 0) 5 14 21 13 10/0 00 
26 Piero a} jaiibs. 208. o]u 0 2104] 4 | 2 0 10] 0 166/710 8/2 10 10/0 0 0 
27 |Rape-dust. 44-5ths lbs.| 64s. 0 | 14 0 asa] 41 6 o| 015 6/9 18 Jojl 14 Glo 00 
28 |Sulphate of Ammonia.'2 4-5ths Ibs. | 40s. 2 } 10 o | 84 | 9 2] 01601611 8/012 20 00 
“Mr. Maclean also transmitted to the Society a Table, 
showing the relative weight and value of a Turnip crop 
grown with and without artificial manures. This Table is 
In the year 1836, he top-dressed it with lime 
and earth, and kept it in pasture until 1841, when it was 
sown with Oats, and produced a middling crop. The soil 
is thin blackish muir—subsoil, a muirband pan, 
nearly impenetrable. It was tolerably well drained ; 
though by no means furrow-drained; still he was 
enabled to have it ploughed to a depth that had not been 
previously practicable. It will be observed, from an in- 
spection of the tables, that the varieties of Turnips expe- 
rimented on were the Yellow and Globe—thirty cart-loads 
of good farm-yard dung being applied alone, and one-half 
that quantity, or fifteen cart-loads, being * applied "in 
combination with each of the fertilizing substances. 
The application of one-half manure and four ecwt. of 
Rape-dust produced five tons’ weight of Yellow Turnip 
more than the full quantity of manure did, producing a 
gain of 4/.14s.8d., after deducting 4/. 12s., as the expense 
of the application, estimating the price at 8d. per ewt. ; 
and half manure and 4 ewt. of salt produced five tons 
and a-half more weight of Globes than the full quantity of 
manure did, thus showing a gain of 5/. 3s. per acre, after de- 
ducting 3/. 12s. as the expense of the application, the 
value of the Globes being taken at 6d. per cwt.’” 
“Mr. Maclean concludes by stating, with regard to his 
Turnip-crop, that it is most excellent; and that while 
mildew and other diseases are reported to be destroying 
the crops of others, his, particularly those portions dressed 
with half manure and certain proportions of the other 
substances, show an evident superiority both in size and 
foliage, and present such a healthy appearance as is rarely 
witnessed in ordinary seasons. 
Taste showing the Relative Weight and Value of Turnips with and without Artificial Manures, in 1842. 
sf Expense| Weight of | Weight of | Value of 1 | 
‘SH 4 R pense eig) eight o: alue o: Value of |Total Value rs 
ce Quantity of Dung and application) of Ma- | Yellow Tur-| Globe Tur- | Yellow per |Globe per| per Acre Cai by| Peeleay 
2% 5 | of Manures per Imperial Acre. {nure per nips per Im-|nips per Im-| Acre at 8d, |Acre at 6d. after deduct-|4PPNC ts ‘ 
a Acr perial Acre. | perial Acre.| per cwt. | per ewt. ling Manures| tion. Reds 
No. € s. | Tons.| Cwts.| Tons.| Cwts.| #@ s. d.|# 8. d.| # 8. d. 235d) 8. d, 
1 | 30 Carts Dung, at 4s. per cart 6 0 24 1 1608 10 00/000 
2 | 15 Carts do. and Rape-dust, 
4 cwt., a . per cwt, 412 29 1 19 6 1414 8 414 8 
3 15 Carts do, and sulphate of 
Magnesia, 13 ewt., at 24s 41 25 2 1614 8 12:13 8 213 8 
1 | 30 oe Dung, at 4s. percart | 6 0 19 14 917 0| 817 0 j|00 4 
2 | 15 Carts do. and Carbon 5 
puget ben ot ano 21 9 1014 6 614 6 |217 6 
3 | 15 Carts do. and salt 4 cwt., at 9 
3s. per ewt. “i 3:12 25 4 1212 0 900 5 3 0 
4 15 Carts do. and Sulphate of | 
Ammonia, $ewt. eae ads (OO 19 “ 911 6) sir 6 |o 6 Go 5 6 
2) Quantity of Farm-yard 
é 
e, with and without Artificial Manures, 
Value | Nett Value 
5 Jz nee eabeo tas 
S 7 «| Value sl 
5| Dung applied per Imperial} Dung | Quantity of Artificial | =| | of Weight [per Acre| after De. | Gain by| Loss by 
%&| Acre with and without |perImp.| Manures applied. | -@ |artificiall per Acre, | at 6d. ductg. Value|4PPlica-| Applica- 
& Manures. | Acre. = |Manure. per ewt./of Manures| 'on- | tion. 
He eee £8, Cwt) # s. d.| Tons.| Cwt.| €s.d| £8. d. | #8. a #58. d. 
arts Dun; er acre. ?. 
: eiciai *}| 6 0 | Nothing . . .}0 Jo 0 of 19 4 |912 0 312 0 |0 0 0/0 0 0 
2) 15 is 3 0, | Sulphate of Magnesia | 2 1 8 0} 19 | TO ORTS 0) b= 7" <0) 115 0}0 0 0 
3 | 15 Do. do. 3 0 | Carbon ¢ * «| 5 1 0 4 21 9 j1014 6 614 6 13 2 Go 0 Oo 
4| 15 Do. do, 3 0 | NitrateofSoda. .| 1/117 6| 20 5 ]10 2 6 5 56 0 |113 0/0 0 0 
5 | 15 Do. do. 3 Common Salt . .|4 | 012 0] 95 4/1212 9 9 0 01/5 8 00 0 o 
6} 15 Do. do, 3 0 | Sulphate of Ammonia} #]3 0 6} 19 a Ql 6 $ 1t 6) 0. 0 oO .0 6 
7) 16 Do, do, 3 0 |Gypsnm =. 7 13 012 0] 13 15 O76 So 16 20: a pt OO. oe 
But we must not allow our readers to suppose that this 
Number is wholly agricultural ; on the contrary, we find a 
paper on the Plantations formed on the Sutherland estates, 
and another by Mr. Pearson, of Bewdley, on the Canker 
and Gum in Fruit Trees, from the last of which we must 
make an extract. 
Mr. Pearson says that, “In 1841 the Peach trees here | 
suffered severely by gum or canker. Some old trees had 
to be replaced by young ones. I have tried various soils 
here for the Peach, some in shallow borders, others in 
deep ones ; 
| perfectly | 
| all the diff 
| border, 
althy, while their branches sutier by canker in 
rent soils, and in all the different forms o! 
These experiments inclined me to the belief that 
the root of the disease did not rest in the soil, any further 
than that a soil for any kind of tree to grow in should bn 
| of such a composition as to produce a tree sufficiently 
vigorous for the purpose intended. No matter whether 
it is intended for timber, fruit, or flowers only, I have 
| Stated that, if the Peach trees here were covered with 
| glass, it would eradicate or prevent the disease. In this 
some thoroughly drained, others not drained I might, in one sense, have been mistaken to a certain 
at all—as the subsoil is dry—in all of which the roots are | extent, I have stated, however, in another place, that I 
would engage to have two peach-houses, everything as to 
soil and situation being the same, and I would almost 
destroy the trees in one house by artificial gum or canker, 
and the trees inthe other house should be nearly, if 
not altogether, free from it. This, I admit, is a very bold 
assertion; but the following experiment enables me to 
make it with some degree of confidence :—I had a small 
Peach tree growing (or rather dying) against south wall, 
which was so affected with diséase, that it had only two 
living buds on it. I potted it, and set it in the peach- 
house, to see if I could restore it to anything like a 
healthy state. One of the buds was knocked off by acci- 
dent ; the other bud grew, and did pretty well. The second 
year I planted it against the west end of the house—its 
aspect being east. Having, as I fancied, traced the disease 
to external causes, I disbudded, as we gardeners term it, 
two buds on the little treein question. The one bud was 
pinched off, leaving one small leaf to it: the other was 
pinched off without leaving a leaf, but leaving the nucleus 
or base of the bud; and, as is well known to practical 
cultivators of the Peach, buds treated in the latter mode 
never put forth again. Over these denuded buds I fixed 
an open vessel of clear rain-water, in which I placed a 
wetted worsted thread, one end of it hanging over the 
side of the vessel in a perpendicular line with the buds. 
By the well-known law of attraction in this case, the 
thread dripped its regular supply of water on the denuded 
buds, which were allowed to be kept moist, by this means, 
for two or three days ata time. Then the thread was 
removed, and the buds allowed to be dry for a day or two, 
when the water was again applied; and thus we proceeded 
with those alternations for a short time, occasionally 
examining the buds. On the first examination I could 
not perceive anything remarkable in their appearance ; 
bat, by and by, I fancied I saw a slight discoloration of 
the outward bark, extending about an inch below each 
bud. Soon after this, fancy became certainty, by the 
bark becoming darker in colour, and small globules of 
gum, as clear as drops of rain in the sunbeam, exuding 
from the bark, about an inch below each bud. After 
keeping them dry for a few days, the water was again 
applied, and in a short time the gum took its well-known 
datk amber colour, and the bark its well-known brown. 
Thus the disease was fully established artificially ; and 
here the branch is on the tree for any person to see— 
many of my neighbours having already seen it. At the 
present time there is gum hanging on the said branch ; 
and any stranger would take it for the disease in its natural 
way, as there is no discernible difference in it. In fact, I 
do not think that the branch will live much longer, as the 
disease has almost extended round it. J had, for years, 
felt pretty certain that by far the greater number of cases 
of the disease made their first appearance at or near the 
buds in the Peach tree, but never could decide exactly 
how the dawn of its existence took place, till I had the 
satisfaction of witnessing it in the above simple ex- 
periment. 
‘In Peach trees, generally speaking, and probably in 
many other trees, natives of warmer climates than ours, 
there are always more or less of what gardeners term 
abortive buds, both of wood buds and blossom buds. 
This abortiveness establishes itself earlier or later in the 
autumn, or probably from the vicissitudes of a severe 
winter, such as the last winter, for instance ; when in the 
latter part of January we had here April-like weather, 
but on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of February, the thermo- 
meter sunk to 17 deg. below freezing, which rendered all 
the blossom-buds on four Apricot trees abortive, notwith- 
standing their growing against a south wall. ‘The abortive 
wood-buds are more numerous in those trees which are 
rather declining in vigour, or in those branches of a young 
tree which has been robbed of its portion of nourishment 
by its more robust neighbours, or, which is often the cuse, 
on branches which have borne too much fruit. It matters 
little, however, in this case, how these abortive buds are 
established ; the fact is, they are established, and there 
the disease commences its silent but certain and destruc- 
tive operations. When the buds are dead, they, like all 
dead vegetable matter, become powerful absorbents of 
water, whether of the finely-divided vapours of the atmo- 
sphere, or the more condensed form of rain water— 
hence, after rain, they become gorged with water. So 
long as these dead buds rest on the trees, there is little or 
no cicatrization between the dead buds and the branches 
which they rest on; or, at all events, not before they have 
been saturated with moisture, which first saturation, after 
death has taken place, enters into the most incipient fer- 
mentation with the sap of the plant, at the connection 
between the dead bud and the living branch. By the 
proaches, the frost, freezing the water in the dead buds, 
enlarges their capacity for holding the destructive element, 
which assists in carrying on the fermentation between the 
alburnum and the bark. In this infant stage of the 
disease, itis not discernible by ordinary observation, aS 
the bark does not change its colour for some time afteT 
the disease has entered the system of the plant ; and, if 
dry weather follow the recent establishment of it, its 
ravages are arrested fora time, but which, nevertheless, 
progress as the sap attenuates, when the disease mani- 
fests itself to the eyes of every beholder, but to none 
more than to the eyes of the gardener, who has carefully 
prepared his well-drained border, as a preventive or cure 
of the pest in question, and who finds, as 1 have found, 
that the whole ‘root doctrine,’ as a cure of canker on the 
head of the tree, is next to a fallacy, save, as 1 have above 
stated, that a soil should possess ingredients which will 
produce a tree sufficiently vigorous for the purpose in- 
tended, avoiding that state of exuberance which pre- 
vents it. 
