1038 Notes on Manures for February. [Feb., 



Thus in spite of the drought the barley responded satisfac- 

 torily to the nitrogenous dressing. 



The results for wheat were not so marked; although there 

 was an increase in crop it barely paid the cost of the dressing. 

 Some of the figures are : — 



Wheat. 



Hcacl corn 



Total grain 



Straw 



Total produce 



bushels per acre. 



lb. per acre. 



cv:t. 'per acre. 



lb. per acre. 



No top dressing ... 17*4 



1,507 



226 



4,040 



Top dressing (sulphate 









of ammonia) ... 18'6 



1,605 



25-8 



4,497 



Use of Ashpit Refuse as Manure. — The variable nature of 

 this material and its dependence on season is shown by a recent 

 delivery of London refuse which was found to contain more 

 cinder than that delivered in the summer. During the hot 

 weather household refuse appears to be poorer in cinders and 

 therefore richer in fertiliser material than in winter. 



Further information as to some of the northern towns' refuse 

 has been supplied to the writer by Mr. E. W. Wheldon, of 

 the Agricultural Department, Armstrong College, Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne. At Cockle Park town refuse did not give as good 

 results as farmyard manure when both were used at the same 

 rate of 15 tons per acre, the crops of swedes being 25 J tons 

 with farmyard manure and 21 J tons with Gateshead refuse. It 

 .is possible, however, that the dry weather (which was felt even 

 at Cockle Park, although one would not have imagined it from 

 the yield of swedes) was not favourable to the town refuse. 

 Elsewhere it gave satisfactory results on potatoes, and many 

 farmers speak well of this particular material. It is offered at 

 Gateshead at 2s. 6d. per ton and is cheaper than town stable 

 manures. It is, however, richer in nitrogen than is generally 

 the case, some samples containing up to 1 per cent, of this 

 important fertiliser constituent. 



Other ashpit refuse materials from towns are as follows : — 



Percentage Composition. 





Tyacmouth. 



Bury. 



Nitrogen ... 



0-50 



0-55 



Phosphoric Acid (P 2 5 ) 



0-19 



0-67 



Equivalent to Ammonia 



0-60 



0-33 



Equivalent to Tribasic phosphate of Lime 



0-41 



0-72 



Potash (K 2 0) 



0-30 





Organic matter ... 





136 



Mineral matter ... 





52-0 



Electric and Radium Fertilisers.— 



From time to time corre- 



spondents raise the question whether any particular value is 



