960 



Mani-res IX January. 



[Jan., 



MANURES IN JANUARY. 



E. J. ErssELL, D.Sc, F.E.S., 



Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden. 



The Proper Time for Top Dressings. — Many inquiries are 

 made as to the proper time for applying top dressings to farm 

 crops. The general rules are as follows : — 



Grass Land. — Any time in autumn or lo inter : lime, chalk, basic slag, 

 kainit (on hay land). 



Spring: superphosphate, sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, 



nitrate of Hme, nitrolim (the latter four on hay land). 

 Arable Land. — Winter combat time of sowing seed: superphosphate, 



basic slag, kainit, sulphate of potash, muriate of potash. 



Spring : sulphate of ammonia, nitrolim, as early top dressings ; 



nitrate of soda, nitrate of lime, as later top dressings. 

 EooTS. — Autumn: on stubble of preceding crop: lime or chalk; farmyard 



manure in eastern and southern parts of the country. 



Spring, at time of sowing seed : superphosphate, kainit, sulphate of 



potash, nmriate of potash, sulphate of ammonia, nitrolim ; and on 



mangolds, salt. 



Time of singling : nitrate of soda, nitrate of lime, salt (to mangolds). 

 In the case of swedes it is often not advantageous to give large 

 dressings of artificials in addition to dung : mangolds, however, can 

 take considerable quantities. 

 Seeds Ley. — Autumn: lime, chalk, basic slag. — Spring: liquid manure 

 if available ; nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia if necessary 

 to encourage grass on mixed leys where clovers are failing. 



What Crops are Benefited by Chalking or Liming? — 



Assuming that lime or chalk is available, what will be the best 



way of applying it? If the land is thoroughly sour all crops 



benefit. If it has not been allowed to get into such condition, 



and is only beginning to suffer from lime shortage, then the 



crop that derives most benefit is clover; swedes and barley also 



benefit; wheat and oats derive no benefit except in bad cases. 



After an improved clover crop, however, the subsequent 



cereal crops usually benefit, while there is often the additional 



advantage in the ease of working the land and a reduction in 



costs, matters which are of importance to the farmer. 



Some of the results obtained at Rothamsted are : — 



Laud chaJked in 1913. 



Challced. Unchalked. 

 26 loiuh fine. 50 loads lump. 



1914. Oats, grain ... bash. 37-3' 41-1 — 44-6 



1915. Clover, hay ... cwt. 35-8 39-2 20-2 18-6 



1916. Wheat.grain ... bush. 33 8 30'2 24*2 31-3 



straw... cwt. 40*3 35-0 30-5 35 5 



1917. Oats, grain ... bush. 29-7 27-1 23-6 28*3 



straw ... cwt. 228 22-9 23-2 23-6 



