ii6 



Notes on Manures. 



[may. 



Manuring: for Mangrolds. — ^The mangold is one of the most 

 important crops on the farm and one of the most responsive 

 to manuring. The Rothamsted experi- 

 ° ^for^JnnV^^^*' ments show that it tolerates a higher 

 From the Rothamsted "^^S^^^ ^f intensive treatment than any 

 Experimental Station, other farm crop, and experience shows 

 that the yield may vary according to treat- 

 ment from 15 to over 90 tons per acre. 



The basis of manuring for mangolds is farmyard manure ; 

 this will have been put on in the autumn — always the best 

 plan in the southern paits of England, where mangolds are 

 most commonly grown. In addition, phosphates are necessary 

 to secure adequate root development, and, as many experiments 

 have shown, potash is needed to facilitate the production of 

 sugar. Both phosphates and potash are put into drills. Salt 

 is also necessary — mangolds being originally seaside plants ; 

 and finally a liberal allowance of nitrogenous fertiliser should 

 be given, the amount varying with the yield which may be 

 expected. A suitable general dressing was given last month. 



It is a mistake to suppose that nitrogenous fertilisers lower 

 the feeding value of the mangold. They of course do harm 

 if wrongly used, but, as a rule, this happens only when in- 

 sufficient amounts of potash and salt have been applied. 



Many experiments have shown that nitrate of soda and 

 nitrate of lime are valuable top dressings, in some cases more 

 effective than sulphate of ammonia. On two soils experiments 

 made by the Midland Agricultural College* (1915) showed the 

 following results : — 







Heavy Clay 





Light Soil. 



Loam. 





Tons cwt. 



Tons cwt. 



No top dressing 



20 10 



25 i8i 



Nitrate of soda 



29 ^ 



30 14 



Nitrate of lime 



28 8 



30 4i 



Gloucestershire the results were : — 









{Cirencester. )% 







Calcareous 





igog. jpio.t 



Soil. 





Tons cwt. Tons cwt. 



Tons Cwt. 



No top dressing . . 



23 14 28 



21 19 



Nitrate of soda 



29 14 32 4 



25 II 



Nitrate of lime . . 



32 5 30 3 



25 II 



Sulphate of ammonia 



— 30 9 



26 I 



Nitrolim . . 



30 6 19 15 



25 i8" 



* Midland Agric. Coll. Field Trials^ 1915, p, 51. 



t Glos. Repts., 1909 and loio, p. 74, Table I. 



X Royal AgHc. Coll. Repts., Cirencester, 1910, p. 31. 



