Manuring of Potatoes 



75 



Manuring of Potatoes. 



Experiments in the manuring of potatoes have been carried 

 out at the Yorkshire College, Leeds, under the direction of 

 Professor R. S. Seton, in 1900 and 1901, in continuation of 

 those undertaken in 1899, and already described.* As the 

 season may affect the action of manures it is hoped that the 

 trials may be continued for a number of years. In this 

 connection it should be noted that the following results, 

 which represent the averages of the three years 1 899-1 901, 

 were obtained in a succession of three dry seasons. 



The trials have been conducted at several centres, in 

 addition to the college farm at Garforth. They had as their 

 objects, (a) the illustration of the comparative effects of a 

 heavy dressing of dung, and of a moderate dressing of dung 

 supplemented by a complete mixture of artificials ; (b) the 

 determination of the kinds and quantities of artificials that 

 may be best employed along with a moderate dressing of 

 dung ; and (c) to ascertain whether it is necessary to use a 

 complete mixture of artificials when no dung is employed. 



In discussing the results, the potatoes have been valued at 

 £2 1 os. per ton, for the past season this value is too high, 

 but in most years it probably approximates to the average 

 value to the farmer. The dung is valued at 5 s. per ton, but 

 only half that sum has been charged to the potato crop, the 

 remainder falling to be charged to the succeeding crops in the 

 rotation. The entire cost of the artificials is charged against 

 the potatoes. 



The following table shows the comparison between heavy 

 and moderate dressings of dung, and a moderate dressing of 

 dung with artificials. 



Although 10 tons of dung is a small allowance for potatoes, 

 it is in many cases as much as can be spared. The following 

 table shows that the addition of a further 1 o tons gave a better 

 yield than the addition of 6| cwts. of mixed artificials ; also 

 that the superiority was still more accentuated when the 

 profits were considered, since the entire cost of the artificials 



* Journal of the Board of Agriculture, Vol. VII. pp. 24, 438. 



