462 



Fertilisers for Market Garden Crops. 



same state of maturity, that is to say, just before it shows indi- 

 cations of " breaking"; and every cabbage is cut individually at 

 what is judged to be its full market size. Each day's produce 

 from each plot, no matter whether it is a single head or a larger 

 quantity, is accurately weighed and the weight entered in a 

 "journal," which is afterwards " posted " into a "ledger," where 

 each plot or sub-plot has its page. 



As mere statements of area do not necessarily give very clear 

 ideas of the size of a plantation, it may be mentioned that our 

 six plots of cauliflowers last year contained in all 1,296 plants ; 

 that our six plots of autumn cabbages contained in all 2,304 

 plants ; and that our six plots of winter lettuces contained in all 

 3,024 plants. Altogether, we have at present under cultivation 

 about 300 plots and sub-plots, the produce of each of which is 

 separately gathered and weighed. 



It may be added that all the plots are separated by paths, in 

 order to retain the individuality of each plot, and that all culti- 

 vation is carried out by spade labour. 



From what has been said as to the disposition of the plots in 

 each of our sections, it will be gathered that the general scheme 

 of our experiments is to compare, for each crop, the relative 

 utility of town dung used by itself in either light or heavy 

 dressings, and used in conjunction with concentrated fertilisers ; 

 and at the same time to ascertain whether, and for what crops, 

 dung may be sometimes economically dispensed with altogether. 



Market gardeners necessarily spend on manure much larger 

 sums than ordinary farmers. Many of their crops are heavier 

 and make more urgent demands on the soil than do those 

 of the farmer ; and, furthermore, they must be grown as rapidly 

 as possible. The manure on which market gardeners spend 

 most money is town dung. Concentrated fertilisers are also 

 used to a considerable and, of late years, increasing extent in 

 our market gardens, but a great many growers still pin their 

 faith wholly to town dung. Town dung is very commonly 

 used by the market gardener in quantities of 25 tons per 

 acre ; often he puts on as much as 50 tons per acre in one 

 dressing. The cost of this dung is variable according to 

 the locality of the farm, but, on an average, when all charges 

 are paid, it probably costs quite 7s. per ton in the field, 



