474 Fertilisers for Market Garden Crops. 



Rhubarb. 



The most interesting plots of our rhubarb plantation have 

 given the following average results over four years. 



In the case of the small varieties, doubling the dung gave a 

 very large increase, but practically the same result was obtained 

 by supplementing the light dressing of dung with a moderate 

 dressing of chemical fertilisers. 



In the case of the coarse variety heavy dunging again largely 



Annual 

 Manuring. 



Small or Fine 

 Varieties. 



Large or Coarse 

 Variety. 



Annual 



Number 

 of Sticks 



pulled 

 per acre. 



Total 

 Weight 

 per acre. 



Number 

 of Sticks 



pulled 

 per acre. 



Total 

 Weight 

 per acre. 



Cost of 

 Manure 

 per acre. 







Tons Cwt. 





Tons Cwt. 



£ s. d. 



Light Dung 



61.900 



12 8 



70,440 



27 0 



500 



Heavy Dung 



105,875 



19 9 



97,3io 



38 15 



10 0 0 



Light Dung, and 

 Phosphates,Potash 

 and 2 cwt. Nitrate 

 of Soda per acre... 



101,430 



19 3 



99,500 



37 12 



7 5 0 



Light Dung, and 

 Phosphates, Potash 

 and 4 cwt. Nitrate 

 of Soda per acre... 



93.950 



19 9 



96.050 



40 16 



850 



No Dung ; but Phos- 

 phates, Potash and 

 4 cwt. Nitrate cf 

 Soda per acre ... 



79,800 



12 17 



94,640 



37 0 



3 5 0 



increased the crop, but a better and cheaper result was obtained 

 by combination of light dung and chemical fertilisers. In fact, 

 with the coarse variety, chemical fertilisers alone, at a com- 

 paratively small cost, did nearly as well as even the heavy dressing 

 of dung. 



With both kinds of rhubarb we have noticed, by examination 

 both in the kitchen and on the table, that the leaf-stalks pro- 

 duced on the plots receiving chemical fertilisers were, owing 

 probably to more rapid growth, much more tender and less 

 stringy than those grown with dung alone. 



