1908.] 



Farmyard Manure. 



i75 



The rainfall for this period, i.e., for the four months March 

 to June, was 13 in. in 1879 and only 2-9 in. in 1893. 



1879. I 893- Average, 51 Years. 



Plot 2 ... 16-0 ... 34-25 ... 35*7 

 „ 7 ... 16-25 •■• 2 °' 2 S ••• 32'9 



The average yield on the dunged plot is about 3 bushels 

 more than on Plot 7, but in the dry year its superiority 

 amounted to 14 bushels, whereas in the very wet year the two 

 plots sank to the same low level. In a bad season the bacterial 

 changes which render the plant food in dung available for the 

 crop go on very slowly. 



The application of farmyard manure to grass land, not only 

 has a fertilising" and water-retaining* effect, but is also valuable 

 from the way it acts as a mulch and affords the springing 

 grass in the early months of the year some protection from 

 cold and drying winds. At Rothamstecl on the permanent 

 grass plots it is often noticed that the plots which receive 

 applications of farmyard manure once in every four years 

 start a little earlier and make a quicker growth than the others. 

 This mulching effect partly accounts for the great value attached 

 to dung as a dressing for permanent grass land on open chalky 

 soils, as in Wiltshire, where it is customary to farm the arable 

 land entirely with artificial manures, aided by the folding off 

 of catch crops, and reserve all the farmyard manure made for 

 the grass. Such a practice is wasteful of the farmyard manure 

 as a fertiliser, for the loss of nitrogen from a layer loosely 

 spread over the ground until it decays is considerable, but the 

 waste is tolerated in view of the gain to the physical or 

 mechanical condition of the land. 



In ordinary mixed farming undoubtedly the best way of 

 utilising farmyard manure is to apply it to the root crops, 

 and especially to mangolds and potatoes. Swedes require 

 much less nitrogen than do the other root crops ; they also 

 require a firm but fine tilth, and in consequence not more than 

 10 to 12 tons of dung per acre should be given for swedes, 

 and it should be applied in the autumn in order that it may 

 become well rotted down before the spring cultivation begins. 

 But for mangolds and potatoes up to 20 tons of dung per acre 

 can be profitably employed, and it can if necessary be applied 

 immediately before, sowing. Any surplus dung after the re- 



