1909.] A Demonstration of Intensive Cultivation. 835 



clean. The varieties of earlies grown on the area under ex- 

 periment, about I acre, were Epicures and Mayqueens; the 

 sets were sprouted in boxes, and planted on April 7. The cul- 

 tivation and manuring of the crop were as follows : — The oat 

 stubble was dunged with 25 loads of farmyard manure per 

 acre, shallow ploughed in November just to cover the dung ; 

 deep ploughed two months later, ridges drawn and artificials 

 sown, boxed sets planted, ridges split to cover seed ; 

 saddle-harrowed down three weeks later; ploughed with 

 chilled plough between ridges, immediately harrowed 

 down; hand-hoed and earthed up. The artificials sown 

 comprised 3 cwt. superphosphate of lime, ij- cwt. 

 sulphate of potash and ij cwt. sulphate of ammonia. 

 The cost of these operations, including rent, manure, 

 seed, digging, and carrying to station is calculated at 

 £16 55. per acre. The crop, which averaged 9 to 11 tons 

 per acre, was sold f.o.r. at prices from 70s. to 90s. per ton, 

 commencing July 7, in a not over-favourable market. The 

 gross return per acre was £s7 1S - 4^-> an d as some of the 

 crop was charged with some railway expenses the net return 

 was £35 1 is. per acre. Directly after digging, the land was 

 ploughed (this ploughing perhaps might have been omitted), 

 and cauliflower plants were put in ; the season was very dry, 

 and a day or two might have been gained under more favour- 

 able conditions. As it was, the plants were watered in, with 

 the result that there was no flagging, and they got a good 

 start. The plants were put in at the rate of 10,000 per acre 

 at a cost of 4s. per 1,000 for plants. A hundredweight of 

 nitrate of soda was given them, and they were hand-hoed once 

 and horse-hoed twice. Selling began on October 28, when 

 consignments were sent to the Borough Market, Bexhill, and 

 some few were sold locally in Wye and Ashford. In all, 

 7,770 heads were marketed at an average price of 1*135^. per 

 head, realising per acre ,£40 11s. qd. The cost of plants, 

 labour, manure, cutting, packing, delivery, rail charges, 

 commission, and returns of empties (they were packed in 

 nets and potato "pads") amounted to £10 per acre, so that 

 there was a net return of over ^30 per acre, which, with the 

 net return of the early potatoes, makes a total of over ^49 

 per acre from the two crops. It will be noticed that the 



