832 Cultivation of Asparagus in Evesham, [jani, 



The Board have received from the Cooper Laboratory for 

 Economic Research, Watford, the following note by Mr. 

 A 1 e of W- H. Barlow, F.I.C., on some 



Seaweeds analyses of seaweeds: — In view of the 



importance of seaweed as a manure in 

 certain districts, as recently pointed out by Dr. Russell 

 (Journ. Board of Agric, September, 1910) the following 

 analyses, made by the writer in the spring of 1905, may, it is 

 thought, prove of additional interest. 



Three varieties of Fucus were examined, viz., F. nodosus, 

 F. serratus, and F. vesiculosus. They were collected at 

 Padstow (N. Cornwall) in March, 1905. 



In the following table the analytical results are calculated 

 in each case on the dry material : — 



Organic matter 



Ash ... ... 



Nitrogen ' ... ... ... . 



f Potash , . ... ... 



Phosphoric acid 



In many respects the results are similar to those obtained 

 by Dr. Russell and Mr. Hendrick for Thanet, Jersey and 

 Scotch seaweeds. In the case of F. serratus the phosphoric 

 acid was considerably higher than that found in the Thanet 

 specimen referred to. 



The total alkalies in the three varieties examined were found 

 to be nearly uniform. Calculated upon the ash, they were as 

 follows : — 



Soda. Potash. 



Na 2 0. K 2 0. Total Alkalies* 



F. nodosus 23*19 17-19 40*38 



F. serratus ... ... .. , .. 1 7 76 21*69 39*45 



F. vesiculosus... .. ... ... 18*72 21*94 40*66 



Lime was not estimated. 



Fucus 



Fucus 



Fucus 



nodosus. 



serratus. 



vesicutostis. 



73*99 



76-97 



71-35 



26 - OI 



23-Q3 



28*65 



178 



2*88 



2*29 



4'47 



5*00 



6*29 



0*29 



o-55 



0'45 



Asparagus cultivation in Evesham is practically confined 

 to the heaviest land. This ranges from a medium loam to 



a true clay, the latter often so heavy 

 Cultivation that it can ~ Qnl be d in winter during 



of Asparagus J & ° 



in Evesham, a f rost > as tne men cannot get a foothold 



under other conditions. On the lighter 

 land it does not do well, and is but little cultivated on such 

 soils. The failure is not due to the lightness of the land so 

 much as to its small water-holding power. The light soils are 

 not deep like the alluvial soils found in the fen country, and 



