438 



Use of Artificial Manures. 



Green and Root Crops. 



Mangolds : The basis of manuring for this crop should be 

 dung, applied in autumn if the land is clean, or in spring. Supple- 

 mentary to this manure a mixture of artificials, such as I cwt. 

 sulphate of ammonia, 3 cwt. superphosphate, and 4 cwt. kainit, 

 should be given at the time of sowing, with 1 cwt. or i^-cwt. of 

 nitrate of soda as a top-dressing at the time of thinning. Half 

 the sulphate of ammonia and the whole of the superphosphate 

 may be replaced by 3 cwt. of dissolved bones. If basic slag be 

 used in place of superphosphate, it should be put on broadcast 

 in February. One of the most conspicuous results at Rothamsted 

 consists in the superior action of nitrate of soda as compared 

 with ammonia salts on this crop, but on lighter land sulphate of 

 ammonia would probably act better. This, however, is a matter 

 which each farmer should determine for himself. Salt, no doubt, 

 sometimes acts well on mangolds, but the use of this substance 

 seems unnecessary where kainit is used, as one-third of the latter 

 consists of ordinary salt. 



If the crop be grown without dung, the artificials above 

 indicated should be increased by half, and may sometimes even 

 be doubled. 



Turnips, Swedes, and Kohl Rabi, may, in general, be treated 

 like mangolds, except that they need not get so much dung or 

 nitrogen, but they should receive relatively more phosphates. 

 If 10 or 12 tons of good dung be used, the supplementary arti- 

 ficials need not exceed \ cwt. nitrate of soda and 3 cwt. super. 

 Even this moderate allowance will often fail to pay directly, but 

 the super, will have some influence on the next crop. If the 

 land be very light, kainit up to 3 cwt. per acre may be used, not 

 so much for its effect on the roots as for its influence on the 

 clover that may follow. 



In the absence of dung these allowances should be at least 

 doubled; or, better still, £ cwt. of sulphate of ammonia may be 

 applied with the seed, and \ cwt. nitrate of soda may go on a 

 month later as a top-dressing. If the land is very light, fish 

 meal, rape dust, or dissolved bones may partly replace the more 

 soluble substances. If the land is at all disposed to finger-and-toe 

 it is well not to use either superphosphate or dissolved bones. 



