440 



Use of Artificial Manures. 



mixtures than in the case of less valuable crops. The following 

 mixture will be found generally serviceable : — 



\ cwt. nitrate of soda, 



\ cwt. sulphate of ammonia. 



2 cwt. dissolved bones. 



2 cwt. super. 



i- cwt. sulphate or muriate of potash (about 70 per cent, 

 purity). 



It would be an improvement, though involving a little more 

 trouble and expense, to use only \ cwt. of nitrate of soda and 

 \ cwt. sulphate of ammonia, and to add \ cwt. of fish guano, and 



cwt. of Peruvian guano. Five to 8 cwt. per acre of such a 

 mixture may be used with, or double this quantity without, a 

 liberal dose of dung. 



The slowness of action and presence of free lime in the case of 

 basic slag render this manure unsuitable for use on potatoes. 



Carrots and Parsnips are usually grown on light or peaty 

 land, and a good artificial mixture would consist of 1 cwt. 

 of sulphate of ammonia, 4 cwt. of superphosphate, and up to 

 5 cwt. of kainit. Whether farmyard manure should be directly 

 used will depend on the character of the land and its previous 

 treatment. 



For fifty miles round London, and also in other parts of the 

 country, soot at the rate of 5 — 10 cwt. per acre is largely used, 

 especially on crops that are apt to suffer severely from the attack 

 of insects and slugs, e.g., cabbages, turnips, carrots. Soot 

 supplies nitrogen, of which about 5 cwt. hold about as much 

 as 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda, and besides acting as an insecticide 

 and fertiliser, it darkens the soil, and from the point of view of 

 temperature this is often an advantage. 



Leguminous Crops. 



Beans and Vetches often receive dung, and although this 

 substance will markedly benefit such crops, it can usually be 

 more advantageously employed otherwise. In an artificial 

 mixture for these and other leguminous crops, nitrogen should 

 be omitted, not because it may be altogether inoperative, but 

 simply because they generally grow sufficiently well without it. 



