On Nitrate of Soda. 



365 



so as to diffuse it more evenly — lastly, taking care if possible that 

 the ground shall be rather moist when the mixture is sown 

 broadcast — we may treat our crops with this powerful medicine 

 in perfect security. Where feebleness of plant or poverty of 

 soil exists, there it acts best : thus, Mr. Burgess, who seems 

 to have been the first to employ nitrate for manure instead 

 of saltpetre, informs us, in 1840, that he used it when, from the 

 wet season and the loireicorm, the plant ivas nearly destroyed, and 

 had above an average crop of wheat. It is to be feared that 

 in March next opportunities for trying this experiment will not 

 be w"anting. If the land be in high ridges and undrained, the 

 ridges may escape injury and the hollow^s be almost bare. Then 

 let the hollows be dressed in proportion to their requirements. 

 According to the evidence we possess, there is no land which will 

 not be benefited by nitrate, unless the very best or the most 

 highly-farmed.f On such land every farmer is aware that it is 

 dangerous to force wheat ; but on the cold clays nitre is pre- 

 eminently successful. Whoever has crossed the great Weald of 

 Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, on his way to Folkstone or Brighton, 

 must have observed the cold and sterile aspect of its hardbound 

 yellow clays, nor do I know any district of England where skill 

 seems less to have coped with the defects of nature : yet in this 

 very Weald we find that nitrate gave to the farmers employing it 

 'properly, on an average 8 bushels per acre of wheat, and for oats 

 a profit of 276'. to SO^. per acre,i which might be now 20^. ; but 

 even so reduced in amount would he the ivhole rent of such land. 

 If so, the use of nitrate answers the question often asked — 

 What can be done for our cold clays ? — For why is it our cold 

 English clays are so much compassionated? Simply because 

 even when drained they are unable to grow root-crops for 

 winter-feeding, and so to obtain nitrogen from stock consuming 

 those crops. Cubic nitre then supplies their special deficiency. 

 It will be equally opportune indeed to large tracts on the Con- 

 tinent also, where the want of demand for fresh meat depresses 

 the soil's productiveness in the same manner — on the chalk hills 

 of Picardy and the sand plains of Brandenburg. How^ much 

 more if the desert of Tamarugal be laid open by some better 

 conveyance than packmules, and the price of nitrate be reduced 

 by one-half ! Bones are not so potent a manure ; yet they 

 redeemed the Lincolnshire Heaths and Wolds. A'or is capital 

 required for the purchase of a top-dressing like nitrate, the outlay 



* Journal, ii. p, 132. 



f I sliould mention, however, that in Lancashire, where rain is abundant, Mr. 

 Garnett has not found the use of nitrate of soda, even conjoined with salt, perfectly safe, 

 unless further combined with silicate of soda, or sown in the autumn. (See Mr. Gar- 

 nett's letter, p. 367.) 



X Journal, ii., p. 127. 



