THE MANURING OF MARKET-GARDEN CROPS. 



1009 



effect of chemical fertilisers on the quality of Cauliflowers is especially 

 the case also with Cabbages. The large, well-developed Cabbages grown 

 with phosphates and a liberal application of nitrate of soda, either with 

 or without dung, are uniformly far less fibrous and more succulent and 

 tender than the plants raised on dung alone, even when as much as 

 50 loads per acre are used. 



We grew five crops on our original plan of experiment, and have 

 recorded three more crops under the newer scheme, including larger 

 dressings of nitrate of soda. On the whole, potash salts have not 

 increased the average yield of this crop in any marked degree on the plots 

 on which dung was used. 



Although Autumn Cabbages are a rapidly growing and gross -feeding 

 crop, they seem, like other members of the botanical order of Brassicacece, 

 to possess great natural facility in availing themselves of the natural 

 potash resources of the soil, even when these are slender. 



The following table shows the average results obtained with some of 

 the principal dressings, over a period of eight years ; and also, in another 

 column, the results obtained during those years in which the heavier 

 dressings were included : — 



AUTUMN-CUT CABBAGES. 



Annual manuring per acre 



Annual cost 

 of manure 

 per acre 



Weight of Cabbages per acre per annum 



Eieht vears' average 

 (1894-1901) 



Tbree years' average 

 (1899-1901) 



50 loads (25 tons) London Dung . 

 25 loads (12^ tons) London Dung . 

 25 loads Dung, Phosphates, and 



2 cwt. Nitrate of Soda . 

 25 loads Dung, Phosphates, and 



4 cwt. Nitrate of Soda . 

 25 loads Dung, Phosphates, and 



6 cwt. Nitrate of Soda . 



£ s. d. 

 10 0 0 



5 0 0 



6 15 0 



7 5 0 



8 15 0 



tons cwt. 



23 9 

 20 11 



24 9 

 26 3 



tons cwt. 

 24 3 

 20 G 



23 12 



24 9 

 27 17 



It will be seen that, on the eight years' average, the heavy dressing of 

 50 loads of dung per acre only gave 2^ tons of Cabbages per acre more 

 than the light dressing of dung. When, instead of doubling the dung r 

 the light dressing was supplemented by chemical fertilisers, the increase 

 was much greater — namely, nearly 4 tons per acre when 2 cwt. of nitrate 

 of soda were used, and nearly 5| tons when 4 cwt. of nitrate were used. 

 During the last three years the average crops obtained with light and 

 heavy dressings of dung were much the same as on the average of the 

 eight years ; and here again the chemical fertilisers, in addition to the 

 light dressing of dung, gave very much better results than the heavy 

 dung, the average increase from chemical fertilisers being 3^ tons per 

 acre when 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda were applied, and about 4 tons per acre 

 when 4 cwt. of nitrate were applied. The further increase of the nitrate 

 dressing to 6 cwt. per acre gave a still further increase of nearly 3£ tons, 

 the gain due to chemical fertilisers averaging in this case 1\ tons of 

 Cabbages per acre, or nearly twice the increase obtained by doubling the 



p 



