THE MANURING- OF MARKET-GARDEN CROPS. 



1011 



Savoy Cabbages. 



In 1894 we grew two crops of Savoys (slightly different varieties), and 

 have grown a crop in each year since. Our crop in 1901 was thus our 

 ninth. Up to 1898 we used the original scheme of manuring, but since 

 that year we have extended the dressings of nitrate of soda. 



In 1900 the crop was hampered by drought in a critical stage of its 

 growth, and was consequently very small. The small size of this crop 

 reduces the average for the last three years to somewhat small 

 dimensions. 



The results are given in the following table : — 



SAVOY CABBAGES. 



Annual manuring per acre 



Annual cost of 

 manure per acre 



Weight of Cab 



Average of 9 crops 

 (1894-1901) 



bages per acre 



Average of 3 crops 

 (1899-1901) 





£ 



s. 





tons 



cwt. 



tons 



cwt. 



50 loads (25 tons) London Dung . 



10 



0 



$ 



15 



19 



15 



16 



25 loads (12^ tons) London Dung . 

 25 loads Dung, Phosphates (wilhout 



5 



0 



0 



13 



3 



12 



16 

















Potash), and 2 cwt. Nitrate of 

















Soda . 



6 



15 



0 



17 



10 



10 



1 



Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 



7 



5 



0 



18 



5 



16 



10 



25 loads Dung, Phosphates (without 

















Potash), and 4 cwt. Nitrate of 



















7 



15 



0 



18 



5 



15 



16 



Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 



8 



5 



0 



18 



4 



16 



4 



25 loads Dung, Phosphates (without 

















Potash), and 6 cwt. Nitrate of 

















Soda 



8 



15 



0 







16 



7 



Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 



9 



5 



0 







17 



4 



It will be seen that the most extravagant dressing has been the dressing 

 of heavy dung, no matter whether we regard the average of nine crops 

 or that of the last three crops. On the average of the nine crops the 

 difference between the lightly dunged and the heavily dunged crops has 

 been less than 3 tons per acre, while, by the aid of the dressing of 

 chemical fertilisers consisting of phosphates, potash salts, and 2 cwt. of 

 nitrate of soda per acre, the corresponding increase has been over 5 tons 

 per acre. 



On the average of the last three years, the increase of nitrate from 

 4 cwt. to 6 cwt. per acre has produced an extra ton of Cabbages, but in one 

 of the two years the increase was nearly 2^ tons per acre. In 1900 

 the crop was so small that the heavy dressings produced but little effect on 

 it. In 1899, when the crop was large, and also in 1901 , potash produced 

 a good effect, which was rarely the case in our previous experience with 

 this crop. 



In the foregoing table we have only considered the effects of different 

 chemical dressings as an adjunct to dung. The following table summa- 

 rises the results obtained by entirely substituting chemical fertilisers for 

 dung : — 



p 2 



