THE MANURING OF MARKET-GARDEN CROPS. 1015 



RED CABBAGES. 



Manuring per acre 



Annual cost of 

 manure per acre 



Weight of 

 Cabbages per acre 



25 loads (12| tons) London Dung, 6 cwt. Superphos- 

 phate, and 1 cwt. Sulphate of Potash (without 



25 loads (12| tons) London Dung, 6 cwt. Superphos- 

 phate, and 1 cwt. Sulphate of Potash, with 



£ s. d. 

 6 5 0 

 8 5 0 



tons cwt. 

 13 19 

 20 9 



Brussels Sprouts. 



This is one of the most important crops of the market gardener, and 

 one which experiments show to be very heavily affected by manuring. 

 Extensive areas of Brussels Sprouts are grown every autumn in the 

 market gardens near our great cities, and for the growth of these crops 

 considerable sums of money are annually spent in the purchase of town 

 dung. Such purchases, we believe, from the results of our experiments, 

 to be both extravagant and unnecessary. If dung is used, it would be 

 more economical to use far less than is usual ; but, as we have shown, 

 Sprouts may be much more profitably grown without dung at all, if 

 recourse be had to common concentrated fertilisers. 



We are now able to give the records of eight seasons' experience 

 with this crop. The results are shown in the following table, stated in 

 terms of " sieves " per acre, a " sieve " being the well-recognised English 

 market term for a weight of 40 lbs. of Sprouts. 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS— Eight Years' Results. 



Annual manuring per acre 



Annual cost 

 of manure 



Average of eight 

 years' crops 



Excess over yield of 

 lightly dunged plot 

 obtained by use of 

 extra manure 





per acre 



(1894-1901 inclusive) 





£ s. d. 



Sieves per acre 



Sieves per acre 



50 loads (25 tons) London Dung . 

 25 loads (12^ tons) London Dung . 



10 0 0 



279 



52 



5 0 0 



227 



~ 



25 loads Dung, Phosphates (no 









Potash), and 2 cwt. Nitrate of 









Soda . . ... 



6 15 0 



290 



63 



Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 



7 5 0 



292 



65 



25 loads Dung, Phosphates (no 









Potash), and 4 cwt. Nitrate of 











7 15 0 



288 



61 



Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 



8 5 0 



297 



70 



The market value of Brussels Sprouts varies from about Is. up to 4s. 

 per sieve. On the whole, probably ] s. 6d. is a fair average value to take, 

 for a grower who is reasonably near a market, for Sprouts of good quality 

 marketed early and in good condition. 



It will be seen that the average advantage obtained, over the eight 

 years, by increasing the quantity of dung from 25 loads to 50 loads per 



