THE MANURING OF MARKET-GARDEN CROPS. 



1027 



a good supply of potash, powerless to produce anything like the maxi- 

 mum crop of which the ground has proved itself capable in the various 

 seasons. 



We may now consider the crops obtained on the plots to which no 

 dung at all has been applied for many years. The results obtained on 

 these plots are shown in the following table : — 



CARROTS. 



Anuual manuring per acre 



50 loads (25 tons) London Dung 



(applied to previous crop) . 

 25 loads (12^ tons) London Dung 



(applied to previous crop) . 

 No Dung for many years ; Phos 



phates (without Potash) and 



4 cwt. Nitrate of Soda 

 Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 

 No Dung for many years ; Phos 



phates (without Potash) and 



8 cwt. Nitrate of Soda 

 Ditto, ditto (with Potash) 



Annual cost of 

 manure per acre 



nil 

 nil 



15 0 

 5 0 



15 0 

 5 0 



Annual weight of Carrots per acre 



Average of 

 three seasons 

 (1895-1897) 



tons cwt. 

 14 13 

 13 5 



11 



16 



Average of 

 three seasons 

 (1899-1901) 



tons cwt. 

 15 10 

 12 6 



7 14 

 11 18 



It will be seen that, on the average of the first three years, chemical 

 fertilisers alone, on land that had not been dunged for many years, gave 

 much better crops than land which had been heavily dunged for the 

 crop preceding the Carrots, but not directly manured for the Carrot crop. 

 On the average of the last three years this was not the case, owing 

 mainly to the effect of drought during a critical stage of the crop, 

 which was specially marked on the land which had been kept without 

 dung. The effect of potash on the undunged land and the impotence 

 of the phosphates and nitrate to produce a maximum quantity of 

 Carrots without its aid, are truly remarkable in the case of these 

 undunged plots. 



During the first three years the use or non-use of potash has pro- 

 duced, on the average, no less a difference than 5 tons of Carrots annually 

 per acre ; while during the last three years the difference, even when the 

 crops were hampered by drought, has amounted to over 4 tons per acre 

 per annum. 



So far as our experience goes, it seems best, presuming that Carrots 

 are grown after a dunged crop and without any fresh dressing of dung, 

 to give them first a dressing of, say, 4 to 6 cwt. of superphosphate or 

 8 cwt. of basic slag, and either 1 cwt. of sulphate of potash or 4 cwt. of 

 kainit per acre. These should be well incorporated with the soil before 

 seedtime. After the Carrots are sown, 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda per acre 

 may be broadcasted, and a further 2 cwt. later, after the rows are hoed 

 out and the plants have made good substantial growth. We are for the 

 moment presupposing that the application of dung to the previous crop 

 has been moderate, say 25 loads (12 to 15 tons) per acre. If a larger 



Q 2 



