On Rape-dust. 
191 
Wc come now to consider the application of rape-dust upon 
turnips. 
From what we have already said of its nature and operation, it 
will be concluded that we do not consider rape-dust so efficacious 
a tillage for turnips as for corn. The reason is, that the turnip 
requires a large portion of inorganic matter, such as phosphate of 
lime, to perfect its growth, which phosphates we are in the habit 
of supplying by the use of bones, while rape-dust contains but a 
small proportion of these matters. They, therefore, cannot be 
supplied by an application of rape-dust. Let us, however, not 
draw too general a conclusion from this fact. It should be re- 
membered that the turnip is a plant subject to many enemies 
during its infancy, and that it has a large system of leaves, by 
which it extracts nourishment from the air (hence the bulb is 
drilled in ever so close contact with the grain, destroyed or injured the 
germ of barley, wheat, or oats. 
It is, however, possible that there may be some who may wish to use 
a large quantity of rape-dust, though they are well aware that so large a 
supply of stimulating manure may injure both yield and sample, and 
that its effects will not be lasting in such cases ; it may he well there- 
fore to advise in such cases the sowing of the manure a week before the 
grain, in order that the potency of the tillage may have partially eva- 
porated : such a plan, in such a case, would be safe ; will any one say, 
however, that it would be economical ? 
The principle, therefore, of sowing the manure eight days before the 
seed, as a rule, is quite unnecessary ; for I am inclined to think that 
the farmers are few and far between" who will spend 4/. 10^. per 
acre in the purchase of four quarters of rape-dust (the chief peculiarities 
of which are that it has a " large excess of soluble organic matter,^' 
"thai it will ferment very rapidly,^' and ^^ivill not act throughout the 
rotation "), and then sow it a week or a fortnight before the grain, in 
order that its " tendency to decomposition " may cause it to ferment 
and give oft' a large proportion of its nutritive gases before the seed 
comes in contact with it ; — few, I say, will do this, when for 21. hs. they 
can procure as much rape-dust as the crop will pay for (for he it remem- 
bered that it acts only for one crop), and by drilling it along with the 
seed can secure to the young plant an immediate and liberal supply of 
the nutritive gases with as little waste as possible. 
To employ a large quantity of a stimulating matter, quick in its 
action and transient in its efi'ects, at a great expense, and then to apply 
it a length of time before it can be of use, in order that a portion of its 
fertilizing injluence may escape, and to spread it over a larger surface 
than is required, in order that all the influence which it may still pos- 
sess may not be felt by the plant, is not a policy suited to the pockets 
of the farmers of the present day, who find it quite as easy, much 
cheaper, and equally beneficial to the crop, to employ a less quantity 
of this matter, and, by placing it under the root, to give the plant the 
whole benefit of it, — The Author. 
