Growth of Mangold. 
441 
liceu thoroughly iindei'stooil, it surely argues the necessity of the hyilraulic 
test beiug geuenilly applied. 
" Mr/Muntz, a steam-user in Birmingham, states, in a letter published on 
the Millfiekl boiler explosion, that he has for years adopted, with advantage, 
the plan of an annual hydraulic boiler test, and considers it a duty he owes to 
his workmen in consideration of their safety. 
" The application of the hydraulic test is so simple, and the pump required 
so small, tliat each steam-user could provide liiniself with one at very little 
expense, or some parties might find it worth tlieir while to take up the 
proving of boilers by water pressure as an itinerant speciality of engineering 
practice. This Association would be glad to assist in the general application 
of the hydraulic test by inspecting the boilers when under pressure, and I feel 
convinced that, were the practice of this annual test generally adopted, which 
I trust it soon will be, explosions would become nearly, if not entirely, 
extinct." 
Meeting of Weekly Council, April 3rd. Sir Edward Keekison, M.P., 
in the Chair. 
On the Growth of Mangold. 
Mr. Frere, when introducing the subject, remarked, that mangold 
is, for two reasons, an especially valuable crop, because it bears both 
forcing and storing. If we try to force our corn crops to any con- 
siderable extent, there is a danger, from the increase of straw, and 
from that straw being lodged, that the yield of grain will be decreased 
instead of increased, and a loss of quality likewise incm-red ; whilst 
there seem to be hardly any bounds to our power of increasing the 
crop of mangold, unless it is intended for the manufactui-e of sugar. 
Again, it is a most valuable plant in respect of stoiing. The question 
how to ensure a succession of green food might be difficult to answer 
but for the mangold. The mangold-store is a bank upon which the 
farmer can draw at any season of the year ; and so long as it lasts he 
need be imder no apprehension of injury from a gap occurring be- 
tween any other two fodder crops. 
The immediate object of the experiment he had to communicate 
was to test the value of Lawson's artificial guano against the Peruvian 
guano, of which the supply is much restricted. 4 cwts. of Lawson's 
and 4 cwts. of Peruvian were each mixed with 4 cwts. of common salt, 
and strewed on the ridges before they were split in the spring. 
Alongside of these were tried 10 tons of farmyard manure, also with 
the addition of 4 cwts. of salt, and a mixture of 6 tons of farmyard 
manure, with 2 cwts. of Peruvian guano and 2 cwts. of salt. The 
cost of both Lawson's and the Peruvian guano may be taken at 21. 10s. 
per acre, and, when spread on the ground, farmyard manure at 8s. a 
ton. cwt. of superphosphate, with 15 bushels of burnt ashes per 
acre, were in every instance drilled in with the plant, in accord- 
ance with the general practice of the farm ; Lawson's guano being 
regarded as a substitute, if not an equivalent, for the Peruvian — ■ 
a step taken in accordance rather with the name given to the 
artificial manure than with scientific analysis. The mangold was all 
drilled on the 25th of April. Before coming to results, some accoimt 
