Farming of Ojfordshirc. 
243 
own manufactuie I am ready to prove this. My sales have in- 
creased during the last three years at the rate of 200 tons per 
annum ; and when it is taken into consideration that those years 
have been seasons of depression from the low prices attending 
tlie transition from protective duties to Free Trade, it speaks 
volumes for the energy and resolution with Avhich the farmers 
of this county have met their difiiculties. My sales last year 
reached nearly lOOO tons." Superpliosphate is used with mucli 
advantage on stonebrash and red land, but on the chalk 
hills its effects are almost magical. Many of the light chalk 
soils, on which a few years ago it was impossible to grow turnips, 
now produce a crop with the aid of superphosphate with almost cer- 
tainty. 
The very low cost of this manure is among its recommendations : 
3 cwt. are generally used on an acre, which, at ()s. 6d. per cwt., 
gives the cost at less than 20s. per acre. This is actuaUi/ less 
than the cost of cartage of farmyard manure to many of the 
chalk hills. The general method of application is to mix from 
2 to 4 cwt. per acre with IQ or 12 bushels of earth or ashes to 
ensure its regular distribution with the manure drill. Althougli 
the consulting chemist of the Society recommends artificial 
manures to be applied broad-cast, experience is decidedly against 
that practice in the case of superphosphate.. A medium course 
might be adopted. The gentleman above quoted says : — " This 
season, not being able to command a turnip-drill just at the time 
my land was ready for sowing, I adopted a plan which may be 
considered rather a clumsy one, yet proved most effectual, and 
one that would be within the reach of every farmer, who, like 
myself, had no turnip-drill at his disposal. I adjusted the tines 
of the common scarifier to the width of 20 inches, which left a 
mark similar to that made by a drill. A man followed with a 
turnip barrow, the holes of which were so stopped that the seed 
should fall only into the places marked. Two men with seed- 
cots deposited the superphosphate by hand on the top of the 
seed, but along the drills. By this plan I could get over S 
acres well in a day, and at considerably less expense than the 
hire of a manure-drill and cost of ashes. I also tested this 
method against drilling and broad-cast on the same piece of 
land, but the growth of the plants was so much superior that in 
future I shall adopt it in preference to any other plan." Another 
method of drilling superphosphate and other artificial manures 
has been recently introduced by the invention of the liquid 
manure-drill. Where water is handy, or the too frequently 
wasted drainage of the farmyard could be collected for the pur- 
pose, the plan would be most effectual, particularly in dry 
seasons. Two or three cwt. of superphosphate, diluted with 
