2U 
Fai'Vfiinf/ of Oxfordshire. 
300 gallons of M ater or liquid manure, are applied per acre : 
the superphosphate, being thoroughly saturated by the action of 
the drill, deposits with the seed a milky fluid, which, coming 
in contact with it in a soluble form, vegetation is rapidly forced, 
and the plant in quick turnip soils makes its appearance in three 
or four (lays. Such is the rapidity of its growth in its early 
stage, that in ten days or a fortnight it is generally fit for the 
hoe. Water being a heavy material for cartage will be against 
the method Ijecoming general, particularly in hilly districts. 
The l)est crop of swedes in the county last year v/as grown at 
Sarsden, the superphosphate and seed being deposited with one 
of Hornsby's drop-drills. 
Woollen rags are not so much used as formerly : they were 
chiefly applied to wheat and tares on light gravels, but their 
tendency to produce a blight, when used too often, has rendered 
them unpopular. It is difficult now to procure them with many 
woollen pieces, their composition being principally stuffs or 
cottons. 
Woollen refuse, which is prociyed from the blanket manu- 
facturers of Witney and its vicinity, is applied with success to 
wheat crops on light land : it is also beneficial to grass. The 
cost is 30.V. per ton, and 10 cwt. is considered a good dressing. 
A sample, on being analysed, was found to contain 47" per cent, 
of mineral matter, and 3'371 of nitrogen. As this is equal 
to nearly 4 per cent, of ammonia, this manure is well worth 305. 
per ton. 
Gypsum has been tried for clover, and has mostly succeeded. 
It produced no benefit when applied on the gault clay, but this 
may arise from the presence of crystallized sulphate of lime in 
this clay. 
Nitrate of soda is applied at the rate of 1 cwt. per acre for 
corn crop and li cwt. to grasses. It is considered a very power- 
ful fertilizer. 
Salt is sown broad-cast on wheats in the spring at the rate of 
6 cwt. per acre. It strengthens the straw and keeps it bright, 
and also improves the sample of wheat. Manure salt in the 
north of the county costs 16s. per ton. 
The following experiment was last year tried on the Sarsden 
Lodge farm, A field of clean wheat stubble was designed for 
barley : a portion was sown without any dressing, and ])roduced 
a small crop ; some had a coating of well-rotted farmyard 
manure, this did no good ; another portion had 1 cwt. of nitrate 
of soda, this was rather too large a crop ; the next division had 
2 cwt. of guano ; the barley here was lodged and spoiled, while 
1 cwt. of guano produced a very excellent standing-up crop. 
Some good farmers take the richest portion of the pig manure, 
