The Application of the 3fainirr of the Farm. 
343 
the seeds when younji^, or shortly before plouglunjj; for corn, must 
depend on the variations of soil, climate, and management. 
Under a liberal treatment and judicious forbearance in stocking 
the land, the earlier application will generally be the preferable 
with especial regard either to an abundant supply of sheep-food 
or to ample crops of corn, but the result will turn upon liberal 
management. If, for example, the seeds having made a good 
growth are twice mown, it is very clear that this light land will 
not be in as good a position for growing a crop of corn as if the 
dung had been applied at a later period. The total influence 
exerted by the manure may under these circumstances be as 
large as is attainable, but it will not have been concentrated for 
the special advantage of the following corn-crop. 
In these remarks I have advisedly paid particular attention to 
those soils which are characterised by the extremes of sand and 
clay, because as we have soils of every shade of character, the 
modification of any general rule must inevitably be left to the 
discretion of the occupier in each particular instance. I have 
also said but little as to the quantity to be applied. It has been 
shown by chemical investigation that the most powerful fertilising 
ingredients constitute but a very small proportion of the bulk of 
farmyard-manure — -so much so, as seldom to exceed 50 lbs. in 
a ton. Small as this proportion may be, it is also very liable to 
waste to such an extent that Dr. Voelcker has shown * that 
under bad management "two-tliirds of the manure was wasted, 
and only one-tliird left behind for use." Since, therefore, the 
quantity of fertilising matter depends much more on the food 
consumed by the stock and the general management of the 
manure than on the quantity applied, within ordinary limits we 
cannot satisfactorily indicate the right number of loads, or even 
the weight that should be applied, when the body to be used is 
so inconstant in character and composition. Yet that there are 
definite limits to the economical application of manure was 
clearly shown by some interesting experiments conducted by the 
late Mr. Pusey and reported in the Journal of this Society. | 
A field prepared for mangohl-wurzel and manured in the follow- 
ing manner gave these results : — 
26 loads of dung produced .. .. 28| tons per acre. 
13 loads of dung produced .. .. ,, 
baud without manure 15i „ 
Here we observe that whilst the first 13 loads of dung pro- 
duced an increase of 12 tons of roots, a further addition of 13 
loads only produced 1 ton of roots. At this point the employ- 
ment of artificial manure comes in with peculiar value so as to 
increase the produce of the land profitably when it is beyond the 
* Jourjial of Royal Agricultural Society, vol. xvii. 
+ Vol. yi. 530, 
