290 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f April 5. 1838. 
perfect manure adapted for the particular requirements of a crop 
at the different stages of growth in this way. It consisted of fine 
bone dust, coarse particles of bone, and still large pieces of bone ; 
the dust being absorbed by the plant when quite young, the coarse 
particles being next turned to account, and so on. The impression 
which the statement of the vendor was intended to convey to us 
evidently being that a crop would exhaust all the manurial con¬ 
stituents of such manure, and there would be no residue left for the 
benefit of the next crop. Now, this was so entirely in accord with 
the popular notion that artificial manure has nothing of a per¬ 
manent or rather durable property belonging to it, that it would 
really seem to have had its origin with the dealers in manures. 
Whether bones treated with vitriol are sold as vitriolised bones or 
superphosphate they ought not to be used alone, but should be 
mixed in due proportion with other manures, as we have re¬ 
peatedly explained. 
The tendency of all recent experiments is to show that there is 
n residue in the soil from all manures after the crop to avhich they 
were applied was matured, and one of the lessons taught by such 
experiments is that land manured and cropped this year will require 
some manure, but a smaller quantity of it, next year. Another 
lesson of equal importance is that chemical manures are more 
economical and more efficient than farmyard manure, provided they 
are procured pure, carefully blended, and rightly applied. It is 
high time that the careless reckless use of mysterious compounds 
was ended, and that every farmer had sufficient scientific know¬ 
ledge to enable him to treat the soil and his crops in the right 
way. 
In the Essex field experiments of last year special attention was 
given to the residue question, and we find it stated in the report 
that “ It was the general opinion of the Experiments Committee 
that it would be interesting to ascertain how far manures applied 
for the Mangold crop of 188G might affect the succeeding corn 
crop. Accordingly the bound iries of the plots were carefully pre¬ 
served. and a crop of Oats was sown in the spring of 1887 without 
the application of any manure whatever, either dung or artificials.” 
The result showed clearly that there was sufficient residue to afford 
a fair corn crop on every plot, but some plots gave more than others. 
The largest crop, which gave 70 bushels of Oats and 1 ton 121 cwt. 
of straw per acre, was from a plot which in the previous year gave 
26 tons of Mangolds, and the manure for which was 12 tons of 
-dung, 3 cwt. of superphosphate, and 2 cwt. nitrate of soda applied 
ut seed lime. The increase in the yield of Oats as compared with 
fhe plot that received dung alone was nearly bushels of grain 
and 3 cwt. of straw per acre. Close to this came, with nearly 
69 bushels of grain and 1 ton 12 cwt. of straw, another plot 
manured with a similar quantity of dung and superphosphate, and 
1-1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia applied as a top-dressing in July. 
■No special advantage could be claimed for this July api lication of 
•ammonia, for a similar result was obtained upon another plot where 
the ammonia was applied early. The report adds that “ Generally 
it may be said that the heavier dressings not only paid best in the 
Mangolds crop, but also gave good results in the succeeding Oat 
crop, the heavy crops of Mangolds being followed by heavy crops 
of Oats.” 
Soil so cropped with corn after roots might be regarded as 
■practically exhausted, and it would require a full dressing of 
manure this year. Experience has sho'ivn that if a moderate 
•quantity of nitrogenous and mineral manure had been sown with 
fhe Oats, not only would there have been from ten to twenty 
bushels more grain, and 8 or 9 cwt. more straw per acre, but the 
exhaustion would have been avoided, and a full dressing of 
manure could hardly have been necess.ary this year. No doubt 
in a very wet 'winter some loss of nitrogen stored in the soil 
does occur, and this should be taken into account in a calcu¬ 
lation of quantities in spring. This one fact alone shows how 
diffcult it is to prepare formula3 for general adoption. The in¬ 
fluence of local circumstances cannot be ignored, but must be 
taken f ally into account if we would avoid the avasteful use of 
manures. For this reason, if for no other, we would urge every 
farmer to try and ascertain for himself the nature and require¬ 
ments of the soil of his particular farm. One general rule we 
may very safely lay down is, that Avhile there is a residue left 
in the soil from all manures, yet a certain quantity of manure 
may be applied to it profitably for every crop year by year. 
WORK OK THE HOilE FARM. 
The ploughs have, been ke. t going upon land where sheep have been 
folded upon Sweles, in order to have it ready for B arley as soon as 
possible after the sheep folds were roaiov d. There has been ample 
time for doing this, as it was impossible to sow any spring corn during 
March, snow or rain keeping the drills off the lantl throughout the 
month. On light land and mixed soil the land has been got ready for 
Mangolds—in many instances quite ready, the muck having been carted, 
spread in the rows, and the soil turned back over it so that the sowing 
of seed can follow on closely after Barley sowing, when we do get that 
long- lelayed work done. The advantage of autumn culture will now 
be fully realised, for where the soil was clean immediately after harvest, 
and the ridging for roots was then done, the work no’vV is light and easy. 
No doubt all seed will germinate quickly in the moist war.n soil, and 
growth will be so free that vve shall have to be on the alert with horse 
and hand hoes to keep down weeds. This work of keeping the land 
clean is so important that there should be no hesitation about the extra 
expenditure involved for labour. We have kept our weekly labour bills 
lower throughout the p.ast winter than we have ever done before, and 
can now afford to employ as many extra men as we require. By all 
means keep down weeds, especially Charlock, and let the crops derive 
full benefit from the fertility of the soil. Can anything be more 
wasteful and extravagant than to expend heavy amounts for manures 
and then to suffer weeds to rob the soil of it ? It is all very well to 
complain of low prices for farm produce. We cannot .alter that, but we 
can effect much improvement in our practice upon the Ian 1. One of 
the most incessant grumblers we kuo’w had his Barley so infested with 
Thistles last year that the seed was blown all over the parish, and his 
lazy, thriftless habits will this ye.ir prove a curse to his neighbours as 
well .as hiinself. Now this man wanted to hire another farm for his son 
1 St Michaelm.as, but his b.ad practice was so notorious that although 
there were plenty of farms vacant he was unable to hire one of them. 
We have ha 1 applications for Ian I under the Allotments Act in several 
parishes, and are quite willing to let any labourer have 1 and who has 
sufficient energy and perseverance to cultivate it; but so far our 
experience of allotments has certainly been unsatisfactory. 
OUa LETTER BOX. 
Vetches —When they are well above the surface .and 
gro'.ving freely, apply by bro.adcast .sowing in showery weather 2 cwt. 
nitrate of so la per acre. If the rainf.all of jmur district is low and very 
uncertain, it would be better to drill the nitrate of soda in with the 
Vetch seed. 
Esnovatlag- Paatmro (71 1'.'). — The 'pre.sent is a very gool time for 
sowing gi'.ass seeds in your field, and the most practic.al advice we can 
give yon is t) st ite the present con litio i of the pasture, the nature of 
the soil, and the acreage to be renovate 1, to a seedsman or firm who 
p.ays si)eci d attention to this subject, ami you may rely on receiving 
the right quantity of a suitable mixture for effecting your purpose. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camukn SQUauR, Lon DOS. 
Lit. 51° 33'40’'N.; L u.<. 0° 8'0" W.; A’titude, Ill Let. 
Datk. 
9 
IN THB DAY, 
Rain 
1 
1883. 
March, 
Hy^romc- i 
Direction 
oi Wind. 
= 
“ * .-1 
Shade Tein- 
peratuie. 
Radiation 
TemperatUfC 
In I On 
8UM. 'grass 
5 2-j ! 
— as 1 Dry. 
1 i 
' Wet. i 
Max 
Min. 
Inches.' dee 
] doe. 
dee. 
deg. 
deg. 
dee. 
dee. 
In. 
Sunday . 
a 
2!).l'lii l.'iS 
S 0 
s w. 
S7.S 
4-il 
!'3» 
H3 2 
31 7 
0.290 
Mouduy. 
•t } 
1 33 d 
1 3>-4 , 
S. ' . 
87 8 
4 9 
r.l 1 
7'i.t 
23.2 
0 37.» 
Tuesday .. 
y/ 
10 077 1 3.’» j 
34 3 
>.w. 
a o 
4 8 
S2 4 
40.5 
31.2 
0.121 
Wednesday. 
' 4'H 
: 4 9 1 
E. 
«7.7 
82 0 
811.4 
2.1 
(1.191 
Thursday... 
t-o 
U3.8S3 , 4.’* 2 
41 1 i 
s 
41.4 
38 4 
88.r> 
3i).i 
0 921 
Friday .... 
341 
2-2 51 1 42 .3 
40.8 
s.w. 
39 3 
3:9 
70-U 
OOJl 
Saturday ... 
. 31 
20.7 4 4'3 
3H.9 
b. 
89 9 
4(i 1 
87 1 
(:2.8 
33.3 
19.134 40 2 
1 1 
38.4 
47 7 
318 
30.3 
0.970 
REMARKS. 
25th.-Dull and damp mo niiig; fair after-a-io:! .vlth some smsli'ne; rala and snow In 
eveiiini; a d n itlc. 
S'ith.-Siimv all.I rain fr .in •> A.M. to 10 .t.M ; dull miming with spots of rain, wet after- 
niM.n and niithr. 
27tli.—U on.iv dav. willi a [aw H ikes of snnw at 4.8 1 P M. 
18th.—Wat liil .0.80 A M.. tli. n generally li le and nnght, but with one or two slight 
29. h —Ufik/iit pi Hasten t morninir: f lir til! 2 3; p »then ra’n, anii unfiet’ldd af-er, 
ao h,—Ft»r, wiih G cAp^ioiii ^ua^h:lle iu uioiuiu^; dull aud siio «very after 3 P.M, 
31.'!.—I>all a?id dump early ; fur day 
A (idll.dunp week wuti veiy l->w barometer, snow and rain. Temperature rather 
higlier than io ill; two rrevi oih week', biu still below the average. 3Iarch has been a 
Wet iiiowth, ihe total yield of 'How hiuI ruin befMjt3.34 which Umore than twice as much 
t- the two mot ills oi Jamiaij’ tud Februur.'0. J. SiMa^S. 
