164 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 25, 1886. 
account, and how it is possible to render it infinitely more 
fertile than it is under ordinary culture. The importance of 
the work of this Society can hardly be overrated. So remark¬ 
able are the results of the work done at the experimental 
stations that the process of cultivation, or rather the applica¬ 
tion of chemistry to practical agriculture which has been 
carried out, has been regarded as an entirely novel process. 
Yet Professor Jamieson has repeatedly assured all who would 
listen to him that he had no great discovery to explain, no 
new kind of manure to offer, hardly an improved process of 
cultivation, but simply the application of common sense to 
chemistry. The work of the Association is to find out what 
is wanting in the soil, to see how that want may be supplied 
economically, and to do it. 
The writer has followed the working of the Association 
from the outset with keen interest, and has applied the lessons 
taught by it to practice with such success that he is convinced 
that not only have farmers generally much to learn, but that 
every county association of agriculturists must eventually 
seek for improvement in the same sensible manner. To the 
ordinary farmer agricultural chemistry is still a mystery. 
He has almost always been accustomed to use farmyard 
manure to impart fertility to the soil. Sheep-folding is a 
step in advance to which he is certainly also accustomed, but 
artificial manure has only been used by him as a mysterious 
mixture, and his conception of its composition and real value 
has been vague and undefined. It is doubtless owing to 
this ignorance that dealers in manures have thriven apace ; 
yet one is really constrained to wonder how they can have 
possibly been suffered to gull the British farmer so long. 
When Professor Jamieson first published his formulie of 
manure mixtures for farm crops we were told by dealers in 
special manures that the mixture for corn would, from its 
excessive quantity of nitrogen, induce such a free growth of 
straw that we should get very little grain, and the crops 
would inevitably go down before harvest. The result cer¬ 
tainly did show an increase in the bulk of straw by from a 
third to a half, but it also showed a proportionate improve¬ 
ment both in the quantity and quality of grain. In the 
last report published about a month ago we are told 
of a crop of Wheat of 6 quarters per acre; of another 
of 8£ quarters per acre; of an extra amount of profit 
per £2 12s. upon an outlay of £1 10s. 6d. for genuine arti¬ 
ficial manure. It was calculated that an increase of £4 per 
acre above ordinary profits was possible, as actual results 
showed clearly. Speaking generally, the results show that 
sulphur and magnesia are in all probability not required by 
plants, or that the quantities required are so infinitessimal as 
not to demand attention in practice. That lime is required, 
that potash is essential, and that phosphorus and nitrogen 
are not only essential, but seem to regulate the produce in a 
very marked degree. 
But in order that the crops may derive full benefit from 
the application of genuine home-mixed manures the soil 
must be relieved of superfluous water by drainage. Next we 
require mechanical division. Such we find in perfection in 
what is known as good mixed soil, containing a liberal pro¬ 
portion of small stones; next thorough cultivation and free¬ 
dom from couch grass and other foul perennial weeds, and 
then with an intelligent application of manures and timely 
sowing and reaping we may attain to the best possible results, 
and depend upon it they will be much superior to those fol¬ 
lowing ordinary practice. 
The writer has carefully used the manures recommended 
by Professor Jamieson for pastures, roots, and corn, and in 
every instance with excellent results. Perhaps the most 
remarkable of such results was the annual improvement of 
the pastures laid in for hay. Year by year did the bulk of 
the hay increase, and there can be no question that the 
benefit arising from the use of artificial manure is not a thing 
of a season. But then there must be a regular annual use 
of the manure, only a smaller quantity becomes necessary 
after the first two or three seasons. We have before now 
told how we brought a seven-acre meadow from a state of 
comparative barrenness to one of high fertility by the use of 
pure artificial manures only. We can also point to arable 
land where we have grown three corn crops in consecutive 
years, each crop being better than the one taken before it. 
In a word, we have learnt how to dispense altogether with 
the most costly of all manures—that made in the farmyard; 
to use better, cheaper, and more powerful manures, and to 
obtain better crops under the teaching of the Sussex Asso¬ 
ciation for the Improvement of Agriculture. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Artificial manure is now being sown on the grass land, and we 
shall have no more sheep or cows upon the pastures laid in for hay till 
after the haying. To have a full crop of hay the grass must be thus 
reserved and grazing cease, otherwise the haymaking is retarded and the 
quantity reduced. See that fallen branches and all stones be picked off 
grass land before the bush or chain harrows and rollers are passed over 
it. We have met with incredible carelessness in so simple a matter as 
stone-picking, and seen the mowing machine broken and work brought to 
a standstill through what was plainly culpable negligence. Rye sown in 
autumn for the breeding flock will now have a hundredweight of nitrate 
of soda per acre, both to quicken and invigorate growth. We have a 
large breadth of Winter Tares, but fear we shall run short of green food, 
as we have not got a piece of Rye Grass to follow the Rye. Circum¬ 
stances beyond our control prevented our having the Rye Grass, but we 
are nevertheless fully aware how much we shall feel the loss of it, and 
due care will he taken to set this matter right for another season. To 
follow the Winter Tares a piece of Spring Tares will be sown after White 
Turnips and Swedes as soon as possible, and successional crops of Spring 
Tares will be sown onwards till May or June. Never did we find Spring 
Turnips more useful both for cows and sheep than during the drought of 
last Bummer. We hope to have some forwaid batches of fat lambs, and 
like to finish some of them folded on Tarts with trough feeding. On the 
whole the lamb crop is a good one, and we have a rather large proportion 
of twins. There is a considerable difference in size among them, but 
then that is not unfrequently the case among cross-bred sheep, and our 
cross is between blackfaced Suffolk ewes and pure Hampshire Down tups. 
The ploughs are in full swing, and the sowing of spring Beans and Peas 
is being done. Barley will follow, and then Oats. We shall sow a good 
white Oat upon our best land, and Black Tartarian Oats upon land that is 
being brought into good condition as fast as possible. A large stock of 
Oats and Oat straw is invaluable just now for all sorts of live stock, and 
a suiplus supply of good Oats always obtains a ready sale. Inferior 
samples of Oats are by far too common in market. There is no difficulty 
just now in obtaining 23s. to 24s. per quarter for first-class Oats, and that 
is certainly a profitable rate for a good crop, apart from the value of the 
straw both for sheep and bullocks. 
Sutton’ Farmer’s Yeae Book. —We have received a copy of this 
work, which has been recently issued from the press. Amongst its leading 
features are a calendar of farming operations for the year ; illustrations, 
botanical descriptions, and uses for which they are most suitable, of the 
leading kinds of natural Grasses ; an article entitled The Grass Seed 
Industry,” with illustrations, giving some details of the sources of supply, 
the selection, testing, detection or adulteration and other interesting par¬ 
ticulars in reference to the various Grasses used in agriculture ; also in¬ 
structions in the cultivation of the several kinds of agricultural roots. It 
is worthy of the perusal of home farmers and agriculturists, to whom it is 
sent post free on application. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40'' N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
P 
"a 
1886. 
February. 
a) m cC _ 
a co a> a) 
5 aJ P ^ 
CQ-S as 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
; of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Mai. 
Min 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
14 
29.899 
40.7 
38.4 
S. 
84.0 
42.2 
38-6 
48.2 
32.8 
0.057 
Monday. 
15 
30.030 
36.7 
35.6 
N.E. 
35.0 
40.1 
33 3 
44.4 
28.8 
0.047 
Tuesday. 
16 
29.979 
33.4 
32.7 
E. 
35.6 
39.9 
33.0 
41.4 
29.7 
— 
Wednesday .. 
17 
29.973 
32.8 
32.6 
N.E. 
35.4 
36 4 
32.3 
40.2 
32.2 
— 
Thursday ... 
18 
30.148 
34.4 
83.8 
N.E. 
35.4 
383 
32.4 
44.8 
— 
Friday. 
19 
30.119 
32.2 
31.3 
N.E. 
35.7 
36 7 
31.9 
38.2 
31.5 
0.010 
Saturday ... 
20 
30.188 
32.7 
31.9 
N.E. 
35.5 
36.6 
31.2 
40.2 
31.3 
— 
30.035 
34.7 
33.8 
35.2 
38.6 
33.2 
43.3 
31.2 
0.114 
REMARKS. 
14th.—Dull morning, with showers; wet afternoon,fair night. 
15tli.—Dull damp day, with shower at noon. 
lGth.—Dull and cloudy. 
17th.—Dull and damp. 
18 th.—Cloudy a day. 
19th.—Cloudy all day, misty rain at midnight. 
20 th.—Cold and cloudy. 
A very cloudy week, in fact almost constantly overcast, and consequently remarkably 
uniform temperature—the entire range for the week being only 11 °. Temperature below 
the average, but much less cold than in the previous week.— G. J. SYMONS. 
