80 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 23, 1800. 
When really genuine pure manures are used we have found that 
-3 cwts. per acre is an ample dressing if applied every year in 
February. Pray mark this, for though it is easy to talk about 
strong ” land and rich soil, yet there is no such thing as a per¬ 
manent storage of any soil with fertility. Every crop taken from 
the land is more or less exhaustive, and if we would ensure the next 
■crop being a full one manure must be used. Having thus once 
more made clear the necessity and importance of periodical manure 
dressings, let us now see of what our grass manure mixture should 
-consist to render it sure and safe for general use. We require a 
well-balanced mixture of mineral and nitrogenous manure, in which 
nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid (the essential elements of 
plant food), are all present in sufficient quantities to ensure a full 
•crop in any soil. We take, therefore, as our chief ingredients 
1 ewt. nitrate of soda and li cwt. mineral superphosphate, and add as 
auxiliaries to render it a complete manure, j cwt. muriate of potash, 
and { cwt. steamed bone flour. Taken at ton rates this manure can 
be had put on rail at about 203. per acre, to which there would be 
-some additional outlay for carriage, mixing, and using, for the 
manures should always be had separately and mixed at the farm 
under careful supervision. The best way to apply it is with an 
Excelsior drill, which makes a capital broadcast sower when the 
coulters are taken off, and the sowing can be regulated to a nicety, 
and checked by the dial plate on the drill. Nitrate of soda always 
contains many large portions which must be pulverised by a sharp 
stroke or two with the back of a shovel. We have always found 
■this sufficient without sifting when the manure is sown broadcast. 
Sifting is only necessary when the manure is drilled with seed, as it 
is then liable to clog the coulters if not quite fine, and it should 
not be forgotten that manure merchants charge 5s. per ton extra 
for sifting. 
We strongly urge all managers of home farms to use the mixture 
we recommend for pasture and forage crops this spring, only take 
care that the manure is pure, and that it is used early, and we are 
confident the result will be entirely satisfactory. It is because we 
have used it largely on light, mixed, and heavy land on various 
formations in different counties with singularly uniform success 
that we are able to speak with such confidence about it. Many 
tenant farmers have used it under our guidance, and their out¬ 
spoken expressions of gratitude on finding the results were much 
beyond their expectations were assuredly pleasant hearing. It i® 
only by actual demonstration that we can hope to inspire men of 
this class with the confidence necessary to ensure a free use of pure 
chemical manures. Many landlords have subscribed liberally to 
associations formed for the improvement of agriculture, they have 
also done much for tenants by reduction and remission of rent ; 
but they can do more by having pure manures used at their home 
farms and at any farms falling in band, and they would enable 
tenants to help themselves if 'assistance were given him in the 
v/elcome guise of enough manure for his pasture this year, on 
condition that it should be used under the supervision of the 
landlord’s agent. No doubt to procure each sort of manure 
separately and to have the mixing done at the farm involve some 
labour, but it is certainly labour well bestowed, and it is high time 
that farmers ceased to waste their means upon doubtful mixtures 
into which dustbin refuse enters so largely. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Work on the land has been slack, and there has been time to 
examine, clean and repair implements and tools. The worn tines and 
hoes of cultivators and harrows have been repaired, broken chains 
mended and worn links renewed ; wheels and rollers have been greased, 
and all wood and iron work on carriages and implements has been 
painted. The advantage of all this when the busy time of spring comes 
round again is so obvious that any reminder of it would appear unneces¬ 
sary, but it is unfortunately exceptional to see a farming plant kept in 
good order. Tools and implements in good order tend to help on work 
briskly, and often enable one to be beforehand with work. It is a good 
rule to have every implement brought to the homestead upon the com¬ 
pletion of every special job, and never to allow ploughs, harrows, 
rollers or cultivators to be left by hedge or ditch till they are wanted 
again. Mowing, reaping and binding machines should also be over¬ 
hauled, all worn bearings repaired and gearing made quite sound and 
strong. Horse rakes and tedding machines with bent or twisted teeth 
are a hindrance to work, and should be set right now, and it may make 
several days’ difference to our advantage when they are wanted. We 
had occasion to call on a large implement maker just as haymaking 
had begun last season, and found quite a crowd of old mowing machines 
that had been sent in for repair just as they were wanted for work, 
and orders for new tedding machines were coming in faster than they 
could be supplied. Moral : Get your repairs done and what new imple¬ 
ments you require now, and then not an hour will be lost when you 
require them for use. 
The mild open weather is most favourable for early lambs, and they 
are doing well. Shepherds must be on their guard against any sudden 
change to colder weather, and keep the lambs near the fold or other 
place of shelter. See that plenty of fresh dry litter is used in the fold, 
and get ewes and lambs out on the pasture on all fine days. With the 
fine stock of hay the temptation to use it freely will be great, but it is 
always well to have an ample store of old hay, and with plenty of good 
sweet chaff, grass and roots very little else is required. Silage now 
takes the place of hay both for sheep and cattle. It is a nourishing 
article of diet, and is in every way a boon to the farmer. 
A Field Laid Down to Permanent Grass.— -A paper, by Sir 
J. B. Lawes, on the history of a field laid down to permanent Grass, has 
been reprinted, by Messrs. Spottiswoode, from the Journal of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England. The field in question forms part of 
the Rothamsted estate, and was laid down to permanent Grass nearly 
thirty years ago by Dr. Gilbert, to whom it was left in 1836. It has 
been mown for hay every year from the commencement; and in the 
present pamphlet Sir J. B. Lawes gives full particulars as to the 
economical results, the constituents supplied in the manures and 
removed iu the crops, the changes within the soil in the formation of 
the meadow, and the botany of the meadow. The following are his 
summary and general conclusions :—(1) By the judicious employment 
of manures, both natural and artificial, arable land has been converted 
into permanent Grass, not only without loss, but with some profit to the 
tenant. (2) The important constituents, nitrogen and phosphoric acid, 
were supplied in the manures in larger quantities than they were 
removed in the crops ; but potash in only about the same quantity as it 
was removed. (.3) The application of dung not only compensates for 
much of the exhaustion from the removal of hay, but it has a beneficial 
influence on the botanical character of the herbage. (4) Although the 
Grass has been mown every year tor nearly thirty years, there has been 
a considerable accumulation of fertility within the soil. (5) Analysis 
has shown that there has been an increase of nitrogen in the surface 
soil, beyond that which could be explained by excess supplied in manure 
over that removed in crops, and by the combined nitrogen coming down 
in rain, and the minor deposits from the atmosphere. Part, if not the 
whole, of this increase is probably deeived from the subsoil by deeply 
rooted plants, which afterwards leave a nitrogenous residue within the 
surface soil. Or, possibly, some of it may have its source in the free 
nitrogen of the atmosphere, brought into combination within the soil, 
under the influence of micro-organisms, or other low forms. (6) In 
laying down arable land to permanent Grass, especially if hay is to be 
removed, it is essential to supply, not only nitrogenous, but an abund¬ 
ance of mineral manures, and especially of potash, a large quantity of 
which is removed in the crops, and must be returned. When the Grass 
is not mown, but fed, the exhaustion is much less, but it is greater when 
consumed for the production of milk than when for that of store or fat¬ 
tening increase.— 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 61° 8S'40''N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
date. 
9 A.M, 
IN THE DAT. 
Rain. 
1800. 
January. 
Barome- 
ter at 32® 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday.... 
. 12 
30.184 
48.1 
43 2 
N.W. 
43.2 
61.2 
41.5 
78 3 
40.4 
Monday 
30.120 
48.2 
46 0 
S.W. 
41.9 
52.7 
34.9 
581 
26.4 
— 
Tuesday .. 
. 14 
30.232 
38.8 
38.8 
SE. 
42.4 
40 4 
38.4 
62.0 
34 3 
— 
Wednesday 
. 15 
3r».145 
48.1 
46,0 
s.w. 
42.1 
50.2 
88.9 
53.6 
38.3 
— 
Thursday.. 
. 16 
30.166 
48.3 
47.0 
s. 
43.9 
5L8 
■injQ 
6).0 
300 
Friday .... 
30.120 
45.2 
4 5.0 
S.B. 
44.1 
47.1 
4.", 1 
67.1 
4.13 
0.127 
Saturday .. 
. 18 
20.723 
42 4 
39.9 
s.w. 
43 8 
50.6 
417 
70.8 
38.8 
0 233 
30.000 
45.6 
41.1 
43.1 
40.7 
40.0 
63.0 
36.5 
0.860 
REMARKS. 
Unbroken sunshine throughout tlie day ; starlight night, 
13th.—Dull and damp all day. 
Hill.—Slight fog early; dull morning ; damp afternoon. 
15th.—Overcast and mild. 
16 th.—Cloudy morning ; flue afternoon, with seme sunshine. 
17th.—Generally cloudy in the morning ; bright afternoon; gale and rain at night. 
18 th.—Bright sunshine during day; cloudy evening ; gale and rain at night. 
Another mild week, and generally fine ; sun on the 12th quite warm.—0. J. STMONS. 
