400 
JOURlSTAL  OP  HORTICULTUUP  ARtP  COTTAOP  OARDENEIl, 
Octobet  21,  1897. 
convenient  interval  of  leisure  before  harvest  during  which  he  could 
put  the  manure  on  the  land.  We  are  not  going  to  argue  that  farm¬ 
yard  manure  is  not  a  good  thing  for  the  Wheat  crop,  but  we  think 
it  may  be  used  to  better  advantage  than  by  spreading  on  the  land 
and  ploughing  in  for  Wheat.  If  there  is  much  herbage  to  plough 
in,  the  addition  of  a  good  dressing  of  muck  ploughed  in  with  it 
tends  to  make  the  seed-bed  too  light,  and  unless  the  season  be  very 
favourable  for  the  roller,  the  wireworm  has  a  splendid  chance,  and 
may  do  very  serious  damage. 
We  have  seen  manure  put  on  after  the  Wheat  has  come  up,  and 
with  very  successful  results.  The  manure  on  the  surface  appears  to  act 
as  a  protection  from  frost.  Of  course,  it  requires  to  be  well  spread  and 
shaken  out,  so  that  the  young  Wheat  can  get  its  head  out. 
But  with  the  advance  in  agricultural  science  we  are  becoming 
more  and  more  convinced  that,  even  with  the  price  at  40s.,  the  Wheat 
crop  is  not  the  one  that  benefits  the  most  by  an  immediately  previous 
application  of  farmyard  manure,  and  would  prefer  to  apply  it  in  autumn, 
say  any  time  before  Christmas,  to  the  young  seeds,  or,  better  still,  to 
yearling  seeds,  if  such  are  to  be  grazed  again ;  for  the  pasture  will  be 
of  so  much  more  value  and  carry  so  much  more  stock,  that  the 
following  crop,  be  it  Wheat,  Oats  or  Potatoes,  will  benefit  quite  as 
much,  nay  more,  than  it  would  from  the  direct  application  of  the 
manure. 
Though  farmyard  manure  is  more  or  less  beneficial  to  all  soils  and 
all  crops,  it  is  not  always  the  best  thing  to  use,  and  though  it  contains 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash  it  is  sometimes  necessary,  where  a  soil 
through  natural  poverty  or  overcropping  is  very  deficient  in  those 
constituents,  to  supply  them  in  much  larger  quantities  than  would  be 
possible  or  advisable  in  the  form  of  muck. 
Phosphate  of  lime  can  be  bought  at  the  cheapest  rate  in  the  form 
of  basic  slag,  the  next  cheapest  being  superphosphate  of  lime ;  the 
latter  costs  aboirt.  2s.  per  unit  of  phosphate,  whereas  the  basic  slag 
costs  only  about  half  that  price.  The  chief  practical  difference 
between  the  two  is  in  the  solubility  of  the  phosphate —that  is,  the 
solubility  in  water.  The  phosphate  in  the  form  of  basic  slag  is  not 
readily  soluble,  and  therefore  not  in  a  state  to  immediately  benefit 
plants  after  application,  but  when  applied  to  land  which  is  of  a  sour 
or  acid  nature,  and  deficient  in  lime  and  phosphate,  it  is  only  a  matter 
of  time  for  the  phosphates  to  become  soluble  and  available  as  food  for 
plant  life. 
If  we  consider,  then,  the  great  relative  difference  in  the  cost  of 
superphosphate  and  basic  slag,  it  is  obvious  that  the  latter  must  be  the 
cheaper  form  to  use,  but  only  on  one  condition,  and  that  is  that  it  is 
put  on  the  land  and  harrowed  in  before  the  end  of  the  year.  Thus 
there  is  jdenty  of  time  for  it  to  become  soluble  before  the  growth  of 
spring  requires  a  supply  of  readily  available  phosphatic  manure. 
What  we  have  said  of  basic  slag  may  be  said  with  equal  force  of 
kainit,  which  is  the  cheaiiest  available  form  of  potash,  at  any  rate  in 
an  innocuous  form.  IMuriate  of  potash  is  relatively  as  cheap,  but  the 
action  of  muriatic  acid  is — at  least,  we  have  found  it  so — injurious  to 
plants,  though  it  is  in  a  readily  available  form.  Sulphate  of  potash 
is  good,  but  dearer  than  kainit  per  potash  unit.  So  kainit  seems  to 
bo  the  thing  to  use,  but  to  reap  the  greatest  benefit  it  should  be  applied 
in  autumn.  Light  soils  if  heavily  cropped  are  most  liable  to  become 
poor  in  potash,  and  a  sure  sign  of  this  being  the  state  of  things  is 
weakness  in  the  straw  of  corn  crops.  Strong  soils  are  seldom  deficient 
in  potash,  and  the  straw  is  generally  stiff  and  bright  in  colour;  but 
when  you  see  a  crop  of  Barley,  about  30  inches  in  length,  laid  nearly 
(lat,  there  must  be  something  wrong,  and  that  something  is  almost 
sure  to  be  a  shortage  in  the  supply  of  potash. 
Amraouiacal  manures  should  not  be  put  on  in  autumn  unless  for 
Wheat  where  the  land  is  exceedingly  poor,  and  then  only  in  very  small 
quantities,  for  double  the  quantity  will  be  required  in  spring  to  keep 
the  crop  going. 
I  or  a  stolen  crop  of  Wheat — that  is,  one  taken  out  of  course,  say 
corn  after  corn,  with  no  farmyard  manure  available,  we  should  sow 
the  following  mixture— 250  lbs.  kainit,  300  lbs.  basic  slag,  and  56  lbs- 
(julphate  of  ammonia ;  mix  the  kainit  and  sulphate  together  and  sow  it, 
the  slag  being  sown  separately ;  112  lbs.  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre  in 
April  will  keep  the  crop  growing,  and  if  the  land  be  worth  cultivating 
it  should  be  a  good  one. 
For  Barley  or  Oats  miss  out  the  sifiphate  in  autumn,  and  sow 
160  lbs.  sulphate  of  ammonia  with  the  seed  in  March.  No  nitrate  of 
soda  will  then  be  required.  Kainit  and  slag  to  be  sown  in  autumn 
same  as  for  Wheat. 
For  Turnips,  again,  we  cannot  see  why  slag  applied  in  autumn 
should  not  be  the  best  form  of  phosphate  to  use,  though  perhaps  a 
little  superphosphate  at  drilling  time  might  be  beneficial. 
Professor  Long  says  ; — “  As  between  slag  and  superphosphate, 
which  have  been  again  tested,  slag  is  preferred  from  the  point  of  view 
of  cost.  Nevertheless,  it  can  scarcely  be  denied  that  experience 
teaches  the  value  of  mixed  manures.”  Certainly  !  But  a  mixture 
of  what  ?  Our  mixture  for  Turnips  would  be  basic  slag,  applied  in 
autumn  with  either  farmyard  manure  before  sowing,  or  a  mixture  of 
kainit  2  cwt.  and  nitrate  of  soda  1  cwt.  per  acre,  sown  broadcast  and 
harrowed  in  before  drilling  the  seed.  The  kainit  might  be  sown  in 
autumn,  and  better  so  if  the  farmer  has  quite  decided  to  use  it. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
We  are  progressing  well  with  Potato  lifting,  and  the  continuance  of 
fine  weather  is  a  great  boon.  The  roots  go  together  in  fine  dry 
condition,  and  it  is  so  much  easier  work  for  the  pickers,  who  are  thus 
enabled  to  do  more  work.  There  is  just  a  doubt  as  to  some  kinds  being 
ready  to  store,  as  is  shown  by  several  ruffled  skins,  but  fine  weather  is  of 
such  importance,  and  the  season  is  getting  so  nearly  over,  that  we  shall 
go  on  ;  but  at  the  same  time  take  every  precaution  to  prevent  the  tubers 
going  wrong  in  the  pie.  We  are  leaving  them  without  soil  for  three  days, 
and  then  only  soiling  them  three- fourths  of  the  way  up  the  side,  so  as  to 
leave  a  wide  outlet  for  the  steam  or  heat  to  escape. 
Some  people  are  lifting  Mangold,  and  they  will  soon  be  ready  to  store. 
We  like  ours  to  get  fairly  ripe,  and  then  we  put  them  in  heaps 
12  feet  wide,  and  holding  three  cartloads  to  the  yard  run;  they  will  keep 
well  in  such  a  heap,  and  take  less  covering  than  if  the  heaps  are  made 
smaller.  Some  people  store  Mangold  roots,  tops,  and  all,  but  they  bulk 
up  more,  and  take  more  covering  ;  and  the  trimmed  bulbs  keep  equally 
well,  if  not  better — i.e.,  with  the  tops  cut  off— of  course  we  do  not  touch 
the  roots.  Swedes,  on  the  other  hand,  pied  in  small  heaps  may  have  the 
tops  left  on,  and  need  only  to  be  covered  with  soil,  Mid-November  will 
be  soon  enough  to  store  Swedes. 
Mangolds  here  are  a  full  plant,  but  are  not  large,  owing  to  a  late 
start.  Still  they  should  be  a  fair  crop,  and  considering  the  shortage  in 
the  Turnip  crop  must  be  extremely  valuable.  How  serviceable  they  are! 
If  well  taken  care  of  they  will  keep  until  August,  and  are  most  valuable 
either  for  pigs  or  lambs  about  midsummer  ;  whilst  if  wanted  during 
winter  they  are  good  for  any  kind  of  cattle,  and  especially  for  ewes  during 
lambing  time.  Of  course  they  require  heavy  tillage  and  well  growing, 
whilst  the  early  seed-time  is  a  little  drawback  where  the  land  is  not 
already  clean  ;  but  the  heavy  crop  and  good  keeping  qualities  repay  the 
grower  over  and  over  again  for  the  extra  cost  and  trouble. 
Sheep  are  doing  well  on  Turnips,  but  are  travelling  too  rapidly  over 
the  ground.  This  was,  however,  expected.  We  see  many  cattle  out  still, 
and  they  look  very  shivery  at  nightfall  ;  they  would  be  better  up.  Hay 
and  Clover  are  in  demand,  and  advancing  in  price. 
METEOROLOaiGAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Squaee,  London. 
Lat.  .51°  32'  40"  N. ;  Long.  0°  8'  0"  W. ;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
;  9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
Kain. 
1897. 
October. 
fc.  T3  • 
<U  «  > 
o  ^ 
^  OJ 
W  C3  c/5 
j 
Hj  grometer.  j 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp 
of  soil 
at 
1  loot. 
Shade  Tem-  '  Badiation 
perature.  'Temperature. 
1 
Dry. 
■ 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min.  i 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg.  !  deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday  .... 
10 
:i0-209 
4  -8 
46-2 
W. 
49*9 
55-0 
4;-2  ,  72-1 
42*6 
0’O62 
Mondav  .... 
11 
'9-9  C 
53-4 
48-1 
N.W. 
50-2 
58-2 
4  -6  i02-7 
45-0 
_ 
T  uesday  . . . . 
12 
29-992 
43-8 
41-4 
W. 
49-5 
54-7 
37-1  '  91-1 
30-9 
— 
Wednesday . . 
13 
■!9-857 
44-5 
42-0 
N.W. 
48-2 
63- H 
36-9  j  911-0 
30-2 
0-019 
Thursday. . . . 
14 
■i9-750 
53-3 
52-1 
S. 
48-9 
61-6 
43-9  !  79-9 
42-4 
— 
Friday . 
15 
29-522 
69-2 
55-3 
S.E. 
50-4 
64-8 
52-3  87-2 
43-0 
0-060 
Saturday  . . 
1C 
'29-654 
t8*5 
54  6 
W. 
52-3 
65-0 
54-1  'l01-3 
49-4 
— 
^29-851 
51-8 
1 
48-5 
49-9 
59-0 
45-9  !  89-2 
40-5 
0-141 
REMARKS. 
lOth.-Fair  morning,  wilb  gleams  of  sun  ;  overcast  afternoon. 
11th.  -  Rain  at  5  a.m. ;  bright  sun  from  sunrise  almost  all  day. 
12th.— Bright  sunshine  almost  throughout  ;  cloudy  evenirfg. 
13th.  '  Foggy  early,  a  little  sun  at  times ;  overcast  evening,  and  slight  rain  at  night. 
14th. — Generally  overcast  and  drizzly  till  10.3J  a.m,,  and  a  little  sun  in  the  middle  of  the 
day. 
15th.— Sunny  morning ;  overcast  afternoon,  with  spots  of  rain  and  showers  at  midnight. 
10th. — Fair  early  ;  bright  sun  all  day. 
A  mild  fine  week ;  no  frost  in  air,  and  very  slight  on  grass.  -G.  J.  SYMOXS. 
