246 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  13,  1902. 
Purchased  Manures. 
“  The  Garden  of  England  ”  is  a  term  with  which  most  of 
us  are  familiar  in  connection  with  the  county  of  Kent.  That 
this  term  may  appropriately  be  applied  to  the  whole  of 
Great  Britain  in  the  near  future  requires  no  great  stretch 
of  imagination.  Small  culture  appears  to  flourish  as  the 
old-fashioned  type  of  farming  languishes,  and  nothing  else 
is  possible  as  long  as  this  country  continues  to  be  the 
favourite  residence  of  wealthy  folk.  But  the  higher  and 
more  exhausting  the  nature  of  the  cropping  the  greater 
and  more  important  must  be  the  manure  bill,  for  all 
farmers  are  not  so  fortunate  as  a  correspondent  of  a 
Scottish  newspaper,  who  buys  cheaply,  or  almost  begs  the 
yard  manure  of  his  neighbours. 
As  high  culture  and  heavy  cropping  extend  in  this 
country,  and  unless  some  unlooked-for  revolution  takes 
place,  they  must  inevitaVdy  do  so  ;  so  must  the  farmers’ 
bill  for  purchased  manures,  whether  natural  or  artificial, 
assume  a  greater  importance  in  the  annual  balance-sheet. 
We  do  not  pi’opose  to  go  through  again  the  old  history  of 
nitrates,  phosphates,  and  potash  on  this  occasion,  but  there 
are  a  few  points  to  which  we  wish  to  attract  our  readers’ 
attention. 
There  is  now  such  a  great  run  on  basic  slag  and  on  some 
soils  deficient  in  lime,  or  of  especially  acid  character,  the 
benefit  from  its  use  is  so  marked,  that  this  fertiliser  is 
becoming  one  of  the  mainstays  of  agriculture.  Apart  from 
its  value  for  use  on  particidar  soils,  it  has  been  of  great 
benefit  to  farmers  because  of  its  influence  on  the  value  of 
phosphates  which  might  have  otherwise,  under  less  severe 
competition,  have  reverted  to  the  values  of  thirty  years 
ago — namely,  superphosphate  26  per  cent,  soluble  at  70s. 
or  80s.  per  ton. 
In  this  connection,  the  last  report  of  Dr.  Voelcker  to  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Society  is  of  especial  interest.  In  this 
report  a  case  is  quoted  where  a  member  bought  20  tons 
of  basic  slag  under  a  guarantee  of  its  containing  38  per  cent, 
to  45  per  cent,  of  phosphates,  and  found,  on  sending  a 
sample  for  analysis,  that  it  only  contained  27^  per  cent. 
Eventually  a  return,  or  rebate,  of  £14  8s.  4d.  was  given  off 
the  bill.  The  Royal  Agricultural  Society  says :  “  This  case 
shows  clearly  the  necessity  of,  and  advantage  to  be  derived 
from,  checking  purchases  by  means  of  analysis.”  We 
thoroughly  endorse  everything  that  has  been  quoted,  for 
we  are  sure  that  commei’cial  advantage  is  being  taken  of 
the  great  variation^  in  the  value  of  different  qualities  of 
basic  slag.  Farmers  must  not  buy  basic  slag,  as  such, 
without  a  guarantee,  any  more  than  they  should  buy  phos¬ 
phates.  But  there  is  a  difference  which  should  be  noted. 
Superphosphate  is  a  manufactured  article,  and  therefore 
has  a  specific  market  value  ;  basic  slag  is  a  residuary,  and 
is  difficult  to  fix  at  one  exact  proportion  of  phosphates  or 
lime,  therefore  the  purchaser’s  best  course  is  to  buy  strictly 
on  analysis,  and  we  would  suggest  that  the  price  should 
nearly  approximate  to  Is.  per  unit  per  centum  of  phos¬ 
phate  of  lime,  the  price  to  be  for  the  article  in  bags  free  on 
rails  to  purchaser’s  order. 
Another  matter  to  which  Dr.  Voelcker  calls  attention  is 
the  importation  of  a  new  forai  of  potash  salts  of  inferior 
quality,  under  the  name  of  kainit.  This  manure  comes 
from  some  newly-opened  mines  on  the  Continent,  and 
contains  only  about  13  per  cent,  of  sulphate  of  potash.  The 
price  is  about  40s.  per  ton,  whereas  kainit  as 
generally  known,  costs  50s.  Farmers  might,  therefore, 
easily  be  led  into  buying  this  new  form  of  potash,  as  they 
would  be  under  the  impression  that  they  were  buying  a 
cheap  article.  But  as  good  kainit  should  contain  23  per 
cent,  of  sulphate  of  potash,  whilst  costing  50s.,  a  little 
calculation  will  show  us  that  another  form,  which  only 
contains  13  ])er  cent.,  should  be  purchased  at  about  27s.  6d. 
This  kainit  is  therefore  12s.  6d.  per  ton  too  dear  ;  but  in 
addition,  according  to  Dr.  Voelcker,  tliere  is  a  further  and 
greater  objection,  in  that  it  contains  much  chloride  of 
j  magnesium  and  very  readily  takes  up  moisture.  Dr,. 
Voelcker  thus  warns  farmers  against  using  this  material.. 
“  It  is  thus  difficult  to  store  on  the  farm  and  bad  for  mixing 
with  other  manures.  It  behoves  farmers,  therefore,  when 
purchasing  kainit,  to  see  that  they  obtain  a  definite 
guarantee  of  its  containing  23  per  cent,  of  sulphate  of' 
potash  or  thereabouts.” 
A  new  form  of  phosphate  of  lime,  of  which  we  may  hear 
a  great  deal  in  the  future,  and  which  has  been  named  basic 
superphosphate,  is  made  by  mixing  superphosphate  with 
slaked  lime  in  certain  proportions.  The  process  has  been 
protected  by  patents,  and  great  things  are  prophesied  con¬ 
cerning  it.  The  acid  nature  of  ordinary  superphosphate  is. 
entirely  got  rid  of,  and  the  result  is  that  the  manure  is 
more  of  a  basic  character.  The  manure  contains  33  per 
cent,  to  35  per  cent,  of  phosphate  of  lime,  i.e.  7  per  cent, 
to  9  per  cent,  more  than  superphosphate,  but  the  lime  is. 
not  soluble  in  water,  which  may  prove  to  be  a  drawback. 
It  is,  however,  more  soluble  than  basic  slag,  as  25  per  cent, 
of  phosphate  is  soluble  in  a  0.01  per  cent,  solution  of  citric 
acid  and  water.  It  therefore  appears  to  us  to  be  likely  to. 
prove  a  competitor  against  basic  slag,  rather  than  against 
plain  super.  For  one  thing  it  will  be  less  difficult  of  applica¬ 
tion.  We  have  not  ascertained  the  cost  at  which  it  is  to 
be  put  upon  the  market,  but  it  should  not  be  much  over 
40s.  per  ton. 
Dr.  Voelcker  has  yet  another  warning  for  farmers. 
Some  of  the  most  advanced  and  perfect  machines  for 
cleaning  cotton  seed  before  crushing  have  cost  their 
inventors  great  trouble  and  expense.  And  the  results  of  their 
labours  have  been  to  verj^  greatly  improve  the  quality  and 
digestibility  of  cotton  cakes.  The  outer  husk  of  the  cotton 
seed  is  well  known  to  be  indigestible,  as  there  is  always  a 
small  amount  of  wool  attaching  to  it.  Yet  an  attempt  is 
now  being  made  to  introduce  into  this  country  from 
America,  as  a  feeding  material,  the  husks  which  are 
removed  in  the  process  of  making  decorticated  cotton  cake. 
It  appears  an  absurdity  to  decorticate  cake  if  the  husks  are 
fit  foy  food,  and  there  should  really  be  little  need  to  warn 
farmers  against  buying  such  rubbish.  Dr.  Voelcker,  how¬ 
ever,  thinks  a  warning  necessary,  and  that  is  our  apologjr 
for  reproducing  it  here. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Farm  work  is  once  more  plentiful,  and  instead  of  hunting 
round  for  possible  jobs,  we  now  are  in  doubt  which  way  to  turni 
first.  There  has  been  no  rain  for  a  week,  but  bright  sunny  days 
witJi  thick  foggy  nights.  Although  there  has  been  no  wind,  the 
land  is  drying  very  rapidly,  and  all  kinds  of  work  are  possible. 
When  we  say  that  we  have  seen  a  roll  at  work  on  Wheat  it 
will  not  be  necessary  to  ask  whether  farmers  are  drilling  spring 
corn.  They  are ;  drilling,  and  preparation  for  drilling,  are  visible 
on  every  hand.  The  shaiq}  fi’ost  of  mid-Febrtiary  has  done 
wonders  to  Turnip  land,  and  it  is  breaking  up  to  an  ideal  Barley 
mould.  In  fact,  the  land  is  in  such  fine  order  for  sowing  that 
we  should  strongly  advise  everyone  to  be  getting  their  seed  in. 
The  middle  of  March  is  not  too  early  for  any  soil  if  the  seed-bed 
be  good,  and  we  may  not  have  such  weather  long. 
That  was  a  wideawake  farmer  whom  we  saw  rolling  his  Wheat. 
After  the  severe  lifting  frosts  we  have  had.  Wheat  is  very  lightly^ 
rooted,  and  must  be  fastened  if  we  wish  it  to  do  well.  Now  is  a 
golden  chance  to  get  the  work  done,  so  keep  the  roll  moving 
over  the  Wheat  fields.  As  soon  as  the  young  Wheat  has  reared 
its  flag  again  it  should  be  harrowed,  and  the  sooner  the  better 
if  the  land  is  subject  to  weeds;  but  it  must  not  be  harrowed, 
when  wet.  The  Turnip  land  which  has  been  steam  ploughed  for 
Potatoes  is  in  splendid  condition,  and  must  be  ridged  at  once 
and  planted  as  soon  as  possible,  so  there  is  plenty  of  work, 
before  us. 
In-foal  mares  must  be  lightly  worked  up  to  foaling  time ; 
by  this  is  meant  regular  work  of  a  light  nature.  They  should,, 
as  a  rule,  be  kept  out  of  the  shafts,  and  if  they  are  put  im 
should  not  be  allowed  to  back  full  loads.  Ploughing,  harrowing, 
and  light  rolling  are  suitable  tasks,  and  a  mare  should  not  be 
yoked  with  two  others  abreast  for  ploughing  or  rolling,  as  horses 
when  so  yoked  jostle  each  other  a  good  deal  at  the  turns. _ 
The  iamb  crop  as  a  rule  promises  to  be  light;  twins  are 
decidedly  scarce,  and  we  have  heard  of  only  one  heavy  fall.  The 
weather  has  been  favourable,  and  not  many  have  been  lost;  but 
there  is  still  some  mortality  amongst  ewes.  A  neighbour  who 
is  noted  for  his  good  fortune  at  lambing  time  is  already  lament¬ 
ing  the  loss  of  several  ewes,  and  others  are  also  complaining  of 
similar  bad  luck.  Pigs  are  as  dear  as  ever,  and  pork  is  7s.  per 
stone  (141b) ;  wliilst  ewe  mutton,  including  the  wool,  is  barely 
worth  6s.  The  recoil  in  pork  is  long  in  coming,  but  is  none  the: 
less  certain. 
