420 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  18,  1899. 
but  the  present  crop  of  roots.  If  we  considered  the  wdiole  course, 
Swedes,  B.irley,  seeds,  and  Wheat,  we  should  probably  have  to  vote 
for  bonedust,  or  half-inch  bones,  with  a  little  admixture  of  super¬ 
phosphate,  for  the  immediate  benefit  of  the  roots.  But  we  must  adhere 
to  our  text,  and  consider  manures  for  Swedes  only. 
It  used  to  be  an  axiom  in  the  Midlands  that  Swedes  could  not  be 
grown  without  farmyard  manure.  That  is  an  exploded  idea.  We 
ourselves  have  g^rown  them  well  without,  and  we  believe  that  when 
Messrs.  iMachin  so  easily  won  the  farm  prizes  offered  by  the  Royal 
Agricultural  Society  to  Lincoln  and  Notts  a  few  years  ago,  the 
exceedingly  fine  roots  which  were  such  a  marked  feature  of  their 
farming,  were  grown  almost,  if  not  altogether,  with  artificials  alone. 
So  many  experiments  have  been  tried  at  Woburn  and  elsewhere 
with  such  unvarying  results,  that  it  may  seem  almost  useless  to 
chronicle  any  more  tests,  but  when  further  information  is  available, 
and  it  clearly  endorses  the  correctness  of  the  previous  rec  irds,  there 
seems  to  be  justifiable  reason  for  its  publication.  At  any  rate,  if  the 
truth  is  not  continuously  being  jireached,  we  very  socn  find  someone 
ready  to  teach  error,  and  if  the  conclusions  of  the  scientific  world  do 
not  suit  the  trade  and  pocket  of  the  manure  merchant^,  they  will  soon 
be  telling  the  farmers  that  experiments  may  be  very  interesting,  but 
are  of  little  practical  value. 
The  Lancashire  County  Council  conducted  trials  of  artificial 
manures  for  growing  Swedes  on  seven  different  farms  in  1893.  The 
soils  were  various  ;  peaty,  loam,  clay,  gravel,  and  sand,  limestone  being 
the  only  formation  of  any  importance  not  included.  Though  there 
were  slight  differences  in  the  results,  as  a  whole  they  were  wonderfully 
uniform,  and  therefore  very  conclusive  in  their  evidence. 
The  first  and  most  important  point  which  ’  we  notice  is  that 
the  application  of  artificials  along  with  farmyard  manure  produces 
little  return  compared  with  those  obtained  from  the  use  of  the  same 
kinds  and  qualities  of  artificials  used  alone,  and  that  more  care  is 
necessary  in  selecting  artificials  to  use  in  combination  with  muck 
than  to  use  alone. 
We  find,  for  example,  that  on  the  average  of  the  different  soils 
the  weight  of  crop  grown  without  the  aid  of  any  manure,  natural  or 
artificial,  is  9  tons  11  cwts.  3  qrs.,  that  grown  with  twelve  loads  of  good 
yard  manure  per  acre  is  18  tons  15  cwts.  1  qr.,  whilst  the  differeiit 
artificials  added  raised  the  crop  in  every  case  to  as  much  as  21  tons, 
but  in  some  cases  to  nearly  25  tons,  so  that  the  artificials  only 
increased  the  crop  by  from  2^  to  6:]^  tons  per  acre  more  than  the 
manure  had  done  alone.  The  true  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from 
this,  and  every  farmer  of  any  experience  will  endorse  it,  that  them 
is  a  limit  to  the  amount  of  increase  to  be  produced  by  plants,  and 
that  limit  is  found  much  earlier  than  theorists  would  imagine,  in 
fact,  the  lucrative  limit  is  very  soon  arrived  at. 
For  instance,  in  these  experiments  we  are  considering  the 
increase  produced  by  artificials  was  about  lOQ  per  cent,  or  practi¬ 
cally  the  same  as  by  twelve  loads  of  manure,  whereas  where  the  two 
were  put  on  together,  the  produce  was  only  increased  by  a  further 
25  per  cent,,  thus  plainly  showing  that  the  limit  of  production  was 
being  approached,  and  that  it  was  not  merely  an  absence  of  any 
one  constituent  which  made  the  others  inoperative. 
One  apparently  astonishing  result  was  that  the  artificial  mixtures 
containing  nitrogen  gave  in  every  case  a  better  return  bv  them¬ 
selves  than  when  used  in  conjunction  with  faimyard  manure, 
whereas  superphosphate  and  basic  slag  produced  a  greater  weight 
when  used  with  farmyard  manure  than  either  by  themselves 
alone,  or  by  farmyard  manure  alone.  Mixtures  containing  nitrogen, 
whether  in  the  form  of  nitrate  of  soda  or  of  sulphate  of  ammonia 
and  including  seven  different  mixtures,  in  every  case  gave  a  higher 
return  when  used  alone  than  when  used  with  twelve  loads  of  muck. 
How  can  this  be  ?  We  cannot  account  for  it  except  by  the  presence 
of  the  anti-nitric  bacterium  in  tliB  manure,  which  acts  on  and  dis¬ 
sipates  the  ammonia  contained  in  the  artificials,  thus  actually 
reducing  the  crop  instead  of  increasing  it. 
The  first  lesson  we  learn  from  these  trials  is  a  very  old  and  well- 
worn  one— viz,,  that  with  muck  for  Turnips  nothing  in  the  way  of 
ammonia  should  he  u^eu,  but  that  superphosphate  and  basic  slag  may 
be  usefully  employed  with  it. 
Tho  second,  that  to  grow  Swedes  without  farmyard  manure  the 
artificials  u-ed  should-  contain,  in  addition  to  considerable  quantities 
of  phosphate,  a  certain  percentage  of  nitrogen  and  potash. 
The  third,  that  the  use  of  potash  and  nitrogen  along  with 
farmyard  manure  is  not  only  unnccessar_y,  but  a  waste  of  money. 
The  fourth,  that  nitrate  of  soda,  or  its  equivalent  in  the  shape  of 
sulphate  of  ammonia,  has  yielded  a  marked  increase  where  muck  has 
not  been  used. 
And  the  fifth,  that  the  use  of  5  cwts,  of  superphosphate,  1  cwf, 
nitrate  of  soda,  and  1  cwt.  muriate  of  potash  has  yielded  not  onl}'  the 
largest,  but  the  most  profitable  returns. 
One  very  interesting  feature  of  the  experiments  was  the  use  of  a 
mixture  containing  two  parts  each  of  superphosphate,  pure  dissolved 
bone,  bone  ilour,  and  bone  meal,  and  one  part  each  of  sulphate  of 
ammonia  and  sulphate  of  potash.  This  was  used  in  three  different 
quantities — 5  cwts.,  7  cwts.,  and  9  cwts.  per  acre — and  with  a  curious 
result:  for  the  medium  dressing,  7  cwts.  produced  the  best  crop,, 
whether  used  alone  or  in  conjunction  with  yard  manure.^ 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
We  had  a  few  very  tine  days  with  drying  winds,  and  though  the  nights- 
were  a  little  frosty,  the  land  was  beginning  to  work  well  ;  later  we  had 
heavy  rain,  and  if  the  temperature  will  only  rise  to  a  point  more 
suitable  to  the  season,  crops  and  pastures  will  soon  be  making  better 
growth.  But  the  truth  is,  that  we  have  had  quite  enough  rain,  and  sun¬ 
shine  without  frost  is  required  now.  A  dry  May  is  good  for  grain  crops 
almost  everywhere. 
Wheat  varies  very  much,  some  fields  looking  thin  and  patchy,  and 
much  gone  off  from  winter  promise.  The  hoe  must  be  kept  closely  at 
work  here,  and  if  the  soil  be  light  a  rolling  will  do  more  good  than  harm 
but  there  is  nothing  beats  the  hoe  for  improving  thin  crops.  Earthing- 
up  does  Wheat  as  much  good  as  it  does  to  Potatoes,  for  it  seems  t» 
encourage  it  to  tiller,  and  so  fill  up  the  gap?. 
Top-dressing  may  still  be  used,  but  the  land  must  be  in  very  poor 
condition  if  it  will  pay  on  thin  Wheat.  In  any  case  be  careful  not  to 
apply  too  heavy  a  dressing,  especially  of  nitrate  of  soda.  For  late  dress¬ 
ings  80  lbs.  per  acre  is  ample.  It  may  be  mised  with  salt,  and  sown  by 
hand  ;  but  as  good  sowers  are  now  very  scarce,  and  the  work  should 
be  well  done,  the  use  of  a  manure  distributor  is  recommended.  The 
Strawsoniser  is  excellent  for  applying  small  top-dressings. 
Do  not  move  Turnip  land  more  than  necessary  now  before  sowing- 
It  had  better  not  be  ploughed  at  all  as  ploughed  wet  ;  but  if  it  is  thought- 
to  be  advisable  to  plough  again,  be  sure  to  roll  it  as  soon  afterwards  as 
the  roll  will  work  well,  then  harrow  and  roll  again  if  there  are  any  rough- 
pieces  still  to  break.  If  the  land  has  been  well  worked  in  autumn  and 
winter,  we  should  prefer  to  let  it  lie  until  a  day  or  two  before  sowing  time, 
and  then  use  the  spring  tooth  cultivator  and  chizel  harrows  to  quickly 
work  a  good  tilth  on  the  surface  for  the  Turnips,  leaving  the  soil  below 
an  unknown  quantity. 
Mangolds  are  coming  up  slowly,  and  will  not  do  well  without  more  sun. 
Carrots  are  coming  through,  and  so  are  a  few  weeds.  These  must  be 
closely  watched  and  exterminated,  or  there  will  not  be  many  Carrots. 
It  is  too  cold  yet  to  clip  the  ewes,  but  they  are  washed  and  ready  for 
the  shears  when  the  weather  will  permit. 
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. 
0 
‘S 
Ph 
1899. 
IMay. 
Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
Sea  Level 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
SI 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
inchs 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
inchs. 
Sunday  . . . . 
7 
30-310 
53-8 
46-2 
N. 
49-3 
65-8 
37-6 
110-4 
31  -9 
— 
Monday  . . . . 
8 
30-107 
57  -6 
49-9 
N. 
50-9 
60-6 
42-8 
120-4 
37-7 
0-010> 
Tuesday  . . . . 
9 
-29-871 
49-6 
47  3 
N. 
52-1 
02-4 
47-0 
104-9 
46-1 
— 
Wednesday 
in 
29-902 
53-8 
50  0 
N. 
51-1 
62-9 
41  -9 
96-9 
36-1 
— 
Thursday  . 
11 
-29-9-21 
50-2 
.48-2 
N.W. 
51-8 
68-9 
41-8 
104-2 
34-9 
— 
Friday . 
12 
-29-912 
54-9 
50-0 
W. 
52-9 
60-4 
46-9 
100-2 
42-9 
— 
Saturday.... 
13 
29-838 
50-9 
48-1 
N.W. 
53-2 
63-1 
47-2 
19-3 
43-8 
0-010 
-29-989 
53-0 
48-5 
51-6 
65-2 
43-6 
105-2 
39-1 
0-020 
7th.— Brilliant  throughout.  ' 
8th.— Brilliant  early ;  cloudy  for  an  hour  or  two  at  midday,  and  then  bright 
again,  but  slight  showers  after  7  p.m. 
9th.— Overcast  almost  throughout,  but  faint  sunshine  at  times. 
10th.— Fair,  but  sunless  morning  ;  .smoke  fog  at  noon  ;  sunny  after 
llth.— Overcast  early,  faint  sun  from  11  a.M. 
12th.— Fair,  but  generally  dull,  though  sunshine  at  times. 
13th. — Generally  overcast,  but  a  little  sunshine  in  morning. 
Temperature  still  near  the  average,  and  rain  very  deficient,— G.  J.  SYMONS. 
