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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAIE  GARDENER. 
February  25,  1904 
Purchasing  Maoores. 
The  voices  of  the  manure  merchant  and  his  agents  are 
being  heard  in  the  land,  and  those  farmers  who  are  both 
nble  and  anxious  to  buy  to  the  best  advantage  are  giving 
their  orders  for  the  season. 
Prices  at  the  opening  have  been  moderate,  but  the  rise 
in  value  in  cereals  and  feeding  stuffs  may  have  an  ihHuence 
also  on  manure,  and  there  should  be  no  advantage  in  delay¬ 
ing  purchases.  We  referred  to  prices  as  moderate,  but  the 
values  of  nitrate  of  soda  and  sulphate  of  ammonia  are  both 
20  per  cent,  above  those  of  four  or  five  years  ago.  This  is, 
no  doubt,  quite  as  much  due  to  the  greater  knowledge  of 
their  usefulness  possessed .  by  modern  farmers,  and  the 
removal  of  prejudice,  as, it  is  to  better  organisation  amongst 
loroducers.  '  '  ' 
When  nitrate  of  soda  was  selling  at  £7  15s.,  and  sulphate 
of  ammonia  at  £9  10s.  they  were  worth  as  much  to  the 
fanner  per  ton  as  they  are  now  when  prices  are  much 
higher,  and  the  question  suggests  itself :  “  with  the  present 
range  of  prices  for  agricultural  produce  where  is  the  limit 
of  price  at  which  farmers  should  stay  buying  these  concen¬ 
trated  fertilizers  and  turn  their  attention  to  other  forms  of 
manure ”  Nitrates  are  often  sown  separately,  but  also  in 
mixture  with  other  artificials,  and  they  are  seldom  used 
nowadays  absolutely  alone,  even  for  grain  crops  ;  phos¬ 
phates  being  sown  in  addition  either  separately  or  in 
mixture  wdth  the  nitrates.  Phosphates  show  no  alteration 
in  prices,  having  kept  at  the  same  level  for  several  years, 
but  there  are  other  manures  which  combine  both  nitrates, 
phosphates,  and  potash,  and  these  manures,  regulated  by 
supply  and  demand,  fluctuate  considerably,  and  it  is 
amongst  them  we  must  look  for  an  alternative  and  cheaper 
form  of  nitrogen  than  we  can  obtain  in  the  concentrated 
forms  above  referred  to. 
We  notice  a  quotation  of  such  a  manure  in  the  report 
of  Liverpool  Market,  viz.,  Peruvian  guano  containing  4  per 
eent.  ammonia,  51  per  cent,  phosphates,  and  7  per  cent, 
j  sulphate  of  potash  at  about  £5  5s.  per  ton  on  rails,  which 
would  mean  £5  10s.  to  £6  delivered.  Valuing  the  ammonia 
at  42s.,  the  nhosphates  at  76s.  6d.,  and  the  potash  at  14s., 
'  we  find  a  total  of  £6  12s.  6d  or  12s.  6d.  to  22s.  6d.  qer  ton 
■  more  than  the  cost.  The  question  will  be  asked:  “  What  is 
a  manure  so  rich  in  phosphates  suitable  for  1  ”  In  its  pur- ; 
chased  form  it  is  an  ideal  manure  for  either  Swedes  or ; 
^  Mangolds,  especially  the  latter  ;  5cwt  for  Swedes,  and  7cwt 
'  for  Mangolds  would  be  sufficient  without  the  aid  of  dung 
to  grow  a  fair  crop,  and  if  farmers  are  to  sell  their  wheat 
■  straw,  and  buy  artificials  as  we  recently  saw  advocated  in 
;  a  farmers’  paper,  here  is  a  likely  manure  to  answer  the 
purpose. 
But  we  are  not  deprecating  the  use  of  dung,  far  from 
it.  We  have  reason  for  thinking  that  the  long  continued 
disuse  of  dung  results  in  reduced  fertility  of  the  soil,  not 
,  necessarily  from  the  absence  of  the  necessary  forms  of  plant 
,  foods,  but  from  lack  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  humus  to 
l^roduce  a  sturdy  and  well  balanced  plant.  Heavy  soils  will 
retain  their  fertility  much  longer,  than  sandy  ones  under 
similar  conditions.  The  only  substitute  for  muck  on  light 
soil  is  the  frequent  ploughing  in  of  green  crops  and  the 
frequent  growth  of  leguminous  crops  such  as  Clover  and 
!  tares.  Bonemeal,  which  is  slightly  cheaper  than  the  guano 
mentioned,  contains  less  ammonia,  rather  more  phosphates, 
but  no  potash,  and  is  dearer  when  valued  according  to  its 
constituents.  It  is  good  for  roots,  and  has  a  most  beneficial 
effect  on  Clover.  A  mixture  of  bonemeal  and  superphos¬ 
phate  is  excellent  for  common  Turnips,  and  as  its  effect  will 
nlso  be  seen  on  both  the  following  corn  crop  and  the  suc¬ 
ceeding  Clover,  there  should  be  no  doubt  about  its  cost 
being  w'ell  recouped. 
Superphosphate  alone  will  grow  good  Turnips,  but  its 
use  may  easily  be  overdone.  Fine  dry  condition  should 
always  be  insisted  on.  We  believe  much  harm  may  be  caused 
by  the  use  of  superphosphate  in  a  wet  and  somewhat  acid 
condition  immediately  after  it  has  been  manufactured. 
Some  firms  have  a  drying  apparatus  to  prevent  this,  and 
they  deserve  encouragement.  Super  guaranteed  26  per 
cent,  soluble  phosphate  is  worth  45s.  in  large,  and  47s.  6d. 
in  small  quantities  at  the  works.  Kainit  is  now  worth 
about  47s.  6d.  at  the  ports.  After  the  Baltic  is  open  in 
April  it  will  come  several  shillings  cheaper,  but  kainit 
applied  late  is  of  little  *use  for  this  season’s  crops.  One 
manure,  ammoniated  phosphate  by  name,  is  usually  very 
dear  for  the  constituents  it  contains,  the  fact  being  that  the 
manufacturer  charges  about  20s.  per  ton  for  mixing  two 
simple  substances,  viz.,  nitrate  of  soda  and  superphosphate. 
The  farmer  will  find  it  cheaper  to  do  the  mixing  himself. 
There  are  several  qualities  of  basic  slag,  and  the  price 
varies  from  30s.,  or  a  little  over,  to  45s.  at  the  depots.  As 
a  rule  it  is  best  to  buy  from  the  nearest  depot  to  save  rail¬ 
way  carriage,  which  is  a  serious  item  in  the  purchase  of  low 
priced,  manures. 
We  have  used  basic  slag  for  several  purposes,  and  have 
found  it  most  useful  for  poor  or  coarse  grass  and  for  arable 
land  of  a  peaty  or  fenny  nature,  where  the  benefits  were 
very  marked.  An  old-fashioned  but  neglected  manure  is 
soot.  As  a  top-dressing  for  corn.  Cabbage,  or  Potatoes 
it  is  very  useful  if  it  can  be  bought  and  disti’ibuted  for  50s. 
per  ton  or  less.  Corn  crops  which  have  been  dressed  with 
soot  fill  the  ears  better  and  produce  bolder  grain  than  with 
any  other  form  of  top-dressing,  but  they  take  more  time  to 
ripen. 
In  mentioning  the  above  prices  we  refer  to  cash  or  very 
early  payments.  You  cannot  have  cheap  manure  as  well  as 
long  credit.  In  too  many  cases  farmers  do  not  pay  for  the 
manure  of  one  season  until  they  have  realised  the  crops  of 
the  succeeding  one,  and  they  have  to  pay  very  dearly  for 
this  credit,  besides  being  helpless  in  buying,  as  they  must 
go  to  the  old  firm. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Work  on  the  land  has  been  quite  out  of  the  question  for  the 
whole  of  the  past  week.  Water  is  vksible  on  every  hand,  and  as 
wet  snow  is  falling  as  we  write  there  is  little  prospect  of  imme¬ 
diate  improvement. 
We  have  cleared  all  the  manure  from  the  yards,  and  until 
more  is  made  there  is  no  more  work  to  be  found  there.  We 
have  a  big  heap  of  compost  which  we  intended  putting  on  grass 
if  there  should  be  a  sharp  frost.  We  may  lead  it  on  now  if  the 
grass  will  carry  the  loaded,  carts,  but  it  would  be  folly  to  cut 
the  turf  up  for  the  sake  of  putting  the  top-dressing  on. 
By  permission  of  the  highway  authorities  we  are  going  to 
plough  off  a  strip  of  sward  by  the  side  of  a  wide  highway,  and 
cart  the  turfy  loam  ploughed  up  into  a  field,  and  use  it  later  on 
for  the  formation  of  another  compost  heap.  This  roadside  loam 
contains  a  large  percentage  of  lime,  and  is  not  only  useful  for 
mixture  in  conipo.st,  but  as  a  direct  top-dressing  for  rough  grass. 
In  some  districts  much  good  would  be  done  to  the  roads  if  farmers 
would  plough  up  and  cart  away  .some  of  the  ridges  of  turf  which 
hinder  the  proper  drainage  of  surface  water. 
The  stoppage  of  all  land  work  has  turned  every  holder  of 
Potatoes  into  a  seller,  and  delivery  is  proceeding  at  such  a  rate 
that  visible.  Supplies  must  soon  be  exhausted.  Every  woman 
available  i.s  being  hunted  up  to  do  the  sorting,  and  are  being 
conveyed  miles  to  ■  their  work.  Notwithstanding  the  heavy 
supplies  the  trade  is -stiffening  again. 
The  same  may  be  .said  about  the  corn  trade.  .The  outbreak 
of  war  created  no  boom  in  wheat,  but  prices  have  been  quietly 
advancing,  and  other  articles"  have  ^advanced  in  sympathy  with 
it.  As  wc'  remarked  a  week  or  two  ago,  when  wheat  touches 
36s.  we  .shall  sell  out.  We  think  oats  are  worth  keeping;  they 
are  scarce,  and  there  must  be  a  great  demand  for  seed. 
W  eure  just  commencing  lambing,  and  hope  for  drier  weather, 
evGjx  if  it  be  colder.  Our  neighbours  who  have  a  number  of  early 
lambs  report  losses  from  swollen  joints.  This  is  caused  by  damp, 
cold,  and  lying  on  wet  ground.  Open  .shelters  are  irseful  for 
protfection  in  such  cases;  if  they  are  bedded  with  diy  straw  the 
lambs  will  generally  be  found  in  them.  Farmers  never  have  too 
many  huixlles.  If  you  look  round  a  farm  just  now  you  will 
scarcely  find  a  spare  one,  and  shepherds  often  complain  of  not 
having  sufficient.  Well  thatched  they  make  .splendid  roofs  either 
for  pens  or  .shelters,  and  fairly  good  ones  can  be  bought  for  Is.  6d. 
each. 
