May  2G,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
45.J 
Fertilisers  for  Market  Garden  Crops. 
Concentrated  fertilisers  are  used  by  market  gardeners  to  an 
increasing  extent,  but  many  growers  still  rely  wholly  on  town 
dung.  iMarket  gardeners  often  apply  25  tons  of  town  dung  per 
acre  at  one  time,  and  sometimes  even  50  tons  per  acre.  This 
is  very  expensive,  for,  aithongli  the  cost  varies  according  to 
locality  and  facilities  for  transit,  town  dung  probably  costs,  on  an 
average,  when  all  charges  are  paid,  nearly  7s.  per  ton  weight, 
and  in  many  cases  more.  Town  dnng  is  poor  in  (piality  as  com- 
i:)ared  with  cake-fed  farmyard  dnng.  Its  valne  depends  largely 
on  its  organic  matter,  which,  in  the  case  of  light  and  sandy 
soils,  helps  to  retain  moisture  in  dry  weather,  while  in  the  case 
of  stiff  clay  soils  it  prevents  baking,  and  keeps  the  soil  open 
and  spongy. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that,  except  on  very  light  and  open 
soils,  the  merely  mechanical  or  physical  effects  of  town  dnng 
might  be  sufficiently  obtained  from  the  use  of  smaller  quantities 
than  are  .commonly  used,  while  for  many  crops  its  use  may  be 
economically  intermitted.  This  view  is  supported  by  experi¬ 
ments  carried  on  during  the  last  ten  years  on  a  variety  of 
vegetables  and  fruit  crops  on  a  weald  clay  farm  in  the  neigh- 
botirhood  of  Hadlow,  near  Tonbridge,  Kent.  From  these  ex- 
lieriments  (fully  described  in  the  “  journal  of  the  Board  of  Agri¬ 
culture  ”  for  March,  1903),  it  appears  that,  in  the  case  of  most 
vegetables,  town  dung  alone  will  not  give  maximum  crops  unless 
very  large  quantities  are  used ;  and  that  the  cost  of  such  heavy 
dunging  is  greater  than  would  suffice  to  produce  the  same  result 
if  less  dung  were  used,  supplemented  by  chemical  or  concen¬ 
trated  fertilisers.  The  following  general  recommendations  for 
the  manuring  of  market  garden  crops  are  based  mainly  on  the 
results  of  these  experiments. 
It  must  be  understood  that  by  “dung”  is  meant  through¬ 
out,  not  farmyard  dung,  but  ordinary  town  dung.  The  dressing 
of  about  12J  tons  per  acre,  frequently  mentioned  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  pages,  is  equivalent  to  twenty-five  small  cartloads  of  town 
dung  in  a  fresh,  loose  condition.  The  recommendations  given 
are  for  heavy  land,  or  loams  of  fair  or  “  medium  ”  consistency. 
On  decidedly  light  and  freely  draining  soils,  2cwt  of  the  total 
nitrate  of  soda  prescribed  may  be  replaced  by  about  8cwt  rape 
meal,  or  5cwt  of  fish  guano  applied  before  sowing  or  planting, 
at  the  same  time  as  the  pho.sphates  and  potash  salts. 
Cauliflowers  anb  Broccolis. 
A  light  dressing  of  town  dung  (124  tons  per  acre)  may  be 
recommended,  with  from  4cwt  to  6cwt  of  suiierphosphate,  4cwt 
of  kainit,  and  4cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre ;  the  nitrate  of 
soda  being  divided  into  two  dressings.  A  good  crop,  however, 
may  be  grown  without  dung  by  using  6cwt  of  superphosphate, 
4cwt  of  kainit,  and  6cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  aci'e,  the  last- 
named  being  divided  into  two  or  three  dressings. 
For  autumn  Cabbages  and  Savoys  a  dressing  may  be  recom¬ 
mended  of  124  tons  of  town  dung,  with  6cwt  of  superphosphate 
])er  acre ;  6cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre  being  used  as  a  top¬ 
dressing  for  antumn  Cabbages,  or  4cwt  for  Savoys ;  one  half  of 
the  nitrate  being  applied  at  the  time  of  planting,  and  the  re¬ 
mainder  a  month  or  two  later.  If  dung  cannot  be  spared  the 
quantity  of  nitrate  of  soda  may  be  increased  to  8cwt  per  acre 
for  autumn  Cabbages,  or  6cwt  per  acre  for  Savoys. 
Spring  Cabbages. — By  spring  Cabbages  is  meant  the  crop 
])lanted  in  autumn  and  harvested  in  spring.  The.se  are  usually 
dunged,  but,  as  they  are  not  .so  subject  to  drought  as  spring- 
planted  crops,  tliey  may  be  planted  without  further  dung  than 
the  residue  left  in  the  land  from  that  apxilied  to  the  previous 
crop.  They  should,  however,  at  the  time  of  planting,  receive 
a  dre.ssing  of  6cwt  of  supei’phosxihate  xier  acre.  Nitrate  of  soda 
at  the  rate  of  not  less  than  4cwt  xier  acre  may  be  applied  during 
the  spring,  divided  into  two  dre.ssings ;  but  the  quantity  of 
nitrate  may  be  advantageously  increased  to  6cwt,  and  in  some 
seasons  to  8cwt  jier  acre. 
Brussels  Sprouts,  on  soils  of  fair  consistency,  may  be 
readily  and  economically  grown  without  dung,  jirovided  that 
concentrated  fertilisers  are  liberally  used.  A  good  dressing  is 
(Icwt  of  sufierphosphate  and  4cwt  of  kainit  per  acre,  applied 
just  before  jilanting,  from  4cwt  to  6cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  being 
afterwards  used  as  a  top-dressing,  divided  into  two  aiiplications 
a  few  weeks  apart.  On  very  light,  sandy  soils  that  suffer  easily 
from  drought,  however,  some  dung  should  also  be  given. 
Lettuces. 
Winter  Lettuces  may  be  grown  without  fresh  dung  on 
ground  dunged  for  the  jireceding  crop.  Experience  indicates 
that  if  a  grower  has  used  anything  like  25  tons  of  dung  per 
acre  for  the  last  crop,  whatever  it  may  have  been,  he  may  safely 
jilant  winter  Lettuces  on  the  same  land  without  any  further 
manuring.  If,  however,  he  plants  winter  Lettuces  in  succession 
to  a  crop  that  has  been  only  moderately  dunged,  he  may  give 
about  4cwt  of  supeiqihosphate  and  2cwt.  of  nitrate  of  soda  per 
acre — the  latter,  of  course,  being  applied  during  the  siiring. 
Summer  Lettuces,  however,  should  not  be  left  without  dung 
lest  they  may  suffer  from  drought  early  in  the  .season.  A  light 
dre.ssing  of  dung,  with  from  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of  suxieriihosphato 
per  acre,  should  be  axiplied  before  xilanting,  and  2cwt  of  nitrate 
of  soda  iier  acre  applied  as  a  toxi-dressing.  Summer  Lettuces 
grown  thus  do  not  appear  to  need  any  sxiecial  apxdication  of 
potash. 
Carrots  and  Parsnips. 
Most  market  gardeners  x^i'obably  do  not  dung  Carrots  or 
Parsnixis,  but  grow  them  on  land  dunged  for  the  preceding 
crop.  If  a  grower  has  used  as  much  as  25  tons  of  dung  per 
acre  for  the  xu'evious  croxi,  it  will  XD'obably  xiay  best  to  iiiant 
Carrots  or  Parsnixis  without  further  manuring.  But  following 
only  a  moderate  quantity  of  dung  for  the  last  croxi,  he  should 
give  Carrots  or  Parsnixis  from  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of  supei'iihosxihate 
and  Icwt  of  sulphate  of  x^otash  per  acre,  followed  by  a  top¬ 
dressing  of  2cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre  after  the  plant  is 
well  np.  In  the  case  of  Carrots  a  further  dressing  of  2cwt  of 
nitrate  x^ei’  acre  may  in  some  seasons  be  given  with  advantage 
a  month  iater.  Potash  salts  should  on  no  account  be  omitted 
for  either  Carrots  or  Parsnixis. 
Summer  Spinach. 
A  light  dressing  (124  tons  iier  acre)  of  dung  is  recommended 
on  heavy  or  medium  land,  with  from  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of  super- 
phosxihate,  and  from  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  xier  acre — 
the  nitrate  axixilied  in  dressings  of  2cwt  per  acre  each.  In  a 
good  season,  es|)eciallv  on  land  recently  dunged  for  another 
croii,  a  good  croxi  of  Spinach  can  be  raised  without  any  fresh 
dung  if  the  x^hosxihates  and  nitrate  of  soda  are  suxiplemented 
by  Icwt  of  kainit  or  Icwt  of  sulxihate  of  jiotash  xier  acre  ;  but 
the  combination  of  dung  and  concentrated  fertilisers  is  XM’obably 
safer. 
"Winter  Spinach  has  been  grown  successfully  after  the 
removal  of  the  summer  Sxiinach,  without  extra  manuring,  on 
heavy  land.  On  light  land  it  might  be  desirable  to  give  a 
further  top-dressing  of  2cwt  per  acre  of  nitrate  of  soda — with¬ 
out,  however,  repeating  the  axixilication  of  dung  or  super- 
phosxihate. 
Beetroots. 
A  light  dressing  of  dung  is  de.sirable,  with  from  Icwt  to 
Gcwt  of  suxieriihosphate  and  Icwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  x^er  acre, 
2cwt  of  the  nitrate  being  axiplied  shortly  after  the  xdant  is  uii, 
and  a  further  2cwt  a  month  or  so  later.  If  no  dung  is  used, 
Icwt  of  kainit  or  Icwt  of  sulxihate  of  xiotash  pei'  acre  should  be 
sown  before  the  preparation  of  the  seed  bed,  and  in  such  case 
also  a  third  tox>dressing  of  2cwt  of  nitrate  per  acre  may  be 
given.  On  mo.st  soils,  however,  the  axix^hcation  of  a  moderate 
quantity  of  dung  is  valuable  for  securing  a  plant  if  the  season 
should  x^rove  dry.  Potash  ax^x^ears  not  to  be  necessary  when 
dung  is  used. 
Rhubarb. 
A  light  dressing  of  ton  n  dung  is  recommended  (124  tons  per 
acre),  and  from  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of  suxierphosphate  x^er  acre,  with 
2cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  x^ai'  acre  for  small  varieties,  or  Icwt  for 
large  varieties.  Sulxihate  of  x^otash  (Icwt  x^er  acre)  or  kainit 
Icwt  per  acre)  has  xn’oved  useful  for  small  varieties,  and  will 
possibly  benefit  the  coarser  varieties  on  some  soils.  Rhubarb 
grown  with  a  combination  of  dung  and  concenti'ated  fertilisers 
grows  more  raxiidly,  and  is  more  tender  and  less  stringy  than 
that  grown  with  dnng  alone. 
Potatoes. 
For  early  Potatoes,  on  soils  so  heavy  as  that  of  Hadlow 
25  tons 'of  dung  have  consistently  x^i'oued  more 
economical  that  a*  lighter  dressing,  even  when  the  latter  is 
liberally  su])xileineDted  by  concentrated  fertilisers.  Early 
Potatoes  are  very  dependent  upon  rain,  and  summer  rain  has 
on  tlie  average  been  scarce  during  the  seasons  of  experiment. 
For  late  Potatoes,  the  best  results  at  Hadlow  have  been 
obtained  from  light  dung,  phosxihates  (say  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of 
superphosxihate  per  acre),  Icwt  of  sulphate  of  potash,  and  Icwt 
of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre,  the  nitrate  being  apxilied  in  two 
dres.sings.  In  the  xu’esence  of  dung,  xiotash  has  xn'oduced  little 
effect  on  the  early  Potatoes,  but  much  on  the  late  varieties. 
On  light  soils  2cwt  of  the  nitrate  of  soda  might  be  replaced  by 
2cwt  of  sulphate  of  ammonia  (axiplied  before  planting)  for  the 
early  varieties,  or  by  8cwt  of  rape  meal,  or  5cwt  of  fish  guano 
for  the  late  varieties ;  2cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre  being 
applied  as  a  top-dressing. 
Spring  or  Summer  Onions. 
With  regard  to  this  croii,  the  experience  at  Hadlow  is  too 
limited  to  yield  definite  recommendations,  for  in  some  years  the 
plant  failed  owing  to  drought  or  wireworm.  A  light  dressing 
of  dung,  supplemented  by  Icwt  to  Gcwt  of  superphosphate,  Icwt 
of  sulphate  of  potash  lor  Icwt  of  kainit),  and  Icwt  of  nitrate 
of  soda  per  acre,  may,  however,  be  regarded  as  a  safe  dressing. 
Potash  apiiears  to  be  of  vital  importance  to  Onions,  and  should 
on  no  account  be  omitted. 
For  Ti'ipoli  Onions  the  results  point  to  the  general  economy 
