(^ i,: ^ 3 f-' ^7S The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924000925820 rU THE AUTHORS' COMPLIMENTS. "Tl/rrr/-.^^ y^aS3^(S@TO)<&«3iai3iSM)'ai^isiS)^%), per ton, and contained 26-42 per cent, of soluble phosphate ; the Peruvian guano was of the phos- phatic kind, containing 46' 13 per cent, of phosphate of lime and 3'07 per cent, of ammonia, and cost ;^6..i2..6 per ton ; the nitrate of soda contained 95 per cent, of pure nitrate of soda, and cost /"lo-.to per ton ; the muriate of potash cost;^9..5 per ton, and the salt £-2. per ton. , I The following are the results of the experiments : — Weight of Cabbages Manure per Acre. per Acre. , T, c. No Manure ,. IS 9 Ditto (duplicate plot) , 13 17 Mean of these Two Plots ,. .,. ' 14 13 Dung 14 tons 20 of Ditto (duplicate plot) . , •. 16 9} Mean of these Two Plots , ; 18 5! Dung 14 tons, Supetphosphate 4 cwt. 20 I4j Dung 14 tons, Super 4 cwt.. Nitrate of Soda 4 cwt. . .■ 28 16 Dung 14 tons. Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Salt 3 cwt 31 14 Dung 14 tons, Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Muriate of Potash 3 cwt. .... 32 iri liung 14 tons, Guano 3 cwt 21 15^^ Dung 14 tons, Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate of Soda 4 cwt . 32 12 Dimg 14 tons. Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt.. Muriate of Potash 3 cwt 32 8f No Dung, Super 4 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt.. Salt 3 cwt. 21 6j No Dung, Super 4 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt.. Muriate of Potash 3, cwt r8 s| No Dung, Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt.. Salt 3 cwt ; 22 4 No Dirngi Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt., Miiriate of Potash 3 cwt 20 igf 10 In the following table we give the increase of Cabbages per acre over the yield of uninanured land, due to manuring, the cost of the manures, and the value of the increase in produce. Dung is valued at 5s. a ton, and cabbagefeat los. : — DONGED t»LOTS. Increase of Value of Cabbages over Increase in Dunged Plots. unmanured Cost of Cabbages at land. Manures. ios.perton. T. c. £ s. d. { s. d. Dung only, 14 tons (mean) 3 izi- .. 3 10 o .. i 16 o Dung 14 tons, Super 4 cwt 6 ij ., 4 2 o .. 3 o 6 Dung 14 tons, Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt! .... 143 ..-640.. 716 Dung 14 tons, Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Salt 3 cwt 17 I .. 610 o ., 810 6 Dung 14 tons, Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4, cwt., Muriate of Potash 3 cwt '7 iSJ .. 7 12 6 .. 819 3 Dung 14 tons, Guano 3 cwt 7 2j .. 4 910 .. 311 3 Dung 14 tons, Guano 3 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt. . . 17 19 .. 6 11 10 .. 8 19 6 Dung 14 tons, Guano 3 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Muriate of Potash 3 cwt 17 isf .. 804.. 8 18 o Undunoed Plots. Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt.. Salt 3 cwt. 6 13J .. 3 o o .. 3 6 9 Super4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Muriate of Potash 3 cwt .i.... 3 I2f . . 426.. I 16 6 Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt., Salt 3 cwt 711 .. 3 7 10 .. 3 15 6 Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt.. Muriate of Potash 3 cwt 6 6f . . 410 4 . . 3 3 6 In the following table is shown the increase produced by the use of artificials over and above that produced by the dung, together with its value and cost of production : — Increase of Cabbages Value of due to increase of Manure ArtiE. .als Cabbages In addition to 14 tons dung. over and above Cost of per acre due Dung. Artificals. to Artificials. T. c. £ s. d. £ s. d. Super 4 cwt 2 9 .. 012 o .. i 4 6 Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt 10 lof . . 214 o . . 5 5 6 Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Salt 3 cwt 13 8} . . 3 o o . . 614 6 Super 4 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt., Muriate of Potash „ 3cwt.. 14 6J .. 4 2 6 .. 7 3 o Guano 3 cwt 3 ,o| .. o 19 10 .. i 15 o Guano 3 cwt., Nitrate 4 cwt 14 ^f .. 3 i 10 .. 736 Guano 3 cwt.. Nitrate 4 cwt. Muriate of Potash 3 cwt: 14 3j . . 410 4 . . - I 9 The main feature of the experiments is to indicate, in accordance with our previous experience, that dung alont, up to 14 tons an acre, is not a profitable application for Cabbages, but that it should be liberally supplemented with nitrate of soda and other artifidt^. ' In previous experiments with Cabbages we have found that the use of artificials without dung yielded highly profitable results,, but this was not so last year. This experience shows that, as we have found in the case of Mangolds, it is not wise, in growing Cabbages, to dispense with the use of dung. Probably II much of its value is mechanical rather than feedings, and artificials should not be relied upon to displace it, but rather to supplement it. A review of the foregoing tabtes shows that the heaviest crop was produced by the addition to 14 tons of dung of 3 cwt. of phosphatic Peruvian guano and 4 cw*. of nitrate of soda per acre, which yielded an increase of 18 tons of Cabbages per acre, at a total cost, including dung, of ;^6..ii..io. The 18 tons of Cabbages, therefore cost less than 7s, 6d. per ton. The next best result was an increase of 17 tons per acre, grown by "the use, in addition to 14 tons of dung, of 4 cwt. of super- phosphate, 4 cwt. of nitrate of soda, and 3 cwt. of salt, at a cost, including dung, of ;^6..io per acre. The 17 tons increase there- fore cost slightly over 7s. 6d. per ton. Seeing that Cabbages may be fairly valued at at least los. a ton consuming value, these results are highly satisfactory. Potash in one case seemed to do a little good, but not in others, so that its use on such soil as the moderately heavy land at Mel- bourne for Cabbages presents no advantage over that possessed by salt, the value of which seems to be shown this year, although it was not shown in each of the previous experiments. Experiments elsewhere have shown salt to be a valuable manure for Cabbages, and as it is very cheap we should think that its use generally for this crop should not' be neglected unless it is shown by experiment to do no good. The actual profit due to the use of the various artificials can be gathered by readers from the table in which we have shown the increase obtained by the aid of artificials over and above that yielded by dung alone, together with the cost of the artificials and the value of the Cabbages, reckoned at los. a ton. Recommendation as to Cabbage Manuring. On the whole, we should venture to recommend for the growth of Cabbages a good dressing of dung, say 14 tons an acre, supple- mented by either 3 cwt. of phosphatic Peruvian guano or 4 cwt. of supherphosphate, together with 3 cwt. of salt and 4 cwt. of nitrate of soda. I cwt. of nitrate of soda should be sown with the guano or superphosphate before the seed is drilled, a second cwt. at singling out time, and the remaining 2 cwt. subsequently at inter- vals of a few weeks. The salt may be sown with the first top dressing. If there is reluctance to undertake the trouble of so many dress- ings, it may be regarded as permissible, on a reasonably heavy soil, to sow 2 cwt. of the nitrate at seed time, and to sow the other 2 cwt. together a few weeks after singling out ; but on light land it seems to be very desirable that our plan of spreading the applica- tion of the nitrate over several dressings should be adhered to, as Otherwise some of the nitrate may be washed down into the subsoil before the plants get the benefit of it. 12 We should recommend phosphatic Peruvian guano in preference to superphosphate on soils that are poor in carbonate of lime. Probably no crop responds so freely and so heavily to the action ■of nitrate of soda as the Cabbage crop, and as it is one of especial value to those who keep a large head of dairy'cattle, we hope that our repeated demonstrations of the great weight that can be grown at small cost and trouble by proper manuring will lead to its inci'eased and more profitable cultivation. BARLEY EXPERIMENTS (manuring) at Little Boyton Hail, Roxwell (Mr, Cliristy). These experiments were on much the same lines as those carried on in 1892 and projected for 1893. In the 1892 experiments on the same farm a very fair crop was grown, running up on the best plot to 52 bushels per acre. The field selected last year was lighter than that used in 1892, the proportion of clay in it being less. On this field, for some unexplained reason, the Barley crop last year was very light, the whole of the field in which the experimental area was included yielding less than 3 quarters per acre of very poor Barley,, and the comparative yields of the different plots showed no concordance, the variations being obviously dependent on some influence other than manure. As a publication of the figures would only be calculated to mislead any one attempting to draw any inference bearing on the object for which the experiments were undertaken, they are not here recorded. WHEAT (variety experiments) at Meibourne (Mr. Rosling), and Roxwell (Mr. Christy). All crops were grown under the same conditions of manuring, and manured with phosphatic manure and i cwt. of nitrate of soda, the Plots being one acre each. The following are the yields, stated in bushels of 63lbs. ; in the case of the Melbourne experi- ments the weight of the Straw also was recorded. Roxwell. Melbourne. Bushels of Bushels of Weight of Wheat Wheat Straw per Acre. per Acre, per Acse. T. e. Q I. Rivetts 49-04 .. 58'4i .. 2110 II. Kiug's Unrivalled White (W) 31-66 .. 49-31 ..281 III. HaUett's Original Red (^R) 30-96 ,. The following trials were made of five varieties of Oats, the Plots, as in the case of the Wheat experiments, being one acre each. The results are stated in bushels of 4olbs , the "natural" or actual weight of the produce being also given. Natural weight per Bushel, lbs. .... 424 .... 41 Bushels per Acre. White Canadian 62-0 /Black Tartarian 58-7 t Webb's Challenge White Canadian 58-5 ( New Zealand 56-6 I Carter's Prize Cluster 56-3 43 43 44 APPENDIX. Soil Analysis, 1894. Melbourne Cabbage and Potato Field. Siliceous matter 83-66 Oxide of Iron and Alumina : 8-08 Lime "99 Magnesia f '4° *Potash '39 • Soda • •" ♦Phosphoric Acid '13 Organic matter and undetermined constituents 6-24 100-00 *Indluding soluble in i per cent, solution of Citric Acid :— Potash "014 Phosphoric Acid. -020 RAINFALL in i893-4- REGISTERED AT MELBOURNE, CHELMSFORD. 1893. January i'3S February 2'4'> March April ■ May June July August September I"I4 October 2-86 November 2'l8 December I'68 17-01 33 •10 I -09 •52 "•93 1-37 1894. 2-II 1-26 •66 1-75 1-33 178 274 1-93 1-57 2-75 2-88 '•53 22-29 Mr. Amis Hempson (the Chairman of the Society's Experi- ments Committee) has been good enough also to furnish us with the Rainfall registered in his gauge in another part of the County, viz., at Ramsey, near Harwich, which is appended for comparison. REGISTERED AT RAMSEY, NEAR HARWICH. 1893. January 2-23 February 2-93 ; -35 -OS March . April May June July. -73 2-43 August 1-41 September 1-50 October 2-31 November 2-97 December i-zH >9-33 1894. 1-99 1-34 ■7' 2-29 2-27 2-09 3-69 308 117 298 311 1-71 26-43 BERNARD DYER, EDWARD ROSLING. Apyil, 1895.