Experiments with Artificial Manures

Southland Times, Issue 11673, 2 March 1891, Page 4

Experiments with Artificial Manures

Writing to the N. B. Agriculturist, Mr Patrick Dickion, Barohill, Laurencekirk, t»yi ; — Af in previons years, I have the pleasura to communicate to the public, through the medium of your paper, the resu t of my experiments with artificial manures Ibis seaaon. The experiments were, as formeny, mainly npon tbe turnip crop ; bat this year I wed no farmyard manure upon tbe experimental plotr, except tie latt tbref, Id order better to contrast the results. Tbe crop was Swedes (from seed grown on the. farm) sown OQ 22nd May — all singled on 'be ssme day, and all weighed on 9th December. Xach plot measured the twentj-eiiihth pait of sn acre— soil tqatt) and fairly good, ike maonres applied were ac follows : Plot Ho 1 . No manure „ 2. 10 cwt. Thomas' elag phosphate „ 3. Do., with 1 cwt. curate of soda „ 4. 8 cwt. superphosphate „ 5. Do. with i cwt. i itrate of soda n 6. 6 cwt bone-meal „ 7. Do .wi h cwt, nitrate of soda „ 8. 20 loads farm, ard manure „ 9. Do with 1 cwt nitrate of coda „ 10. Do, with 2 cwt bone-meal 2 c*t BO[ert)hoi-phate,and £ cwt nitrate of a. da .

It will be observed thit t^ ere are four experiment* to test tbe v*iue of nitrate of so a as an additional appliration, aod tbat the extra weight of bulbs produced by 1 cwt. nir**e averages 6 'one per acre very nearly. It *ill also be ob-cr^d that the greatest wei b (*>>: 5) i» prodocpd by the application of half a ton of Thomas' slag phosphate with 1 cwt. nitrate — the whole cost of these two manures being only 28s fer acre ; but, of course, in the case of Nos. 6, 7. 8, 9, and 10, a good deal of the value of the manures remains for future crops. In regard to the cereals, I had only one experiment, namely, with black Tartarian oata after lea. Without manure, the produce per acre was 7 qrs., weighine 42£ lbs. per bushel, with 256 lb. light grain ; "and the same soil, by the application of 1 cwt. nitrate of soda, produced per acre 9 qrs. 36 lb. dressed grain, weighing 42 lb. per bushel, with 280 lb. light grain, showing an increase by the application of 1 cwt. nitrate of 17 bushels per •oxe.

Tbe resalii were m fo'lows ;— Weight per acre With top**. Without tops. Plot So 1. ... 1* ton* 6 cwt 11 tons 5 cwt. 2 ... 20 9 17 16 B ... 28 8 25 0 4 ... 22 16 20 1 6 ... 26 1 26 1 6 ... 17 9 15 9 7 ... 23 2 19 14 8 ... 21 4 18 4 9 ... 26 12 23 8 10 ... 27 14 24 12