Manures and the principles of manuring

by Charles Morton Aikman

Of potash manures, the muriate seems to be more effective than the sulphate.

Effect of Manure on Composition of Crop.

Lastly, we may refer to the effect of manures on the composition of the crop. This is, on the whole, very slight, especially when compared with the effect manures exert on the composition of such crops as turnips or potatoes. It is the quantity and not the quality of the crop which the manure affects in the case of beans.

Peas.

Peas are not grown to anything like the same extent as beans. As a rule, when they are cultivated it is along with beans, when they are necessarily manured in a similar manner. If grown alone, however, it may be well to point out that peas do best, unlike beans, on light, friable, chalky loam. When grown in clay they tend to develop an undue amount of straw. The effect of season on the crop is similar to that exerted on the bean crop. In conclusion, it may be pointed out that it is alleged that the effect of farmyard manure on peas is to force the straw.

In concluding this chapter a word or two may be said on the manuring of two other crops which are cultivated to a considerable extent in this country—viz., hops and cabbages.

Hops.

The requirements of the hop crop in the matter of manures are rather singular. It has been pointed out that in the case of most crops quick-acting manures are to be preferred to slow-acting manures. With hops, however, the case is very different; for they require, and cannot be successfully cultivated without, slow-acting manures. Hops are especially benefited by bulky nitrogenous manures—such as shoddy, horn-meal, hide-scraps, hoofs, rape-dust, &c.; and it is only when quick-acting manures are applied along with such slow-acting manures that they will exercise their full influence. It is best to manure hops twice a-year,—in spring with farmyard manure, supplemented by a slow-acting nitrogenous manure, such as shoddy; and again in summer with a more quickly acting manure. The dressings applied to hops are enormous relatively to those used on other farm crops.

Cabbages.

Cabbages belong to that class of crops known as gross feeders, to which any sort of manure, applied in almost any quantities, does not come amiss. Cabbages grow best on good loams with a well-drained porous subsoil, although they also do well on clay soils. The quantity of fertilising ingredients, especially potash, which a large crop of cabbage removes from the soil is very great. They consequently require large quantities of manure, and are especially benefited by saline manures—such as kainit and common salt—and liberal doses of nitrate of soda, which may be regarded as the most effective of manures for all the cabbage tribe. Farmyard manure may be applied with benefit in larger quantities than it would be applied to any other crop.