The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-01-11 00:00:00

Anthe branches dela service 4,,,w an lammed Anus proving that th h moult -lorivel f r -en nitrat 3 0! so It wt
with the exception of the light horse, who are less in due to the nitric acid it contained. Since the time Mr
number by 36 sabres, which, small as the company is, they Pewit:o' first published his discoveries • east number of
can ill afford to lose. The efficient strength of the various experiments hal been made which had been more or less
arms for this district, together with a comparative state- favourable. At one time to the use of nitrate of cell was
ment of the totals of the previous year, are as follows attributed blight, and it was I woke.' on as a dangerous'
Devonshire Light horse and mounted rifles, 32 : artillery, thing to use on corn. No doubt this wa4 due to the fart
1,113; engineers, 1.111: rides, 2,474—t0ta1, 1475, 3,758; that on its being seen what a lively effect ii little MO it
total, 1874, 3.509. Dorsetehire : Artillery, 234 ; rifles, was thought the mere that wa., pit on the letter, an-I
780—total, 1875, 996 ; total, 1474, 1,1106. Glamorgan : that spoilt *bloat eyervihine. misttke seas th it
Artillery, 1,180 ; rifles, SLIM total. 1075, 3,677 ; total, Door land required it most, the revers, was
1474, 2./M. Gloucester: Artillery. 580 Lengineers, 678 ; it was found more 4.1 v4llll' land, indeel it was
rifles, 1,271- I-401. 1075, 2,532 : 1074, 2.491 Sion- very initi.licions L. apply it ibete unias the torl ern-
mouth : Artillery, SD : rifles, I,47o—total. 1075, 2,005 ; tamped a fair proportion of ether matters that shoal.' lst
total, 1874, 1,725. Soin met: Artillery, 61 ; engineers, conneeted with its The speaker then quoted 11111 l her sf
sill: rifles, I.4o4—total. 1475, 2,134 ; total, 1874. 2,157, instances to chow the benefit derivable from the use of
Wiltshire : I,3o6—total, 1875, 1,306 ; total, 1004, nitrate of soda. At lord Lester's, of Oakum, it had ham
1,249. been very mireessfully used. Mr. Pewsey had obtained 17
bushels of barley from lam" dressed with it, when he only
had 40 bushels where he did not use it; whilst a neigh-
bour of his who liv4l Pereyian guano received to benefit
at all, although perhaps that was attributable to its being
a drp season. Ile thought the dressing should be about
42 lbs. of nitrate of soda to Si of salt per sore. The great
question was its judicious application: and on pure land
for wheat he advised that it be combined with some soluble
phosphate. The great reason why nitrate of soda had
been found more suitable for a barley crop WWI that it was
found to improve not only the quantity but the quality—
(aVausil The IitION then invited a discussion upon the
subject which had been laid before them in so interesting •
tuanner.
Mr. CHAPMAN SAUNDERS expressed his thanks to Mr.
Spooner for having come amongst them, and remarked
although nitrate of soda was a very nice thing no doubt,
yet he thought a great deal depended on the soil to which
it Was applied and also the season. On a poor soil it
undoubtedly wanted something to go with it in the shape
of phosphates, soluble, or otherwise; although on other
soils it night be used without them. As at the present
time they had nitrate of soda at a very much lower rate
than formerly, no doubt it might be used with incrsased
advantage. His opinion also was that it did better in a
moderately wet season than in • dry one.
A number of questions were then put to Mr. Spooner
by Mr. Damon and others, to which that gentleman replied
collectively.
Mr. Daurie asked what he would think of using a small
quantity of manure with the nitrate of soda on a poor
soiL Also did he think nitrate of s sla at its present price
was cheaper than Peruvian guano, presuming that they
got in it 14 per rent, of ammonia. lie would further ask
what he thought of the system pursued in some parts and
followed even in Hampshire (Sir. Stratton's (arm), where
the corn was sown upon the same soil year after year and
where nothing was used hut nitrate of soda, did he think
it deteriorate I the land.
Mr. HOMIER expressed the pleasure he had experienced
in listening to Mr. Spooner's addrai, and it appeared to
him there were four sorts of manure which they were able
to put on their lan.l—fanrn-vard manure, Inatome from
sheep feeding on the land, artificial manure, and manure
which they derived from the subsoil of loop cultivation.
Farm-yard manure, perhaps the t wistful of all, was
bulky, and not fit fir carrying to the further parts of their
farms, although it was very well to use near their home-
steads; therefore they had to depend upon their field for
their manure. Now it was very well known that many
light soils being close upon the chalk, were of very little
use for subsoil manure. Tim best of manures derivable
from the lan.' he took to be that pneluced by sheep.
especially when fed en artiticial food—cake and corn in
connection with food previously grown on the land. Arti-
ficial manures such as nitrate of soda, he thought might
well be used in many cases., a wort of "rate in nil," to
other manures. Bat he was inclined to think that at the
present price of corn the one of much artifleial
manures was not advisable; although he knew that on some
lands they would produce a very poor crop if they did not.
He recommended that a mixture of nitrate of soda with
coins of the best phosphates that can be obtained should
be used. Where they had subseils to bring up he thought
they would find about ss. an acre laid out on deep plough-
ing would be much more useful than DN. expended on
artificial manures. Of course all lands could not
be treated in the same war. In their present system
of agriculture he considered the ploughing on strong
land was not deep enough ploughitien were in the
habit of setting their ploughs at about 3in. instead of
Kin. Ile had himself uw.l nitrate of soda for manY years,
and he had carefully observed the results ; and he thought
if used advisedly a small profit would be found to result
from it.
Mr. Cum& remarked he had used +mine nitrate of soda
on his best !and, mixed with a superphosphate and salt;
he wished to know if it wal gtesl for chalky lands.
Mr. HAWKINS asked, when in the spring of the year a
wheat crop might look storvel, how inlich nitrate of soda
ought he to put on to make another quarter per acre.
The CHAIRMAN expressed the thanks of the elidi to Mr.
Spooner for having cerne a long distance to give them a
very instructive and inten-sting lecture. It was a subject
he considenel that demanded their serious attention. Ile
w 0.11.1 briefly remark that lie had used nitrate of soda to a
serail extent. His usual dressing el wheat on strong land
was cwt. of nitram of soda. 1 cwt, of hone superphos.
phate, awl I ewt, of salt That answered very well for
wheat, but where they had town manure in the spring,
and dressed it in f..r barley, peas, and oats, he had seen no
goo.' derived from it at all.
Replying to the various remarks made, Mr. SPOONER
said in reply to Mr. Dattion'squestion, as to then I viaability
of using a small quantity of farm-yard loaner., with
nitrate of tosla on pose land, that the principle Was
quite right, but it was not right t • esenfoine the two. Aa
to the relative prices of nitrate of cola and Peruvian guano
he teok it that at the present time the latter cost epee
money. Mr. Genesis failure in its application for barley,
peas, and eats, he attributed to its being due to the fact
that a suitable time had not lewn sele,ted fee the top
dressing ; frost was very prejudicial to the application of
manure. In reply to Mr. Damon's question as Li what
would he the ultimate effect of growing wheat year after
year as in Hampshire upon the satne soil, ho would remark
that tithing as the minerals were suppliel, that was practi-
cable. Mr. Damon when he put that question no doubt
hail in view a harm situate at the foot of a chalky hill and
as it had been the eaten' fir many many years to 114 e the
greater part of the soil WI manure he had no douht that
contained all the minerals. With regard to Mr. Homer's
deep ploughing he had no &edit where the land was rieh
In minerals it hail a very great effect. Some years Sc,,
everything was attributed to deep ploughing, and Messrs.
Prout and Middleinarsh, its advocates, sold their crops
every year, but what wai the fact—that they were the
lamest consumers of artificial manures in England.
The CHAIRMAN here remarked that be knew farina where
the artificial manures averaged 50s. per acre over the whole
farm.
Mr. SPOONER continued : On lightly farmed lands he
would recommend for keeping the straw sun, salt and
phospoherus. For FotatoLs he would recommend that a
small quantity of nitrate a soda be used 114 an addition
to other tnanure, but It could not be relied on solely, as it
forced the green too much.
Mr. CHICK asked the effect of nitrate of sada on old
paatures and new grata lands.
Mr. SPOONER said the effect was to stimulate the
coarser kinds of grass, but not to encourage the growth
of the clover. Rye grass of all kinds it greatly stimulates'
but if they applies' nitrate of soda with sUperpho4phate in
any form, it would correct the disposition to increase the
growth of the coarse grass, and would encourage both
descriptions.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Spooner, proposed by the
Chairman, and seconded by Mr. C. Saunders, being duly
acknowledged, the sitting terminated.