TALKS ON MANURES A SERIES OF FAMILIAR AND PRACTICAL TALKS BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND THE DEACON, THE DOCTOR, AND OTHER NEIGHBORS, ON THE WHOLE SUBJECT
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growth of root brings the plant in contact with a larger feeding surface, and enables it to take up more nitric acid from its solution in the soil. Such is also the case during the w
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aith in good plowing, early sowing, and thorough cultivation. PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. The Printers have got our “Talks on Manures” in type; and the publishers want a Preface.
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n as many months. Time is required for the chemical changes to take place in the soil. But watch the effect on the clover for the next two years, and when the land is plowed again, se
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is tillage.” CHAPTER VIII. SUMMER-FALLOWING. This is not the place to discuss the merits, or demerits, of fallowing. But an intelligent Ohio farmer writes me: --“I see that you
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eat will be produced by the slow combustion of a portion of the carbonaceous and nitrogenous matter, and the result will be a mass of material, which we should all recognize as “manur
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ny value in the table. For instance, there is a large amount of carbonaceous matter in the manure of animals, which, for some crops, is not without value, but which is not here taken
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s very considerable. The five tons (10,000 lbs.,) of fresh manure placed in a heap on the 3d of November, are reduced to 7,138 lbs. by the 30th of April. Of this 4,707 lbs. is water
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y manure deteriorates by being exposed to rain, spread out on the surface of the yard. The table merits careful study.” Table Showing Composition of Experimental Heap (No. III.). F
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plow in the manure at once, or to let it lie for some time on the surface, and to give the rain full opportunity to wash it into the soil. “It appears to me a matter of the greatest
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that he gets far more benefit from the manure when applied on the surface, and left exposed for several months, than if he plowed it under at once. I like to write and talk about Jo
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ht the farm thirteen years ago; and much of this increase has taken place during the last five or six years, and I expect to see still greater improvement year by year. “Never mind a
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e. 2d. When manure is allowed to lie scattered about over a large surface, it is liable to have much of its value washed out by the rain. In a compact heap of this kind, the rain or s
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ceive from ten to twenty times as much water as would fall on the surface of the heap.” “But you do recommend piling manure and fermenting it in the open air and keeping the top flat
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implements 65.00 Average repairs of place and buildings 175.00 Average depreciation and interest on stock 180.00 In
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practice. We must either plow under the clover, let it rot on the surface, or pasture it, or use it for soiling, or make it into hay, feed it out to stock, and return the manure to th
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to these crops, either by strengthening the straw, or stems of graminaceous plants, or otherwise benefiting them; but, after deducting the amount of silica from the total amount of m
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ction, a six-inch slice cut down at a depth of 12 inches from the surface, no distinct fibres could be found. The soil was almost completely saturated with rain when it was dug up on
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hed, when very nearly dry: Lbs. Surface, six inches 2,407,900 Next ” 2,444,200 Third ” 2,480,500 “
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nalyses of the soil show that in the first eighteen inches of the surface-soil, there was 6,550 lbs. of nitrogen per acre, on one part of the field, and 10,300 lbs. on the other part.
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about 5 per cent of nitrogen, and is also rich in minerals and _carbonaceous matter_. It gives an increase, but not as large in proportion to the nitrogen furnished, as the sulphate o
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t there is little danger of any loss from spreading manure on the surface, and I suppose you would have us conclude that we make a mistake in plowing it under, as the soil renders it
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nd it to his advantage to use it largely as a top-dressing on the surface. Exposing manure to the atmosphere, spread out on the land for several months, and harrowing it occasionally,
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and important results. I was there at the time. But this is not the place to discuss the question. I am often amused, however, at the remarks we often hear in regard to the inferior q
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njured by stagnant water _in the soil_, and standing water on the surface. I think we may safely say that one-third the wheat-crop of this county (Monroe Co., N.Y.), is lost for want
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potash, etc., was mixed with it, the ammonia, or potash, taking the place of the lime or soda. Prof. Way’s discovery, then, is not that soils have “absorptive properties”--that has b
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siderable extent. I have several times sown barley as soon as the surface-soil was thawed out five or six inches deep, but with a bed of solid frozen earth beneath. 3d. Two-rowed bar
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was applied in the spring. If the manure had been applied on the surface, instead of plowing it under, I believe the effect would have been still more in favor of the autumn-manuring
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h a little soil, and then the superphosphate or sulphate of ammonia placed on the top and covered with soil before the seed was planted. Notwithstanding this precaution, the rain wash
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ill not interfere with the drill. And the manure will be near the surface, where the young roots of the wheat can get hold of it. “You must recollect,” said the Doctor, “that the roo
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case; and yet there seem to be some facts that would incline us to place Indian corn with the leguminous plants, such as clover, peas, and beans, rather than with the cereals, wheat,
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to good food the refuse plant-food left in the soil. It is to the surface soil, what clover is to the subsoil. To the market gardener, or to a farmer who manures heavily common turnip
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e trouble is in the quality of the manure. It contains too much carbonaceous matter. In other words, it is so poor in nitrogen and phosphoric acid, that an excessive quantity has to b
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each load of this rotted manure costs at least $5.00. H. E. Hooker places the cost of manure equally high, but seems willing to use all he can get, and does not think we can profitab
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Some of it comes back to us in rains and dews. Of course, there are places where the sewage of our cities and villages can be used for irrigating purposes. But when water is used as f
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acid, and potash, are largely retained in the first few inches of surface soil, and the deeper roots get hold of only those portions which leach through the upper layer of earth. Nitr
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r thirty years’ experience in the use of these fertilizers, I would place far more confidence on a good and reliable analysis than on any actual trial I could make in the field. Testi
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and was very light, and that you might walk over the fresh plowed surface in the wettest weather without any clay sticking to your boots: still a portion of the soil was dark in color
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c acid by drainage. I was not at all surprised to find, that the surface soil of a wood on my farm, was poorer in nitrogen than the soil of an old permanent pasture, to which no manu
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o dispense with railroad transportation in bringing manure to their places and marketing crops. I have noticed that one of the shrewdest gardeners invariably composts horn-shavings an
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|948 | 1.6| 5.0| 2.2| 0.4| 0.3| 0.4| 1.0| 0.4| 0.2 Sugar-beet Pomace |700 | 2.9| 11.4| 3.9| 0.9| 2.6| 0.7| 1.1| 0.4| 0.9 Clarifying Refuse |948 | 0.8| 3.3| 0.3| 0.1| 1.1| 0.2|
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of roots) | 19 | 0.24| 1.15|0.336|0.108|0.132|0.144 Pomace (15 per cent | | | | | | | of roots) | 46 | 0.44| 1.71|0.5
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by Growing, 133-163 ” Letting it Rot on the Surface as Manure, 134 ” Nitrogen as a Manure for, 141 ” Pastu
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uperphosphate of Lime, When First Made in the United States, 324 Surface Application of Manure, 70-268 Swamp-muck,
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con,” said he _quotation marks as in original (same speaker)_ carbonaceous matter and water, of little or no value?” _text has question mark after close quote_ It would be a very
when they yielded in 100 parts:
Composition Of Clover-Roots, No. 1, (From Brow Of Hill).
Moisture 4.34
Organic matter* 26.53
Mineral matter 69.13
-------
100.00
=======
* Containing nitrogen .816
Equal to ammonia .991
“According to these data, an acre of land will yield three tons 12 cwts.
of nearly dry clover-roots, and in this quantity there will be about 66
lbs. of nitrogen. The whole of the soil from which the roots have been
picked out, was passed through a half-inch sieve. The stones left in the
sieve weighed 141 lbs.; the soil which passed through weighing 218 lbs.
“The soil was next dried by artificial heat, when the 218 lbs. became
reduced to 185.487 lbs.
“In this partially dried state it contained:
Moisture 4.21
Organic matter* 9.78
Mineral matter† 86.01
-------
100.00
=======
* Containing nitrogen .391
Equal to ammonia .475
† Including phosphoric acid .264
“I also determined the phosphoric acid in the ash of the clover-roots.
Calculated for the roots in a nearly dry state, the phosphoric acid
amounts to .287 per cent.
“An acre of soil, according to the data, furnished by the six inches on
the spot where the clover was thin, produced the following quantity of
nitrogen:
Ton. Cwts. Lbs.
In the fine soil 1 11 33
In the clover-roots 0 0 66
-- -- --
Total quantity of nitrogen per acre 1 11 99
== == ==
“The organic matter in an acre of this soil, which can not be picked out
by hand, it will be seen, contains an enormous quantity of nitrogen; and
although, probably, the greater part of the roots and other remains from
the clover-crop may not be decomposed so thoroughly as to yield
nitrogenous food to the succeeding wheat-crop, it can scarcely be
doubted that a considerable quantity of nitrogen will become available
by the time the wheat is sown, and that one of the chief reasons why
clover benefits the succeeding wheat-crop, is to be found in the
abundant supply of available nitrogenous food furnished by the decaying
clover-roots and leaves.
CLOVER-SOIL NO. 2, FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. (GOOD CLOVER.)
“A square yard of the soil from the bottom of the hill, where the clover
was stronger than on the brow of the hill, produced 2 lbs. 8 oz. of
fresh clover-roots; or 1 lb. 11 oz. 47 grains of partially dried roots;
61 lbs. 9 oz. of limestones, and 239.96 lbs. of nearly dry soil.
“The partially dried roots contained:
Moisture 5.06
Organic matter* 31.94
Mineral matter 63.00
-------
100.00
=======
* Containing nitrogen .804
“An acre of this soil, six inches deep, produced 3 tons, 7 cwts. 65 lbs.
of clover-roots, containing 61 lbs. of nitrogen; that is, there was very
nearly the same quantity of roots and nitrogen in them, as that
furnished in the soil from the brow of the hill.
“The roots, moreover, yielded .365 per cent of phosphoric acid; or,
calculated per acre, 27 lbs.
“In the partially dried soil, I found:
Moisture 4.70
Organic matter* 10.87
Mineral matter† 84.43
-------
100.00
=======
* Containing nitrogen .405
Equal to ammonia .491
† Including phosphoric acid .321
“According to these determinations, an acre of soil from the bottom of
the hill, contains:
Tons Cwts. Lbs.
Nitrogen in the organic matter of the soil 2 2 0
Nitrogen in clover-roots of the soil 0 0 61
--- --- ---
Total amount of nitrogen per acre 2 2 61
=== === ===
“Compared with the amount of nitrogen in the soil from the brow of the
hill, about 11 cwt. more nitrogen was obtained in the soil and roots
from the bottom of the hill, where the clover was more luxuriant.
“The increased amount of nitrogen occurred in fine root-fibres and other
organic matters of the soil, and not in the coarser bits of roots which
were picked out by the hand. It may be assumed that the finer particles
of organic matter are more readily decomposed than the coarser roots;
and as there was a larger amount of nitrogen in this than in the
preceding soil, it may be expected that the land at the bottom of the
hill, after removal of the clover, was in a better agricultural
condition for wheat, than that on the brow of the hill.”
CHAPTER XXVI.
EXPERIMENTS ON CLOVER-SOILS FROM BURCOTT LODGE FARM, LEIGHTON BUZZARD.
“The soils for the next experiments, were kindly supplied to me, in
1866, by Robert Valentine, of Burcott Lodge, who also sent me some notes
respecting the growth and yield of clover-hay and seed on this soil.
“Foreign seed, at the rate of 12 lbs. per acre, was sown with a crop of
wheat, which yielded five quarters per acre the previous year.
“The first crop of clover was cut down on the 25th of June, 1866, and
carried on June 30th. The weather was very warm, from the time of
cutting until the clover was carted, the thermometer standing at 80
Fahr. every day. The clover was turned in the swath, on the second day
after it was cut; on the fourth day, it was turned over and put into
small heaps of about 10 lbs. each; and on the fifth day, these were
collected into larger cocks, and then stacked.
“The best part of an 11-acre field, produced nearly three tons of
clover-hay, sun-dried, per acre; the whole field yielding on an average,
2½ tons per acre. This result was obtained by weighing the stack three
months after the clover was carted. The second crop was cut on the 21st
of August, and carried on the 27th, the weight being nearly 30 cwt. of
hay per acre. Thus the two cuttings produced just about four tons of
clover-hay per acre.
“The 11 acres were divided into two parts. About one-half was mown for
hay a second time, and the other part left for seed. The produce of the
second half of the 11-acre field, was cut on the 8th of October, and
carried on the 10th. It yielded in round numbers, 3 cwt. of clover-seed
per acre, the season being very unfavorable for clover-seed. The second
crop of clover, mown for hay, was rather too ripe, and just beginning to
show seed.
“A square foot of soil, 18 inches deep, was dug from the second portion
of the land which produced the clover-hay and clover-seed.
SOIL FROM PART OF 11-ACRE FIELD TWICE MOWN FOR HAY.
“The upper six inches of soil, one foot square, contained all the main
roots of 18 strong plants; the next six inches, only small root fibres,
and in the third section, a six-inch slice cut down at a depth of 12
inches from the surface, no distinct fibres could be found. The soil was
almost completely saturated with rain when it was dug up on the 13th of
September, 1866:
Lbs.
The upper six inches of soil, one foot square, weighed 60
The second ” ” ” 61
The third ” ” ” 63
“These three portions of one foot of soil, 18 inches deep, were dried
nearly completely, and weighed again; when the first six inches weighed
51¼ lbs.; the second six inches, 51 lbs. 5 oz.; and the third section,
54 lbs. 2 oz.
“The first six inches contained 3 lbs. of silicious stones, (flints),
which were rejected in preparing a sample for analysis; in the two
remaining sections there were no large sized stones. The soils were
pounded down, and passed through a wire sieve.
“The three layers of soil, dried and reduced to powder, were mixed
together, and a prepared average sample, when submitted to analysis,
yielded the following results:
Composition of Clover-Soil, 18 Inches Deep, From Part of 11-Acre
Field, Twice Mown for Hay.
{Organic matter 5.86
{Oxides of iron 6.83
{Alumina 7.12
{Carbonate of lime 2.13
Soluble in {Magnesia 2.01
hydrochloric acid. {Potash .67
{Soda .08
{Chloride of sodium .02
{Phosphoric acid .18
{Sulphuric acid .17
{Insoluble silicious matter, 74.61.
{ Consisting of:
{Alumina 4.37
{Lime, (in a state of silicate) 4.07
Insoluble in acid {Magnesia .46
{Potash .19
{Soda .23
{Silica 65.29
-----
99.68
=====
“This soil, it will be seen, contained, in appreciable quantities, not
only potash and phosphoric acid, but all the elements of fertility which
enter into the composition of good arable land. It may be briefly
described as a stiff clay soil, containing a sufficiency of lime,
potash, and phosphoric acid, to meet all the requirements of the
clover-crop. Originally, rather unproductive, it has been much, improved
by deep culture; by being smashed up into rough clods, early in autumn,
and by being exposed in this state to the crumbling effects of the air,
it now yields good corn and forage crops.
“In separate portions of the three layers of soil, the proportions of
nitrogen and phosphoric acid contained in each layer of six inches, were
determined and found to be as follows:
Soil dried at 212 deg. Fahr.
1st six 2d six 3d six
inches. inches. inches.
Percentage of phosphoric acid .249 .134 .172
Nitrogen 1.62 .092 .064
Equal to ammonia .198 .112 .078
“In the upper six inches, as will be seen, the percentage of both
phosphoric acid and nitrogen, was larger than in the two following
layers, while the proportion of nitrogen in the six inches of surface
soil, was much larger than in the next six inches; and in the third
section, containing no visible particles of root-fibres, only very
little nitrogen occurred.
“In their natural state, the three layers of soil contained:
1st six 2d six 3d six
inches. inches. inches.
Moisture 17.16 18.24 16.62
Phosphoric acid .198 .109 .143
Nitrogen .134 .075 .053
Equal to ammonia .162 .091 .064
Lbs. Lbs. Lbs.
Weight of one foot square of soil 60 61 63
“Calculated per acre, the absolute weight of one acre of this land, six
inches deep, weighs:
Lbs.
1st six inches 2,613,600
2d six inches 2,657,160
3d six inches 2,746,280
=========
“No great error, therefore, will be made, if we assume in the subsequent
calculations, that six inches of this soil weighs two and one-half
millions of pounds per acre.
“An acre of land, according to the preceding determinations, contains:
1st six 2d six 3d six
inches, inches, inches,
Lbs. Lbs. Lbs.
Phosphoric acid 4,950 2,725 3,575
Nitrogen 3,350 1,875 1,325
Equal to ammonia 4,050 2,275 1,600
===== ===== =====
“The proportion of phosphoric acid in six inches of surface soil, it
will be seen, amounted to about two-tenths per cent; a proportion of the
whole soil, so small that it may appear insufficient for the production
of a good corn-crop. However, when calculated to the acre, we find that
six inches of surface soil in an acre of land, actually contain over two
tons of phosphoric acid. An average crop of wheat, assumed to be 25
bushels of grain, at 60 lbs. per bushel, and 3,000 lbs. of straw,
removes from the land on which it is grown, 20 lbs. of phosphoric acid.
The clover-soil analyzed by me, consequently contains an amount of
phosphoric acid in a depth of only six inches, which is equal to that
present in 247½ average crops of wheat; or supposing that, by good
cultivation and in favorable seasons, the average yield of wheat could
be doubled, and 50 bushels of grain, at 60 lbs. a bushel, and 6,000 lbs.
of straw could be raised, 124 of such heavy wheat-crops would contain no
more phosphoric acid than actually occurred in six inches of this
clover-soil per acre.
“The mere presence of such an amount of phosphoric acid in a soil,
however, by no means proves its sufficiency for the production of so
many crops of wheat; for, in the first place, it can not be shown that
the whole of the phosphoric acid found by analysis, occurs in the soil
in a readily available combination; and, in the second place, it is
quite certain that the root-fibres of the wheat-plant can not reach and
pick up, so to speak, every particle of phosphoric acid, even supposing
it to occur in the soil in a form most conducive to ‘ready assimilation
by the plant.’
“The calculation is not given in proof of a conclusion which would be
manifestly absurd, but simply as an illustration of the enormous
quantity in an acre of soil six inches deep, of a constituent forming
the smaller proportions of the whole weight of an acre of soil of that
limited depth. It shows the existence of a practically unlimited amount
of the most important mineral constituents of plants, and clearly points
out the propriety of rendering available to plants, the natural
resources of the soil in plant-food; to draw, in fact, up the mineral
wealth of the soil, by thoroughly working the land, and not leaving it
unutilized as so much dead capital.”
“Good,” said the Deacon, “that is the right doctrine.”
“The roots,” continues Dr. Vœlcker, “from one square foot of soil were
cleaned as much as possible, dried completely at 212°, and in that state
weighed 240 grains. An acre consequently contained 1,493½ lbs. of dried
clover-roots.
“The clover-roots contained, dried at 212° Fahr.,
Organic matter* 81.33
Mineral matter,† (ash) 18.67
------
100.00
======
* Yielding nitrogen 1.635
Equal to ammonia 1.985
† Including insoluble silicious
matter, (clay and sand) 11.67
“Accordingly the clover-roots in an acre of land furnished 24½ lbs. of
nitrogen. We have thus:
Lbs. of
nitrogen
In the six inches of surface soil 3,350
In large clover-roots 24½
In second six inches of soil 1,875
---------
Total amount of nitrogen in one acre of
soil 12 inches deep 5,249½
Equal to ammonia 6,374½
=========
Or in round numbers, two tons six cwt. of nitrogen per acre; an enormous
quantity, which must have a powerful influence in encouraging the
luxuriant development of the succeeding wheat-crop, although only a
fraction of the total amount of nitrogen in the clover remains may
become sufficiently decomposed in time to be available to the young
wheat-plants.
CLOVER-SOIL FROM PART OF 11-ACRE FIELD OF BURCOTT LODGE FARM, LEIGHTON
BUZZARD, ONCE MOWN FOR HAY, AND LEFT AFTERWARDS FOR SEED.
“Produce 2½ tons of clover-hay, and 3 cwt. of seed per acre.
“This soil was obtained within a distance of five yards from the part of
the field where the soil was dug up after the two cuttings of hay. After
the seed there was some difficulty in finding a square foot containing
the same number of large clover-roots, as that on the field twice mown;
however, at last, in the beginning of November, a square foot containing
exactly 18 strong roots, was found and dug up to a depth of 18 inches.
The soil dug after the seed was much drier than that dug after the two
cuttings of hay:
The upper six inches deep, one foot square, weighed 56 lbs.
The next ” ” ” 58 ”
The third ” ” ” 60 ”
=======
“After drying by exposure to hot air, the three layers of soil weighed:
The upper six inches, one foot square 49¾ lbs.
The next ” ” 50½ ”
The third ” ” 51¼ ”
===========
“Equal portions of the dried soil from each six-inch section were mixed
together and reduced to a fine powder. An average sample thus prepared,
on analysis, was found to have the following composition:
Composition of Clover-Soil Once Mown for Hay, and Afterwards Left for
Seed. Dried at 212° Fahr.
{ Organic matter 5.34
{ Oxides of iron 6.07
{ Alumina 4.51
{ Carbonate of lime 7.51
Soluble in { Magnesia 1.27
hydrochloric Acid { Potash .52
{ Soda .16
{ Chloride of sodium .03
{ Phosphoric acid .15
{ Sulphuric acid .19
{ Insoluble silicious matter,
{ 73.84. Consisting of:
{ Alumina 4.14
{ Lime (in a state of silicate) 2.69
Insoluble in acid { Magnesia .68
{ Potash .24
{ Soda .21
{ Silica 65.88
SOURCES & PROVENANCE
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Talks on Manures A Series of Familiar and Practical Talks Between the Author and the Deacon, the Doctor, and Other Neighbors, on the Whole Subject
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