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 TEXT

hay or for seed, had anything to do with the quantity of nitrogen and phosphoric acid found in the soil. The _facts_ given by Dr. Vœlcker, are exceedingly interesting. Let us look at them: “A field of 11 acres was sown to winter-wheat, and seeded down in the spring, with 13 lbs. per acre of clover. The wheat yielded 40 bushels per acre. The next year, on the 25th of June, the clover was mown for hay. We are told that ‘the _best part_ of the field yielded three tons (6,720 lbs.) of clover-hay per acre; the whole field averaging 2½ tons (5,600 lbs.) per acre.’ “We are not informed how much land there was of the ‘best part,’ but assuming that it was half the field, the poorer part must have yielded only 4,480 lbs. of hay per acre, or only two-thirds as much as the other. This shows that there was considerable difference in the quality or condition of the land. “After the field was mown for hay, it was divided into two parts: one part was mown again for hay, August 21st, and yielded about 30 cwt. (3,360 lbs.) of hay per acre; the other half was allowed to grow six or seven weeks longer, and was then (October 8th), cut for seed. The yield was a little over 5½ bushels of seed per acre. Whether the clover allowed to grow for seed, was on the richer or poorer half of the field, we are not informed. “Dr. Vœlcker then analyzed the soil. That from the part of the field mown twice for hay, contained per acre: First six Second six Third six Total, 18 inches. inches. inches. inches deep. Phosphoric acid 4,950 2,725 3,575 11,250 Nitrogen 3,350 1,875 1,325 6,550 “The soil _from the part mown once for hay, and then for seed_, contained per acre: First six Second six Third six Total, 18 inches. inches. inches. inches deep. Phosphoric acid 3,975 4,150 3,500 11,625 Nitrogen 4,725 3,350 2,225 10,300 “Dr. Vœlcker also ascertained the amount and composition of the clover-_roots_ growing in the soil on the two parts of the field. On the _part mown twice for hay_, the roots contained per acre 24½ lbs. of nitrogen. On the _part mown once for hay, and then for seed_, the roots contained 51½ lbs. of nitrogen per acre.” “Now,” said the Doctor, “these facts are very interesting, _but there is no sort of evidence tending to show that the clover has anything to do with increasing or decreasing the quantity of nitrogen or phosphoric acid found in the soil_.” “There was more clover-roots per acre, where the clover was allowed to go to seed. But that may be because the soil happened to be richer on this part of the field. There was, in the first six inches of the soil, 3,350 lbs. of nitrogen per acre, on one-half of the field, and 4,725 lbs. on the other half; and it is not at all surprising that on the latter half there should be a greater growth of clover and clover-roots. To suppose that during the six or seven weeks while the clover was maturing its seed, the clover-plants could accumulate 1,375 lbs. of nitrogen, is absurd.” “But Dr. Vœlcker,” said the Deacon, “states, and states truly, that ‘more leaves fall on the ground when clover is grown for seed, than when it is mown for hay; and, consequently, more nitrogen is left after clover-seed than after hay, which accounts for wheat yielding a better crop after clover-seed than after hay.’” “This is all true,” said the Doctor, “but we can not accept Dr. Vœlcker’s analyses as proving it. To account in this way for the 1,375 lbs. of nitrogen, we should have to suppose that the clover-plants, in going to seed, shed _one hundred tons_ of dry clover-leaves per acre! The truth of the matter seems to be, that the part of the field on which the clover was allowed to go to seed, was naturally much richer than the other part, and consequently produced a greater growth of clover and clover-roots.” We can not find anything in these experiments tending to show that we can make land rich by growing clover and selling the crop. The analyses 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. The clover did not create this nitrogen, or bring it from the atmosphere. The wheat with which the clover was seeded down, yielded 40 bushels per acre. If the field had been sown to wheat again, it probably would not have yielded over 25 bushels per acre--and that for want of available nitrogen. And yet the clover got nitrogen enough for over four tons of clover-hay; or as much nitrogen as a crop of wheat of 125 bushels per acre, and 7½ tons of straw would remove from the land. Now what does this prove? There was, in 18 inches of the soil on the poorest part of the field, 6,550 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. A crop of wheat of 50 bushels per acre, and twice that weight of straw, would require about 92 lbs. of nitrogen. But the wheat can not get this amount from the soil, while the clover can get _double the quantity_. And the only explanation I can give, is, that the clover-roots can take up nitrogen from a weaker solution in the soil than wheat-roots can. “These experiments of Dr. Vœlcker,” said I, “give me great encouragement. Here is a soil, ‘originally rather unproductive, but 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 produces 40 bushels of wheat per acre, and part of the field yielded three tons of clover-hay, per acre, the first cutting, and 5½ bushels of clover-seed afterwards--and that in a very unfavorable season for clover-seed.” You will find that the farmers in England do not expect to make their land rich, by growing clover and selling the produce. After they have got their land rich, by good cultivation, and the liberal use of animal and artificial manures, they may expect a good crop of wheat from the roots of the clover. But they take good care to feed out the clover itself on the farm, in connection with turnips and oil-cake, and thus make rich manure. And so it is in this country. Much as we hear about the value of clover for manure, even those who extol it the highest do not depend upon it alone for bringing up and maintaining the fertility of their farms. The men who raise the largest crops and make the most money by farming, do not sell clover-hay. They do not look to the roots of the clover for making a poor soil rich. They are, to a man, good cultivators. They work their land thoroughly and kill the weeds. They keep good stock, and feed liberally, and make good manure. They use lime, ashes, and plaster, and are glad to draw manure from the cities and villages, and muck from the swamps, and not a few of them buy artificial manures. In the hands of such farmers, clover is a grand renovating crop. It gathers up the fertility of the soil, and the roots alone of a large crop, often furnish food enough for a good crop of corn, potatoes, or wheat. But if your land was not in good heart to start with, you would not get the large crop of clover; and if you depend on the clover-roots alone, the time is not far distant when your large crops of clover will be things of the past. AMOUNT OF ROOTS LEFT IN THE SOIL BY DIFFERENT CROPS. “We have seen that Dr. Vœlcker made four separate determinations of the amount of clover-roots left in the soil to the depth of six inches. It may be well to tabulate the figures obtained: Clover-Roots, in Six Inches of Soil, Per Acre. ------+--------------------------------+---------+---------+---------- | |Air-dry |Nitrogen |Phosphoric | |roots, |in roots,|acid in | |per acre.|per acre.|roots, | | | |per acre. ------+--------------------------------+---------+---------+---------- |1st Year. | | | No. 1.| Good Clover from brow | 7705 | 100 | | of the hill | | | ” 2.| Bad ” ” ” | 3920 | 31 | | ” ” ” | | | | | | | |2d Year. | | | ” 3.| Good Clover from bottom | 7569 | 61 | 27 | of the field | | | ” 4.| Thin ” ” brow | 8064 | 66 | | ” ” hill | | | | | | | ” 5.|Heavy crop of first-year clover | | | | mown twice for hay | | 24½ | ” 6.|Heavy crop of first-year clover | | | | mown once for hay, | | 51½ | | and then for seed | | | ” 7.|German experiment, | | | | 10¼ inches deep | 8921 | 191½ | 74¾ ------+--------------------------------+---------+---------+---------- I have not much confidence in experiments of this kind. It is so easy to make a little mistake; and when you take only a square foot of land, as was the case with Nos. 5 and 6, the mistake is multiplied by 43,560. Still, I give the table for what it is worth. Nos. 1 and 2 are from a one-year-old crop of clover. The field was a calcareous clay soil. It was somewhat hilly; or, perhaps, what we here, in Western New York, should call “rolling land.” The soil on the brow of the hill, “was very stony at a depth of four inches, so that it could only with difficulty be excavated to six inches, when the bare limestone-rock made its appearance.” A square yard was selected on this shallow soil, where the clover was good; and the roots, air-dried, weighed at the rate of 7,705 lbs. per acre, and contained 100 lbs. of nitrogen. A few yards distance, on the same soil, where the clover was bad, the acre of roots contained only 31 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. So far, so good. We can well understand this result. Chemistry has little to do with it. There was a good stand of clover on the one plot, and a poor one on the other. And the conclusion to be drawn from it is, that it is well worth our while to try to secure a good catch of clover. “But, suppose,” said the Doctor, “No. 2 had happened to have been pastured by sheep, and No. 1 allowed to go to seed, what magic there would have been in the above figures!” Nos. 3 and 4 are from the same field, the second year. No. 4 is from a square yard of thin clover on the brow of the hill, and No. 3, from the richer, deeper land towards the bottom of the hill. There is very little difference between them. The roots of thin clover from the brow of the hill, contain five lbs. more nitrogen per acre, than the roots on the deeper soil. If we can depend on the figures, we may conclude that on our poor stony “knolls,” the clover has larger and longer roots than on the richer parts of the field. We know that roots will run long distances and great depths in search of food and water. Nos. 5 and 6 are from a heavy crop of one-year-old clover. No. 5 was mown twice for hay, producing, in the two cuttings, over four tons of hay per acre. No. 6 was in the same field, the only difference being that the clover, instead of being cut the second time for hay, was allowed to stand a few weeks longer to ripen its seed. You will see that the latter has more roots than the former. There are 24½ lbs. of nitrogen per acre in the one case, and 51½ lbs. in the other. How far this is due to difference in the condition of the land, or to the difficulties in the way of getting out all the roots from the square yard, is a matter of conjecture. Truth to tell, I have very little confidence in any of these figures. It will be observed that I have put at the bottom of the table, the result of an examination made in Germany. In this case, the nitrogen in the roots of an acre of clover, amounted to 191½ lbs. per acre. If we can depend on the figures, we must conclude that there were nearly eight times as much clover-roots per acre in the German field, as in the remarkably heavy crop of clover in the English field No. 5. “Yes,” said the Deacon, “but the one was 10¼ inches deep, and the other only six inches deep; and besides, the German experiment includes the ‘stubble’ with the roots.” The Deacon is right; and it will be well to give the complete table, as published in the _American Agriculturist_: Table Showing the Amount of Roots and Stubble Left Per Acre by Different Crops, and the Amount of Ingredients Which They Contain Per Acre. -------------------------+---------------+------------+--------------- |No. of lbs. of | | |stubble & roots| | No. of lbs. |(dry) per acre |No. of lbs. | of ash, free |to a depth of |of Nitrogen | from carbonic |10¼ inches. | per acre. |acid, per acre. -------------------------+---------------+------------+--------------- Lucern (4 years old) | 9,678.1 | 136.4 | 1,201.6 Red-Clover (1 year old,) | 8,921.6 | 191.6 | 1,919.9 Esparsette (3 years old) | 5,930.9 | 123.2 | 1,023.4 Rye | 5,264.6 | 65.3 | 1,747.8 Swedish Clover | 5,004.3 | 102.3 | 974.6 Rape | 4,477. | 56.5 | 622.3 Oats | 3,331.9 | 26.6 | 1,444.7 Lupine | 3,520.9 | 62.2 | 550. Wheat | 3,476. | 23.5 | 1,089.8 Peas | 3,222.5 | 55.6 | 670.7 Serradella | 3,120.1 | 64.8 | 545.6 Buckwheat | 2,195.6 | 47.9 | 465.5 Barley | 1,991.4 | 22.8 | 391.1 -------------------------+---------------+------------+--------------- Contents of the Ashes, in Pounds, Per Acre. ---------------+-------+---------+-------+-------+---------+---------- | Lime. |Magnesia.|Potash.| Soda. |Sulphuric|Phosphoric | | | | | Acid. | Acid. ---------------+-------+---------+-------+-------+---------+---------- Lucern | 197.7 | 24.2 | 36.7 | 26.4 | 18.7 | 38.5 Red-Clover | 262.9 | 48.4 | 58.3 | 20.0 | 26.1 | 74.8 Esparsette | 132.8 | 28.7 | 42.6 | 13.8 | 20.6 | 29.7 Rye | 73.2 | 14.3 | 31.2 | 43.3 | 11.8 | 24.4 Swedish Clover | 136.1 | 17.6 | 25.9 | 5.7 | 13.2 | 24.2 Rape | 163.9 | 12.9 | 34.7 | 20.9 | 30.8 | 31.9 Oats | 85.5 | 11.2 | 24.8 | 18. | 8.8 | 29. Lupine | 80.5 | 11.2 | 16.5 | 3.5 | 7. | 13.8 Wheat | 76.7 | 10.1 | 28.4 | 11. | 7.4 | 11.8 Peas | 71.7 | 11. | 11.2 | 7. | 9.4 | 14.3 Serradella | 79.8 | 13.4 | 8.8 | 4.8 | 9. | 18.4 Buckwheat | 80. | 7.2 | 8.8 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 11. Barley | 42.2 | 5.5 | 9.5 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 11.2 ---------------+-------+---------+-------+-------+---------+---------- It may be presumed, that, while these figures are not _absolutely_, they are _relatively_, correct. In other words, we may conclude, that red-clover leaves more nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, in the roots and stubble per acre, than any other of the crops named. The gross amount of dry substance in the roots, and the gross amount of ash per acre, are considerably exaggerated, owing to the evidently large quantity of dirt attached to the roots and stubble. For instance, the gross amount of ash in Lucern is given as 1,201.6 lbs. per acre; while the total amount of lime, magnesia, potash, soda, sulphuric and phosphoric acids, is only 342.2 lbs. per acre, leaving 859.4 lbs. as sand, clay, iron, etc. Of the 1,919.9 lbs. of ash in the acre of clover-roots and stubble, there are 1,429.4 lbs. of sand, clay, etc. But even after deducting this amount of impurities from a gross total of dry matter per acre, we still have 7,492.2 lbs. of dry roots and stubble per acre, or nearly 3¼ tons of _dry_ roots per acre. This is a very large quantity. It is as much dry matter as is contained in 13 tons of ordinary farm-yard, or stable-manure. And these 3¼ tons of dry clover-roots contain 191½ lbs. of nitrogen, which is as much as is contained in 19 tons of ordinary stable-manure. The clover-roots also contain 74¾ lbs. of phosphoric acid per acre, or as much as is contained in from 500 to 600 lbs. of No. 1 rectified Peruvian guano. “But the phosphoric acid,” said the Doctor, “is not soluble in the roots.” True, but it was soluble when the roots gathered it up out of the soil. “These figures,” said the Deacon, “have a very pleasant look. Those of us who have nearly one-quarter of our land in clover every year, ought to be making our farms very rich.” “It would seem, at any rate,” said I, “that those of us who have good, clean, well-drained, and well-worked land, that is now producing a good growth of clover, may reasonably expect a fair crop of wheat, barley, oats, corn, or potatoes, when we break it up and plow under all the roots, which are equal to 13 or 19 tons of stable-manure per acre. Whether we can or can not depend on these figures, one thing is clearly proven, both by the chemist and the farmer, that a good clover-sod, on well-worked soil, is a good preparation for corn and potatoes.” MANURES FOR WHEAT. Probably nine-tenths of all the wheat grown in Western New York, or the “Genesee country,” from the time the land was first cleared until 1870, was raised without any manure being directly applied to the land for this crop. Tillage and clover were what the farmers depended on. There certainly has been no systematic manuring. The manure made during the winter, was drawn out in the spring, and plowed under for corn. Any manure made during the summer, in the yards, was, by the best farmers, scraped up and spread on portions of the land sown, or to be sown, with wheat. Even so good a farmer and wheat-grower as John Johnston, rarely used manure, (except lime, and latterly, a little guano), directly for wheat. Clover and summer-fallowing were for many years the dependence of the Western New York wheat-growers. “One of the oldest and most experienced millers of Western New York,” remarked the Doctor, “once told me that ‘ever since our farmers began to _manure their land_, the wheat-crop had deteriorated, not only in the yield per acre, but in the quality and quantity of the flour obtained from it.’ It seemed a strange remark to make; but when he explained that the farmers had given up summer-fallowing and plowing in clover, and now sow spring crops, to be followed by winter wheat with an occasional dressing of poor manure, it is easy to see how it may be true.” “Yes,” said I, “it is not the _manure_ that hurts the wheat, but the growth of spring crops and weeds that rob the soil of far more plant-food than the poor, strawy manure can supply. We do not now, really, furnish the wheat-crop as much manure or plant-food as we formerly did when little or no manure was used, and when we depended on summer-fallowing and plowing in clover.” We must either give up the practice of sowing a spring crop, before