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
SEARCH INSIDE THIS BOOK
51 pages
Results for Same. Open a page to see the matches highlighted.
Page 1 6 matches
o the American Farmer.-- The growth of Wheat Year after Year on the same Land, unmanured, with Farm-yard Manure, and with various Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers.
Page 2 4 matches
immediately active and available. It is unquestionably true, that the same amount of nitrogen in barn-yard manure, will not produce so great an effect as its theoretical value would in
Page 3 4 matches
for twenty-seven years, there has been a great loss of nitrogen. The same remarks apply to this case. No one ever advocates summer-fallowing land every other year, and sowing nothing
Page 4 4 matches
d grass, root, stem, and branch, all are composed or made up of these same dozen elements. If I ask you what bread is made of, you say it is composed of the dozen elements aforesaid. I
Page 5 2 matches
refreshes the plants, and fills the leaves with sap, precisely in the same way. All these fertilizing effects, however, belong to climate. It is inaccurate to associate either mulching
Page 6 7 matches
and on the other. This will give you some good, rich muck, and at the same time drain your swamp. Then cut some _under-drains_ from _y_ towards the higher land at _w_, _v_, and _h_, an
Page 7 4 matches
om the soil. In this way the “condition” of the soil would remain the same. If we sell _less_ than we develop, the condition of the soil will improve. By “condition,” I mean the amoun
Page 8 3 matches
ed at the breweries with the “grains,” and are sold to milkmen at the same price--from 12 to 15 cents per bushel. Where their value is not known, they can, doubtless, be sometimes obta
Page 9 10 matches
enting in an exposed heap for six months, it still contains about the same _percentage_ of water. When kept in the heap until August, the percentage of water is much greater. Of four t
Page 10 3 matches
gen, and 30¾ lbs. of soluble mineral matter. If they buy a ton of the same manure that has been kept under cover until February, they get, nitrogen, 15 lbs.; soluble minerals, 42½ lbs.
Page 11 2 matches
, and the manure becomes rapidly deteriorated in value, whilst at the same time it is diminished in weight. “21. Well-rotten dung is more readily affected by the deteriorating influen
Page 12 3 matches
garden, more than two loads of the straw and corn manure. To get the same amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, you have to spend more than twice the labor in cleaning out
Page 13 2 matches
imes, when comparatively dry, we use the refuse sheep bedding for the same purpose. Where the sheep barn is contiguous to the pig-pens, and when the sheep bedding can be thrown at once
Page 14 8 matches
iately available. It makes it more soluble. We ferment manure for the same reason that we decompose bone-dust or mineral phosphates with sulphuric acid, and convert them into superphos
Page 15 4 matches
nd in the manure.” How to keep cows tied up in the barn, and at the same time save all the urine, is one of the most difficult problems I have to deal with in the management of manur
Page 16 1 match
nd supporting 20 cows, would give us a gross return of $1,204.50. The same farm so improved as to produce 2¼ tons of hay or its equivalent, per acre--fed to 20 cows _capable of eating,
Page 17 1 match
this, his land has been growing richer and richer. And, in fact, the same is true of Mr. Geddes’ farm. It is richer land to-day than when first plowed, while there is one field that f
Page 18 9 matches
80.4 ” ” ” ” Fresh solid cow-dung contains, according to the same authority, 90 per cent of water. I have frequently seen manure drawn out in the spring, that had not been de
Page 19 2 matches
arch, April, May, and June, than wheat; and, consequently, to get the same amount of food, it is not necessary that the clover should have as much nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, et
Page 20 7 matches
es of wheat, and as much potash as the produce from five acres of the same crop. Clover thus unquestionably removes from the land very much more mineral matter than does wheat; wheat,
Page 21 2 matches
s, 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,
Page 22 4 matches
f nitrogen per acre, that is, considerably more than was found in the same section of the soil where the clover was mown twice for hay; showing plainly, that during the ripening of the
Page 23 3 matches
cre, 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 go
Page 24 3 matches
ments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year, on the Same Land. Table 1.--Manures And Produce; 1st Season, 1843-4. Manures and Seed (Old Red Lammas) Sown Autumn 1
Page 25 3 matches
f manure again in 1845?” “Precisely that, Deacon,” said I, “and this same plot has received this amount of manure every year since, up to the present time--for these same experiments
Page 26 4 matches
of corn and 789 lbs. of straw, which was the increase obtained by the same amount of ammoniacal salt on 10_a_, as compared with 10_b_. “It will be observed, however, that in the forme
Page 27 3 matches
monia-salts alone on plot 10_a_, gave 19¼ bushels per acre, while the same quantity of ammonia, with superphosphate in addition, gave, on plot 9_b_, 25 bushels per acre. The addition
Page 28 9 matches
--“What have you here?” --“Ammonia,” said I; and at 6_b_ he asked the same question, and I replied “ammonia.” At 7_a_, the same question and the same answer. Standing between 7_b_ and
Page 29 6 matches
that the next year and the year after, the salt _was_ applied at the same time as the other manures. It gave an increase of 94 lbs. of grain and 61 lbs. of straw in 1851, but the foll
Page 30 2 matches
uite 29 bushels per acre, and only weighed 55 lbs. per bushel. On the same plot, the year before, with precisely the same manure, the yield was nearly 37 bushels per acre, and the weig
Page 31 3 matches
e consider that this is the twentieth wheat-crop in succession on the same land, these figures are certainly remarkable. “They are so,” said the Deacon, “and what to me is the most su
Page 32 6 matches
king them together in a bottle, and allowing the soil to subside, the same result was obtained. The action, therefore, was in no way referable to any physical law brought into operatio
Page 33 13 matches
s in the spring assumed a rich, dark green color. I have observed the same effect where coal-ashes were spread on grass-land; and I have thought that the apparent benefit was due large
Page 34 3 matches
shes Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year After Year, on the Same Land, Without Manure, and With Different Descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England. Tabl
Page 35 1 match
rs.] Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year After Year, on the Same Land, Without Manure, and With Different Descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England. Tabl
Page 36 6 matches
traw. “That will do,” said the Deacon, “but I see that in 1857, this same plot, with the same manure, produced 66½ bushels of dressed grain per acre, weighing 53½ lbs. to the bushel,
Page 37 3 matches
nips does not enrich land for grain crops. Turnips were grown on the same land, year after year, for ten years. The land was then plowed and sown to barley for three years. The follow
Page 38 8 matches
them. In 1857, I made the following experiments on potatoes, in the same field on which the preceding experiment was made in 1852. In this case, as before, the land was a two-year-o
Page 39 2 matches
n autumn, has afforded a yield of about 70 bushels per acre, when the same amount applied in spring, gave only 50 bushels. A thin coating of manure applied to winter-wheat at the time
Page 40 10 matches
And such facts and experiments as we have, seem to indicate that the same is also true of Indian corn. It is, at any rate, reasonable to suppose that, as Indian corn belongs to the sa
Page 41 13 matches
Plot 10, with 400 lbs. of unleached wood-ashes per acre, produces the same quantity of _sound corn_, with an extra bushel of ‘nubbins’ per acre, as plot 1, without any manure at all; a
Page 42 9 matches
gave an increase of 14½ tons per acre. And the following year, on the same land, it gave an increase of 13½ tons; and the next year, on the same land, over 9 tons.” “Yes,” said I, “th
Page 43 6 matches
res did any good. Ellwanger & Barry also tried them, and reported the same negative result. This was several years ago, and I do not think any similar experiments have been made since.
Page 44 2 matches
e land_, $1.06. “A ton of the fresh fæces,” said the Deacon, “at the same estimate, would be worth (20 lbs. nitrogen, at 20 cents, $4; 21¾ lbs. phosphoric acid, at 12½ cents, $2.70),
Page 45 6 matches
ticle.” As to whether it is better, when you can buy nitrogen at the same price in nitrate of soda as you can in sulphate of ammonia, to use the one or the other will depend on circum
Page 46 9 matches
crop of wheat. And the experience of farmers everywhere tends in the same direction. England is the greatest turnip-growing country in the world, and you will find that where one farm
Page 47 8 matches
e, this was to be expected, and they had expected it much sooner. The same with wheat; he expected the end would come in a few years, but they had now gone on between 30 and 40 years.
Page 48 2 matches
y giving to it the food necessary to grow good grasses, sowing at the same time a small quantity of the best seeds. I further suggested that a flock of sheep should be allowed to run o
Page 49 4 matches
se in the fall for wheat, on land that has been cropped with oats the same year. The manure put on for potatoes is generally estimated to enrich the land sufficient for it to produce o
Page 53 1 match
ng for, 35-168 ” the 20th Crop on Same Land, 213 ” Top-dressing for, 270 ”
Page 54 2 matches
value.” “Suppose, Deacon,” 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_
wheat, or we must make more and richer manure, or we must plow in more
clover. The rotation, which many of us now adopt--corn, barley,
wheat--is profitable, provided we can make our land rich enough to
produce 75 bushels of shelled corn, 50 bushels of barley, and 35 bushels
of wheat, per acre, in three years.
This can be done, but we shall either require a number of acres of rich
low land, or irrigated meadow, the produce of which will make manure for
the upland, or we shall have to purchase oil-cake, bran, malt-combs, or
refuse beans, to feed out with our straw and clover-hay, or we must
purchase artificial manures. Unless this is done, we must summer-fallow
more, on the heavier clay soils, sow less oats and barley; or we must,
on the lighter soils, raise and plow under more clover, or feed it out
on the farm, being careful to save and apply the manure.
“Better do both,” said the Doctor.
“How?” asked the Deacon.
“You had better make all the manure you can,” continued the Doctor, “and
buy artificial manures besides.”
“The Doctor is right,” said I, “and in point of fact, our best farmers
are doing this very thing. They are making more manure and buying more
manure than ever before; or, to state the matter correctly, they are
buying artificial manures; and these increase the crops, and the extra
quantity of straw, corn, and clover, so obtained, enables them to make
more manure. They get cheated sometimes in their purchases; but, on the
whole, the movement is a good one, and will result in a higher and
better system of farming.”
I am amused at the interest and enthusiasm manifested by some of our
farmers who have used artificial manures for a year or two. They seem to
regard me as a sad old fogy, because I am now depending almost entirely
on the manures made on the farm. Years ago, I was laughed at because I
used guano and superphosphate. It was only yesterday, that a young
farmer, who is the local agent of this neighborhood, for a manure
manufacturer, remarked to me, “You have never used superphosphate. We
sowed it on our wheat last year, and could see to the very drill mark
how far it went. I would like to take your order for a ton. I am sure it
would pay.”
“We are making manure cheaper than you can sell it to me,” I replied,
“and besides, I do not think superphosphate is a good manure for
wheat.” --“Oh,” he exclaimed, “you would not say so if you had ever used
it.” --“Why, my dear sir,” said I, “I made tons of superphosphate, and
used large quantities of guano before you were born; and if you will
come into the house, I will show you a silver goblet I got for a prize
essay on the use of superphosphate of lime, that I wrote more than a
quarter of a century ago. I sent to New York for two tons of guano, and
published the result of its use on this farm, before you were out of
your cradle. And I had a ton or more of superphosphate made for me in
1856, and some before that. I have also used on this farm, many tons of
superphosphate and other artificial manures from different
manufacturers, and one year I used 15 tons of bone-dust.”
With ready tact, he turned the tables on me by saying: “Now I can
understand why your land is improving. It is because you have used
superphosphate and bone-dust. Order a few tons.”
By employing agents of this kind, the manufacturers have succeeded in
selling the farmers of Western New York thousands of tons of
superphosphate. Some farmers think it pays, and some that it does not.
We are more likely to hear of the successes than of failures. Still
there can be no doubt that superphosphate has, in many instances, proved
a valuable and profitable manure for wheat in Western New York.
From 200 to 300 lbs. are used per acre, and the evidence seems to show
that it is far better to _drill in the manure with the seed_ than to sow
it broadcast.
My own opinion is, that these superphosphates are not the most
economical artificial manures that could be used for wheat. They contain
too little nitrogen. Peruvian guano containing nitrogen equal to 10 per
cent of ammonia, would be, I think, a much more effective and profitable
manure. But before we discuss this question, it will be necessary to
study the results of actual experiments in the use of various
fertilizers for wheat.
CHAPTER XXVII.
LAWES AND GILBERT’S EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT.
I hardly know how to commence an account of the wonderful experiments
made at Rothamsted, England, by John Bennett Lawes, Esq., and Dr. Joseph
H. Gilbert. Mr. Lawes’ first systematic experiment on wheat, commenced
in the autumn of 1843. A field of 14 acres of rather heavy clay soil,
resting on chalk, was selected for the purpose. Nineteen plots were
accurately measured and staked off. The plots ran the long way of the
field, and up a slight ascent. On each side of the field, alongside the
plots, there was some land not included, the first year, in the
experiment proper. This land was either left without manure, or a
mixture of the manures used in the experiments was sown on it.
I have heard it said that Mr. Lawes, at this time, was a believer in
what was called “Liebig’s Mineral Manure Theory.” Liebig had said that
“The crops on a field, diminish or increase in exact proportion to the
diminution or increase of the mineral substances conveyed to it in
manure.” And enthusiastic gentlemen have been known to tell farmers who
were engaged in drawing out farm-yard manure to their land, that they
were wasting their strength; all they needed was the mineral elements of
the manure. “And you might,” they said, “burn your manure, and sow the
ashes, and thus save much time and labor. The ashes will do just as much
good as the manure itself.”
Whether Mr. Lawes did, or did not entertain such an opinion, I do not
know. It looks as though the experiments the first year or two, were
made with the expectation that mineral manures, or the ashes of plants,
were what the wheat needed.
The following table gives the kind and quantities of manures used per
acre, and the yield of wheat per acre, as carefully cleaned for market.
Also the total weight of grain per acre, and the weight of straw and
chaff per acre.
Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year,
on the Same Land.
Table 1.--Manures And Produce; 1st Season, 1843-4. Manures and Seed
(Old Red Lammas) Sown Autumn 1843.
Manures:
FM Farmyard Manure.
FMA Farmyard Manure Ashes.[1]
SiP Silicate of Potass.[2]
PhP Phosphate of Potass.[3]
PhS Phosphate of Soda.[3]
PhM Phosphate of Magnesia.[3]
SPL Superphosphate of Lime.[3]
SAm Sulphate of Ammonia.
RC Rape Cake.
---+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| |
P | Manures per Acre. |
l +-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----+-------+-----+-----+
o | | | | | | | | | |
t | | | | | | | | | |
s | FM | FMA | SiP | PhP | PhS | PhM | SPL | SA | RC |
---+-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----+-------+-----+-----+
|Tons.|Cwts.|lbs. | lbs. | lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |
0 | Mixture of the residue of most of the other manures. |
1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 700 | .. | 154 |
2 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
3 |Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
4 | .. |32[1]| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 700 | .. | .. |
6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 420 | 350 | .. | .. |
7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 325 | .. | 350 | .. | .. |
8 | .. | .. | .. | 375 | .. | .. | 350 | .. | .. |
9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 630 | 65 | .. |
10 | .. | .. | 220 | .. | .. | .. | 560 | .. | .. |
11 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 350 | .. | 308 |
12 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 162½ | 210 | 350 | .. | .. |
13 | .. | .. | .. | 187½ | .. | 210 | 350 | .. | .. |
14 | .. | .. | 275 | .. | .. | 210 | 350 | .. | .. |
15 | .. | .. | 110 | 150 | .. | 168 | 350 | .. | .. |
16 | .. | .. | 110 | 75 | 65 | 84 | 350 | 65 | .. |
17 | .. | .. | 110 | 75 | 65 | 84 | 350[4]| 65 | .. |
18 | .. | .. | 110 | 75 | 65 | 84 | 350 | 65 | 154 |
19 | .. | .. | 110 | .. | 81 | 105 | 350 | 81 | .. |
20 |Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
21 |Mixture of the residue of most of the | .. | .. | .. |
22 | other manures. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
---+-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----+-------+-----+-----+
Produce:
Wt/Bu Weight per Bushel.
OC Offal Corn.[5]
C Corn.
TC Total Corn.
S&C Straw and Chaff.
TP Total Produce.
TP Total Produce (Corn and Straw).
C100 Corn to 100 Straw.
--------------------------------------+-----------------+-----+---
| Increase per | |
Produce per Acre, etc. | Acre by Manure. | | P
---------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ l
Dressed corn. | | | | | | | | | o
---------+-----+ | | | | | | | | t
Qty.[5] |Wt/Bu| OC | TC | S&C | TP | C | S&C | TP |C100 | s
---------+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+---
Bu. Pks.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs. |lbs. |lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|lbs. | |
19 3¾ |58.5 | 61 |1228 |1436 |2664 | 305 | 316 | 621 |85.5 | 0
16 3 |59.0 | 52 |1040 |1203 |2243 | 117 | 83 | 200 |86.4 | 1
20 1¾ |59.3 | 64 |1276 |1476 |2752 | 353 | 356 | 709 |86.4 | 2
15 0 |58.5 | 46 | 923 |1120 |2043 | .. | .. | .. |82.4 | 3
14 2¼ |58.0 | 44 | 888 |1104 |1992 | -35 | -16 | -51 |80.4 | 4
15 2¼ |58.3 | 48 | 956 |1116 |2072 | 33 | -4 | 29 |85.6 | 5
15 1 |60.0 | 48 | 964 |1100 |2064 | 41 | -20 | 21 |87.6 | 6
15 2 |60.3 | 49 | 984 |1172 |2156 | 61 | 52 | 113 |84.0 | 7
15 0¾ |61.3 | 49 | 980 |1160 |2140 | 57 | 40 | 97 |84.5 | 8
19 2¼ |62.3 | 54 |1280 |1368 |2048 | 357 | 248 | 605 |93.5 | 9
15 1¾ |62.0 | 50 |1008 |1112 |2120 | 85 | -8 | 77 |90.6 |10
17 0¾ |61.8 | 56 |1116 |1200 |2316 | 193 | 80 | 273 |93.0 |11
15 2 |61.5 | 50 |1004 |1116 |2120 | 81 | -4 | 77 |90.0 |12
16 1¼ |62.5 | 54 |1072 |1204 |2276 | 149 | 84 | 233 |89.0 |13
15 3 |61.3 | 51 |1016 |1176 |2192 | 93 | 56 | 149 |86.4 |14
16 3¼ |62.0 | 58 |1096 |1240 |2336 | 173 | 120 | 293 |88.4 |15
19 3¼ |62.5 | 65 |1304 |1480 |2784 | 381 | 360 | 741 |88.1 |16
18 3¾ |62.3 | 62 |1240 |1422 |2662 | 317 | 302 | 619 |87.2 |17
20 3¾ |62.0 | 63 |1368 |1768 |3136 | 415 | 618 |1093 |77.4 |18
24 1¼ |61.8 | 79 |1580 |1772 |3352 | 657 | 652 |1309 |89.2 |19
.. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |20
.. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |21
.. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |22
---------+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+---
[Note 1: The farmyard dung was burnt slowly in a heap in the open
air to an imperfect or coaly ash, and 32 cwts. of ash represent 14
tons of dung.]
[Note 2: The silicate of potass was manufactured at a glass-house,
by fusing equal parts of pearl-ash and sand. The product was a
transparent glass, slightly deliquescent in the air, which was ground
to a powder under edge-stones.]
[Note 3: The manures termed superphosphate of lime, phosphate of
potass, phosphate of soda, and phosphate of magnesia, were made by
acting upon bone-ash by means of sulphuric acid in the first instance,
and in the case-of the alkali salts and the magnesian one neutralizing
the compound thus obtained by means of cheap preparations of the
respective bases. For the superphosphate of lime, the proportions were
5 parts bone-ash, 3 parts water, and 3 parts sulphuric acid of sp. gr.
1.84; and for the phosphates of potass, soda, and magnesia, they were
4 parts bone-ash, water as needed, 3 parts sulphuric acid of sp. gr.
1.84, and equivalent amounts, respectively, of pearl-ash, soda-ash, or
a mixture of 1 part medicinal carbonate of magnesia, and 4 parts
magnesian limestone. The mixtures, of course, all lost weight
considerably by the evolution of water and carbonic acid.]
[Note 4: Made with unburnt bones.]
[Note 5: In this first season, neither the weight nor the measure
of the offal corn was recorded separately; and in former papers, the
bushels and pecks of total corn (including offal) have erroneously
been given as dressed corn. To bring the records more in conformity
with those relating to the other years, 5 per cent, by weight, has
been deducted from the total corn previously stated as dressed corn,
and is recorded as offal corn; this being about the probable
proportion, judging from the character of the season, the bulk of
the crop, and the weight per bushel of the dressed corn. Although not
strictly correct, the statements of dressed corn, as amended in this
somewhat arbitrary way, will approximate more nearly to the truth, and
be more comparable with those relating to other seasons, than those
hitherto recorded.]
These were the results of the harvest of 1844. The first year of these
since celebrated experiments.
If Mr. Lawes expected that the crops would be in proportion to the
minerals supplied in the manure, he must have been greatly disappointed.
The plot without manure of any kind, gave 15 bushels of wheat per acre;
700 lbs. of superphosphate of lime, made from burnt bones, produced only
38 lbs. or about half a bushel more grain per acre, and 4 lbs. _less_
straw than was obtained without manure. 640 lbs. of superphosphate, and
65 lbs. of commercial sulphate of ammonia (equal to about 14 lbs. of
ammonia), gave a little over 19½ bushels of dressed wheat per acre. As
compared with the plot having 700 lbs. of superphosphate per acre, this
14 lbs. of available ammonia per acre, or, say 11½ lbs. nitrogen, gave
an increase of 324 lbs. of grain, and 252 lbs. of straw, or a total
increase of 576 lbs. of grain and straw.
On plot No. 19, 81 lbs. of sulphate ammonia, with minerals, produces 24¼
bushels per acre. This yield is clearly due to the ammonia.
The rape-cake contains 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 of
ammonia. And the same remarks apply to the 14 tons of farm-yard manure.
We should have expected a greater increase from such a liberal dressing
of barn-yard manure. I think the explanation is this: The manure had not
been piled. It was probably taken out fresh from the yard (this, at any
rate, was the case when I was at Rothamsted), and plowed under late in
the season. And on this heavy land, manure will lie buried in the soil
for months, or, if undisturbed, for years, without decomposition. In
other words, while this 14 tons of barn-yard manure, contained at least
150 lbs. of nitrogen, and a large quantity of minerals and carbonaceous
matter, it did not produce a bushel per acre more than a manure
containing less than 12 lbs. of nitrogen. And on plot 19, a manure
containing less than 15 lbs. of available nitrogen, produced nearly 4
bushels per acre more wheat than the barn-yard manure containing at
least _ten times_ as much nitrogen.
There can be but one explanation of this fact. The nitrogen in the
manure lay dormant in this heavy soil. Had it been a light sandy soil,
it would have decomposed more rapidly and produced a better effect.
As we have before stated, John Johnston finds, on his clay-land, a far
greater effect from manure spread on the surface, where it decomposes
rapidly, than when the manure is plowed under.
The Deacon was looking at the figures in the table, and not paying much
attention to our talk. “What could a man be thinking about,” he said,
“to burn 14 tons of good manure! It was a great waste, and I am glad the
ashes did no sort of good.”
After the wheat was harvested in 1844, the land was immediately plowed,
harrowed, etc.; and in a few weeks was plowed again and sown to wheat,
the different plots being kept separate, as before.
The following table shows the manures used this second year, and the
yield per acre:
Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year,
on The Same Land.
Table II.--Manures and Produce; 2nd Season, 1845. Manures and Seed
(Old Red Lammas) Sown March 1845.
Manures:
FM Farmyard Manure.
SiP Silicate of Potass.[1]
PhP Phosphate of Potass.[2]
SPL Superphosphate of Lime.[2]
B-A Bone-ash.
MAc Muriatic Acid.
G Guano.
SAm Sulphate of Ammonia.
MAm Muriate of Ammonia.
CAm Carbonate of Ammonia.
RC Rape Cake.
T Tapioca.
---+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
P | Manures per Acre. |
l +-----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+----+----+
o | | | | | | | | | | | | |
t | | | | | | | | | | | | |
s | FM | SiP|PhP |SPL |B-A | MAc| G | SAm | MAm | CAm | RC | T |
---+-----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+----+----+
|Tons.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.| lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|
0 | Mixture of the residue of most of the other manures. |
1 | .. |112 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |224 | .. | .. |560 | .. |
2 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
3 |Unmanured.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
4 | .. | .. | .. | .. |112 |112 | .. |112 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
5[4]{1 Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
{2 ..| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |252[3]| .. | .. |
6 | .. | .. | .. |112 | .. | .. | .. |112 | .. | .. |560 | .. |
7 | .. | .. | .. |112 | .. | .. | .. |112 | .. | .. | .. |560 |
8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |112 | .. | .. |560 | .. |
9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |168[5]|166[5]| .. | .. | .. |
10 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |168[6]|168[6]| .. | .. | .. |
11 | .. | .. | .. |280 | .. | .. | .. |224 | .. | .. |560 | .. |
12 | .. | .. |280 | .. | .. | .. | .. |224 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
13 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |336[7]| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |672[8]| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
15 | .. | .. | .. | .. |224 |224 | .. |224 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
16 | .. | .. | .. |224 | .. | .. | .. | 56 | 56 | .. |560 | .. |
17 | .. | .. | .. |224 | .. | .. | .. |112 |112 | .. |280 | .. |
18 | .. | .. | .. |336 | .. | .. | .. |112 |112 | .. | .. | .. |
19 | .. | .. | .. | .. |112 |112 | .. |112 | .. | .. |390 | .. |
20 |Unmanured.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
21}|Mixture of the residue of most of the| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
22}| other manures. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
---+-----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+----+----+
Produce:
Wt/Bu Weight per Bushel.
OC Offal Corn.[5]
C Corn.
TC Total Corn.
S&C Straw and Chaff.
TP Total Produce.
TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).
OCD Offal Corn to 100 Dressed.
C100 Corn to 100 Straw.
----------------------------------+---------------+-----+----+----
SOURCES & PROVENANCE
1 listed
This page is an AI-organised index. The label means the grouping and cross-links were compiled with AI; the information itself comes from the public-domain books, reports and manuals listed below. Open any source to read the local copy or follow the link to the original publication.
PUBLIC-DOMAIN BOOK
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
primary
Full text in the local archive
Bibliographic record from the archive catalogue.