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

of the experiments, and shows us how effectually the preceding crop had, in a practical point of view, reduced the plots, previously so differently circumstanced both as to manure and produce, to something like an uniform standard as regards their grain-producing qualities. “Plot 2 has, as before, 14 tons of farm-yard manure, and the produce is 27¼ bushels, or between 9 and 10 bushels more than without manure of any kind. “On plot 10_a_, which in the previous year gave by ammoniacal salts alone, a produce equal to that of the farm-yard manure, we have again a similar result: for two cwts. of sulphate of ammonia has now given 1,850 lbs. of total corn, instead of 1,826 lbs., which is the produce on plot 2. The straw of the latter, is, however, slightly heavier than that by the ammoniacal salt. “Again, plot 5_a_, which was in the previous season _unmanured_, was now subdivided: on one-half of it (namely, 5_a_1) we have the ashes of wheat-straw alone, by which there is an increase of rather more than one bushel per acre of dressed corn; on the other half (or 5_a_2) we have, besides the straw-ashes, two cwts. of sulphate of ammonia put on as a top-dressing: two cwts. of sulphate of ammonia have, in this case, only increased the produce beyond that of 5_a_1 by 7⅞ bushels of corn and 768 lbs. of straw, instead of by 9¾ bushels 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 former case the ammoniacal salts were top-dressed, but in the latter they were drilled at the time of sowing the seed; and it will be remembered that in 1845 the result was better _as to corn_ on plot 9, where the salts were sown earlier, than on plot 10, where the top-dressing extended far into the spring. We have had several direct instances of this kind in our experience, and we would give it as a suggestion, in most cases applicable, that manures for wheat, and especially ammoniacal ones, should be applied before or at the time the seed is sown; for, although the apparent luxuriance of the crop is greater, and the produce of straw really heavier, by spring rather than autumn sowings of Peruvian guano and other ammoniacal manures, yet we believe that that of the _corn_ will not be increased in an equivalent degree. Indeed, the success of the crop undoubtedly depends very materially on the progress of the underground growth during the winter months; and this again, other things being equal, upon the quantity of available nitrogenous constituents within the soil, without a liberal provision of which, the range of the fibrous feeders of the plant will not be such, as to take up the minerals which the soil is competent to supply, and in such quantity as will be required during the after progress of the plant for its healthy and favorable growth.” These remarks are very suggestive and deserve special attention. “The next result to be noticed,” continue Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert, “is that obtained on plot 6, now also divided into two equal portions designated respectively 6_a_ and 6_b_. Plot No. 6 had for the crop of 1844, superphosphate of lime and the phosphate of magnesia manure, and for that of 1845, superphosphate of lime, rape-cake, and ammoniacal salts. For this, the third season, it was devoted to the trial of the wheat-manure manufactured under the sanction of Professor Liebig, and patented in this country. “Upon plots 6_a_, four cwts. per acre of the patent wheat-manure were used, which gave 20¼ bushels, or rather more than two bushels beyond the produce of the unmanured plot; but as the manure contained, besides the minerals peculiar to it, some nitrogenous compounds, giving off a very perceptible odor of ammonia, some, at least, of the increase would be due to that substance. On plot 6_b_, however, the further addition of one cwt. each of sulphate and muriate of ammonia to this so-called ‘Mineral Manure,’ gives a produce of 29¼ bushels. In other words, the addition of ammoniacal salt, to Liebig’s mineral manure has increased the produce by very nearly 9 bushels per acre beyond that of the mineral manure alone, whilst the increase obtained over the unmanured plot, by 14 tons of farm-yard manure, was only 9¼ bushels! The following table gives the results of the experiments the _fourth_ year, 1846-7. Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year, on the Same Land. Table IV.--Manures and Produce; 4th Season, 1846-7. Manures and Seed (Old Red Lammas), Sown End of October, 1846. Manures FM Farm-yard Manure. PG Peruvian Guano. B-A Bone-ash. SAc Sulphuric Acid (Sp. gr. 1-7.) MAc Muriatic Acid. SAm Sulphate of Ammonia. MAm Muriate of Ammonia. R Rice. -----+--------------------------------------------------------+ | Manures per Acre. | P +-------+------+--------------------+------+------+------+ l | | | Superphosphate | | | | o | | | of Lime | | | | t | | +------+------+------+ | | | s | FM | PG | B-A | SAc | MAc | SAm | MAm | R | -----+-------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Tons. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | 0 | .. | 500 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 350 | 50 | .. | 2 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | 4 | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | 5a | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 5b | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 6a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 6b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 7a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 7b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | | | | | | | | | | 8a | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 8b | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 9a{1| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |2240 | {2| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 9b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 10a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 10b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | | | | | | | | | | 11a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 11b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 12a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 12b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 13a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 13b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 14a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 14b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | | | | | | | | | | 15a | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | 500 | 15b | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | 500 | | | | | | | | | | 16a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 16b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 17a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 17b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 18a | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 18b | .. | .. | 100 | 100 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | | | | | | | | | | 19 | .. | .. | 100 | .. | 100 | 300 | .. | 500 | 20 | Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 21 }| Mixture of the residue of most of the | .. | .. | 22 }| other manures. | .. | .. | -----+-------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ Produce Wt/Bu Weight per Bushel. OC Offal Corn. TC Total Corn. S&C Straw and Chaff. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw.) C Corn. TP Total Produce. OCD Offal Corn to 100 Dressed. C100 Corn to 100 Straw. -----------------------------------+-----------------+-----+-----+---- | Increase per | | | Produce per Acre, &c. | Acre By Manure. | | | P --------------+----+----+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+ | | l Dressed Corn.| | | | | | | | | | o --------+-----+ | | | TP | | | | | | t Qty. |Wt/Bu| OC | TC | S&C |C&S | C | S&C | TP | OCD |C100 | s --------+-----+----+----+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+---- Bu. Pks.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs. |lbs. |lbs. | | | 30 2¾ |61.1 | 156|2031|3277 |5308| 908 |1375 |2283 | 8.2 |61.9 | 0 32 1 |61.2 | 147|2119|3735 |5854| 996 |1833 |2829 | 7.2 |56.7 | 1 29 3¾ |62.3 | 117|1981|3628 |5609| 858 |1726 |2584 | 6.2 |54.6 | 2 16 3½ |61.0 | 95|1123|1902 |3025| .. | .. | .. | 8.9 |59.0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 27 1¾ |61.9 | 82|1780|2948 |4728| 657 |1046 |1703 | 4.7 |60.3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 29 0 |61.8 | 130|1921|3412 |5333| 798 |1510 |2309 | 7.1 |56.3 | 5a 32 2 |61.4 | 136|2132|3721 |5853|1009 |1819 |2827 | 6.6 |57.2 | 5b 24 3¼ |62.1 | 122|1663|2786 |4449| 540 | 884 |1124 | 7.8 |59.6 | 6a 24 1¾ |61.6 | 127|1632|2803 |4435| 509 | 901 |1410 | 8.2 |58.2 | 6b 27 3¼ |61.7 | 118|1834|3151 |4985| 711 |1249 |1960 | 6.8 |58.2 | 7a 25 1¼ |61.5 | 125|1682|2953 |4635| 559 |1051 |1610 | 7.9 |56.9 | 7b | | | | | | | | | | | 32 1¾ |62.1 | 102|2115|3683 |5798| 992 |1781 |2773 | 5.5 |57.4 | 8a 30 3 |61.7 | 123|2020|3720 |5740| 897 |1818 |2715 | 6.5 |54.3 | 8b 22 3 |62.5 | .. |1477|2506 |3983| 228 | 604 | .. | .. |53.9 |1}9a 26 2 |61.0 | .. |1755|3052 |4807| 632 |1150 | .. | .. |57.5 |2} 26 0 |61.3 | 123|1717|2858 |4575| 594 | 956 |1550 | .. |60.1 | 9b 25 3 |61.5 | 118|1702|2891 |4593| 579 | 989 |1568 | 7.3 |58.8 | 10a 25 2¾ |61.2 | 133|1705|2874 |4579| 582 | 972 |1554 | 8.2 |59.3 | 10b | | | | | | | | | | | 30 3½ |61.6 | 142|2044|3517 |5561| 921 |1615 |2536 | 6.3 |59.5 | 11a 29 1¾ |61.8 | 123|1941|3203 |5144| 818 |1301 |2119 | 6.7 |60.6 | 11b 29 2 |62.0 | 124|1953|3452 |5405| 830 |1550 |2380 | 6.6 |57.1 | 12a 27 0½ |61.8 | 121|1796|3124 |4920| 673 |1222 |1895 | 7.1 |57.4 | 12b 20 2½ |62.5 | 108|1959|3306 |5265| 836 |1404 |2240 | 5.5 |57.3 | 13a 27 1¼ |62.3 | 96|1801|3171 |4972| 678 |1269 |1947 | 5.3 |56.7 | 13b 28 0¾ |62.8 | 175|1944|3362 |5306| 821 |1460 |2281 | 9.7 |59.5 | 14a 26 3¾ |62.8 | 166|1856|3006 |4862| 733 |1104 |1837 | 9.8 |61.7 | 14b | | | | | | | | | | | 32 3 |63.0 | 151|2214|3876 |6090|1091 |1974 |3065 | 7.2 |57.1 | 15a 32 0 |62.6 | 137|2140|3617 |5757|1017 |1715 |2732 | 6.6 |59.1 | 15b | | | | | | | | | | | 29 1¼ |62.3 | 132|1959|3417 |5376| 836 |1515 |2351 | 6.9 |57.3 | 16a 34 2¼ |62.6 | 119|2283|4012 |6295|1160 |2110 |3270 | 5.2 |56.9 | 16b 33 3 |62.3 | 119|2222|4027 |6249|1099 |2125 |3224 | 5.6 |55.1 | 17a 35 1¼ |62.0 | 117|2314|4261 |6575|1191 |2359 |3550 | 6.4 |54.3 | 17b 32 0¾ |62.7 | 142|2160|3852 |6012|1037 |1950 |2987 | 6.9 |56.0 | 18a 29 1½ |62.9 | 181|2029|4164 |6193| 906 |2262 |3168 | 9.7 |48.7 | 18b | | | | | | | | | | | 32 3 |62.8 | 140|2195|4202 |6397|1072 |2300 |3372 | 6.7 |52.2 | 19 20 0¾ |62.5 | 70|1332|2074 |3406| 209 | 172 | 381 | 4.9 |64.2 | 20 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |}21 | | | | | | | | | | |}22 --------+-----+----+----+-----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+---- Here again, I want the Deacon to look at plot 0, where 500 lbs. Peruvian guano, sown in October, gives an _increase_ of nearly 14 bushels of dressed wheat and 1,375 lbs. of straw per acre. On plot 2, where 14 tons of barn-yard manure have now been applied four years in succession (56 tons in all), there is a little more straw, but not quite so much grain, as from the 500 lbs. of guano. “But will the guano,” said the Deacon, “be as lasting as the manure?” “Not for wheat,” said I. “But if you seed the wheat down with clover, as would be the case in this section, we should get considerable benefit, probably, from the guano. If wheat was sown after the wheat, the guano applied the previous season would do little good on the second crop of wheat. And yet it is a matter of fact that there would be a considerable proportion of the guano left in the soil. The wheat cannot take it up. But the clover can. And we all know that if we can grow good crops of clover, plowing it under, or feeding it out on the land, or making it into hay and saving the manure obtained from it, we shall thus be enabled to raise good crops of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and corn, and in this sense guano is a ‘lasting’ manure.” “Barnyard-manure,” said the Doctor, “is altogether too ‘lasting.’ Here we have had 56 tons of manure on an acre of land in four years, and yet an acre dressed with 500 lbs. of guano produces just as good a crop. The manure contains far more plant-food, of all kinds, than the guano, but it is so ‘lasting’ that it does not do half as much good as its composition would lead us to expect. Its ‘lasting’ properties are a decided objection, rather than an advantage. If we could make it less lasting--in other words, if we could make it act quicker, it would produce a greater effect, and possess a greater value. In proportion to its constituents, the barn-yard manure is far cheaper than the guano, but it has a less beneficial effect, because these constituents are not more completely decomposed and rendered available.” “That,” said I, “opens up a very important question. We have more real value in manure than most of us are as yet able to bring out and turn to good account. The sandy-land farmer has an advantage over the clay-land farmer in this respect. The latter has a naturally richer soil, but it costs him more to work it, and manure does not act so rapidly. The clay-land farmer should use his best endeavors to decompose his manure.” “Yes,” said the Doctor, “and, like John Johnston, he will probably find 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, will do much to render its constituents available. But let us return to Mr. Lawes’ wonderful experiments.” “On eight plots,” said I, “300 lbs. of ammonia-salts were used without any other manures, and the _average_ yield on these eight plots was nearly 26 bushels per acre, or an average increase of 9 bushels per acre. The same amount of ammonia-salts, with the addition of superphosphate of lime, gave an increase of 13 bushels per acre. 400 lbs. ammonia salts, with superphosphate of lime, gave an _increase_ of nearly 16 bushels per acre, or three bushels per acre more than where 14 tons of barn-yard manure had been used four years in succession. “I hope, after this, the Deacon will forgive me for dwelling on the value of available nitrogen or ammonia as a manure for wheat.” “I see,” said the Deacon, “that ground _rice_ was used this year for manure; and in 1845, _tapioca_ was also used as a manure. The Connecticut Tobacco growers a few years since used _corn-meal_ for manure, and you thought it a great waste of good food.” I think so still. But we will not discuss the matter now. Mr. Lawes wanted to ascertain whether _carbonaceous_ matter was needed by the growing wheat-plants, or whether they could get all they needed from the soil and the atmosphere. The enormous quantities of carbonaceous matter supplied by the barn-yard manure, it is quite evident, are of little value as a manure for wheat. And the rice seems to have done very little more good than we should expect from the 22 lbs. of nitrogen which it contained. The large quantity of carbonaceous matter evidently did little good. Available carbonaceous matter, such as starch, sugar, and oil, was intended as food for man and beast--not as food for wheat or tobacco. The following table gives the results of the experiments the _fifth_ year, 1847-8. Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year, on the Same Land. Table V.--Manures and Produce; 5th Season, 1847-8. Manures and Seed (Old Red Lammas), Sown Autumn, 1847. Manures FM Farm-yard Manure. P-A Pearl-ash. S-A Soda-ash. SMg Sulphate of Magnesia. SPL Superphosphate of Lime. B-A Bone-ash. SAc Sulphuric Acid (Sp. gr. 1.7.) MAc Muriatic Acid. SAm Sulphate of Ammonia. MAm Muriate of Ammonia. RC Rape-Cake. ---+-----------------------------------------------------------------+ | Manure per Acre, etc. | P +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----------------------+-----+-----+ l | | | | | | Superphosphate | | | o | | | | | | of Lime. | | | t | | | | | +-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | s | FM | P-A | S-A | SMg | SPL | B-A | SAc | MAc | SAm | MAm | RC | ---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | Tons|lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |2240 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 14| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | Unmanured.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 250 | 250 | .. | 5 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | 500 | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 400 | 300 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 400 | 300 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 8 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 10 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 10 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | .. | 11 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 |