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

He passed to the next plot, and was very enthusiastic over it. “What have you here?” --“Rape-cake and ammonia,” said I. --“It is a grand crop,” said he, and after examining it with great interest, he passed to the next, 6_a_. --“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 8_a_, he was of course struck with the difference in the crop; 8_a_ was left this year without any manure, and though it had received a liberal supply of mineral manures the year before, and minerals and ammonia-salts, and rape-cake, the year previous, it only produced this year, 3½ bushels more than the plot continuously unmanured. The contrast between the wheat on this plot and the next one might well interest a practical farmer. There was over 15 bushels per acre more wheat on the one plot than on the other, and 1,581 lbs. more straw. Passing to the next plot, he exclaimed “this is better, but not so good as some that we have passed.” --“It has had a heavy dressing of rape-cake,” said I, “equal to about 100 lbs. of ammonia per acre, and the next plot was manured this year in the same way. The only difference being that one had superphosphate and potash, soda, and magnesia, the year before, while the other had superphosphate alone.” It turned out, as you see from the table, that the potash, etc., only gave half a bushel more wheat per acre the year it was used, and this year, with 2,000 lbs. of rape-cake on each plot, there is only a bushel per acre in favor of the potash, soda, and magnesia. The next plot, 9_b_, was also unmanured and was passed by my father without comment. “Ah,” said he, on coming to the two next plots, 10_a_ and 10_b_, “this is better, what have you here?” --“_Nothing but ammonia_,” said I, “and I wish you would tell me which is the best of the two? Last year 10_b_ had a heavy dressing of minerals and superphosphate with ammonia, and 10_a_ the same quantity of ammonia alone, without superphosphate or other mineral manures. And this year both plots have had a dressing of 400 lbs. each of ammonia-salts. Now, which is the best--the plot that had superphosphate and minerals last year, or the one without?” --“Well,” said he, “I can’t see any difference. Both are good crops.” You will see from the table, that the plot which had the superphosphate, potash, etc., the year before, gives a peck _less_ wheat this year than the other plot which had none. Practically, the yield is the same. There is an increase of 13 bushels of wheat per acre--and this increase _is clearly due to the ammonia-salts alone_. The next plot was also a splendid crop. “What have you here?” “Superphosphate and ammonia.” This plot (11_a_), turned out 35 bushels per acre. The next plot, with phosphates and ammonia, was nearly as good. The next plot, with potash, phosphates, and ammonia, equally good, but no better than 11_a_. There was little or no benefit from the potash, except a little more _straw_. The next plot was good and I did not wait for the question, but simply said, “ammonia,” and the next “ammonia,” and the next “ammonia.” --Standing still and looking at the wheat, my father asked, “Joe, where can I get this ammonia?” He had previously been a little skeptical as to the value of chemistry, and had not a high opinion of “book farmers,” but that wheat-crop compelled him to admit “that perhaps, after all, there might be some good in it.” At any rate, he wanted to know where he could get ammonia. And, now, as then, every good farmer asks the same question: “Where can I get ammonia?” Before we attempt to answer the question, let us look at the next year’s experiments.--The following is the results of the experiments the _seventh_ year, 1849-50. Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year, on the Same Land. Table VII.--Manures and Produce; 7th Season, 1849-50. After the Harvest of 1849 the Field Was Tile-Drained in Every Alternate Furrow, 2 to 3 Feet Deep. Manures and Seed (Red Cluster), Sown Autumn, 1849. Manures FM Farm-yard Manure. P-A Pearl-ash. S-A Soda-ash. SMg Sulphate of Magnesia. 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. ----+----------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Manures per Acre. | P +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----------------+-----+-----+----+ l | | | | | Superphosphate | | | | o | | | | | of Lime. | | | | t | | | | +-----+-----+-----+ | | | s | FM | P-A | S-A | SMg | B-A | SAc | MAc | SAm | MAm | RC | ----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+ |Tons.|lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs. |lbs.| 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 600 | 450 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 600 | 400 | 200 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | 5a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 250 | 250 | .. | 5b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 250 | 250 | .. | 6a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 6b | .. | *00 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 7a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | 500| 7b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | 500| | | | | | | | | | | | 8a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 8b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 9a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 9b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 10a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 10b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | 11a | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 11b | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 12a | .. | 300 | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 12b | .. | 300 | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 13a | .. | 300 | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 13b | .. | 300 | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 14a | .. | 300 | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 14b | .. | 300 | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | 15a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | .. | 15b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | 500| | | | | | | | | | | | 16a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 16b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 17a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 17b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 18a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 18b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | 500| 20 |Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 21} | | | | | | | | | | | 22} |Mixture of the residue of most of the 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. | | | 19 1½ |60.8 | 42 |1220|2037|3257| 218| 318 | 536|3.5 |59.9| 0 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 28 2 |61.9 | 98 |1861|3245|5106| 859|1526 | 2385|5.4 |57.3| 2 15 3¼ |60.6 | 44 |1002|1719|2721| .. | .. | .. |4.5 |58.2| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 27 3 |61.2 | 87 |1785|3312|5097| 783|1593 | 2376|5.1 |53.9| 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 29 3½ |60.4 |171 |1974|4504|6478| 972|2785 | 3757|9.5 |43.8| 5a 30 3 |60.4 |160 |2018|4379|6397| 1016|2660 | 3676|8.6 |46.1| 5b 30 0½ |61.1 |119 |1960|3927|5887| 958|2208 | 3166|6.3 |49.9| 6a 29 3½ |61.3 |148 |1980|3959|5939| 978|2240 | 3218|8.0 |50.0| 6b 32 1 |61.0 |167 |2134|4485|6619| 1132|2766 | 3898|8.4 |47.9| 7a 32 0¼ |61.2 |150 |2112|4280|6392| 1110|2561 | 3671|7.6 |49.4| 7b | | | | | | | | | | | 28 3 |61.1 |101 |1856|3407|5263| 854|1688 | 2542|5.5 |54.5| 8a 30 1 |61.0 |103 |1948|3591|5539| 946|1872 | 2818|5.6 |54.2| 8b 30 1½ |60.4 |118 |1951|3550|5501| 949|1831 | 2780|6.3 |55.0| 9a 27 2¾ |60.8 | 80 |1762|3165|4927| 760|1446 | 2206|4.7 |55.7| 9b 26 3¾ |60.2 |100 |1721|3089|4810| 719|1370 | 2089|6.1 |55.7| 10a 17 3¾ |61.1 | 76 |1171|1949|3120| 169| 230 | 399|6.8 |60.1| 10b | | | | | | | | | | | 30 3¼ |61.0 |121 |2001|3806|5807| 999|2087 | 3086|6.4 |52.6| 11a 29 1½ |61.1 |145 |1940|3741|5681| 938|2022 | 2960|8.0 |51.9| 11b 29 3¾ |61.5 | 94 |1935|3921|5856| 933|2202 | 3135|5.1 |49.4| 12a 30 3¾ |61.4 |115 |2013|3905|5918| 1011|2186 | 3197|5.9 |51.5| 12b 31 3¾ |60.2 |105 |2027|4026|6053| 1025|2307 | 3332|5.4 |50.3| 13a 30 1½ |61.0 |111 |1964|4008|5972| 962|2289 | 3251|6.0 |49.0| 13b 31 1¾ |61.1 |102 |2023|4052|6075| 1021|2333 | 3354|5.3 |49.9| 14a 31 1½ |61.5 | 65 |1995|4015|6010| 993|2296 | 3289|3.2 |49.7| 14b | | | | | | | | | | | 26 0¼ |61.5 | 90 |1693|3321|5014| 691|1602 | 2293|5.7 |51.0| 15a 30 3½ |61.0 | 59 |1942|3926|5868| 940|2207 | 3147|3.0 |49.5| 15b | | | | | | | | | | | 33 2½ |60.3 |108 |2134|5103|7237| 1132|3384 | 4516|5.3 |41.8| 16a 33 3 |60.4 |122 |2159|4615|6774| 1157|2896 | 4053|6.0 |46.8| 16b 31 1 |61.2 | 73 |1985|4126|6111| 983|2407 | 3390|3.8 |48.1| 17a 29 2½ |61.5 |139 |1961|4034|5995| 959|2315 | 3274|7.7 |48.6| 17b 29 3¼ |61.2 |110 |1934|3927|5861| 932|2208 | 3140|6.1 |49.3| 18a 28 2½ |60.9 |103 |1845|3844|5689| 843|2125 | 2968|5.7 |48.0| 18b | | | | | | | | | | | 29 0 |60.8 | 88 |1850|3527|5377| 848|1808 | 2656|4.9 |52.4| 19 14 0 |59.1 | 40 | 868|1639|2507| -134| -80 | -214|4.5 |53.0| 20 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |}21 | | | | | | | | | | |}22 --------+---- +----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---- The summer of 1850 was unusually cool and unfavorable for wheat. It will be seen that on all the plots the yield of grain is considerably lower than last year, with a greater growth of straw. You will notice that 10_b_, which last year gave, with ammonia-salts alone, 32¼ bushels, this year, with superphosphate, potash, soda, and sulphate of magnesia, gives less than 18 bushels, while the adjoining plot, dressed with ammonia, gives nearly 27 bushels. In other words, the ammonia alone gives 9 bushels per acre more than this large dressing of superphosphate, potash, etc. On the three plots, 8_a_, 8_b_ and 9_a_, a dressing of ammonia-salts alone gives in _each case_, a larger yield, both of grain and straw, than the 14 tons of barn-yard manure on plot 2. And recollect that this plot has now received 98 tons of manure in seven years. “That,” said the Doctor, “is certainly a very remarkable fact.” “It is so,” said the Deacon. “But what of it?” asked the Squire, “even the Professor, here, does not advise the use of ammonia-salts for wheat.” “That is so,” said I, “but perhaps I am mistaken. Such facts as those just given, though I have been acquainted with them for many years, sometimes incline me to doubt the soundness of my conclusions. Still, on the whole, I think I am right.” “We all know,” said the Deacon, “that you have great respect for your own opinions.” “Never mind all that,” said the Doctor, “but tell us just what you think on this subject.” “In brief,” said I, “my opinion is this. We need ammonia for wheat. But though ammonia-salts and nitrate of soda can often be used with decided profit, yet I feel sure that we can get ammonia or nitrogen at a less cost per lb. by buying bran, malt-roots, cotton-seed cake, and other foods, and using them for the double purpose of feeding stock and making manure.” “I admit that such is the case,” said the Doctor, “but here is a plot of land that has now had 14 tons of manure every year for seven years, and yet there is a plot along side, dressed with ammonia-salts furnishing less than half the ammonia contained in the 14 tons of manure, that produces a better yield of wheat.” “That,” said I, “is simply because the nitrogen in the manure is not in an available condition. And the practical question is, how to make the nitrogen in our manure more immediately available. It is one of the most important questions which agricultural science is called upon to answer. Until we get more light, I feel sure in saying that one of the best methods is, to feed our animals on richer and more easily digested food.” The following table gives the results of the _eighth_ season of 1850-51. Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year, on the Same Land. Table VIII.--Manures and Produce; 8th Season, 1850-51. Manures and Seed (Red Cluster), Sown Autumn, 1850. Manures FM Farm-yard Manure. WSC Cut Wheat-straw and Chaff. CS Common Salt. SP Sulphate of Potass. S-A Soda-ash. SMg Sulphate of Magnesia. 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. ----+---------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Manures per Acre. | P +-----+----+------+----+----+----+---------------+----+----+----+ l | | | | | | | Superphosphate| | | | o | | | | | | | of Lime. | | | | t | | | | | | +----+----+-----+ | | | s | FM |WSC | CS | SP |S-A |SMg |B-A |SAc | MAc |SAm |MAm | RC | ----+-----+----+------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+ |Tons.|lbs.| lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|lbs.| 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |600 |450 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |600 |400 |200 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |Unmanured.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 | .. | 200 |400 | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5a | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |300 |300 | .. | 5b | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |300 |300 | .. | 6a | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 6b | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 7a | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 |1000| 7b | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 |1000| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8a | .. |5000| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 8b | .. | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. |100 |100 | .. | 9a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |200 | .. | 9b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |200 | .. | 10a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |200 | .. | 10b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |200 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 11b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 12a | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 | .. |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 12b | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 | .. |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 13a | .. | .. | .. |300 | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 13b | .. | .. | .. |300 | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 14a | .. | .. | .. |200 | .. |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 14b | .. | .. | .. |200 | .. |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15a | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 |100 |200 | .. | 200 |400 | .. | .. | 15b | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 |100 |200 | .. | 200 |400 | .. |500 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16a | .. | .. |336[1]|200 |100 |100 |200 |150 | .. |300 |300 | .. | 16b | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 |100 |200 |150 | .. |300 |300 | .. | 17a | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 17b | .. | .. | .. |200 |100 |100 |200 |150 | .. |200 |200 | .. | 18a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |200 | .. | 18b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |200 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 | .. | 200 |300 | .. |500 | 20} | {| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 21} |Unmanured{| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 22} | {| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | ----+----------+------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+ [Note 1: Top-dressed in March, 1851.] 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. S&C Straw and Chaff. TP Total Produce. OCD Offal Corn to 100 Dressed. C100 Corn to 100 Straw. ----------------------------------+-------------------+----+----+--- | Increase per | | | Produce per Acre, etc. | 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