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

afraid to expend much money for labor. They are wise in this, unless all the conditions are favorable. But when they have land in a high state of cultivation--drained, clean, mellow, and rich--it would usually pay them well to grow crops which require the most labor. And it should never be forgotten that, as compared with nearly all other countries, our labor is expensive. No matter how cheap our land may be, we can not afford to waste our labor. It is too costly. If men would work for nothing, and board themselves, there are localities where we could perhaps afford to keep sheep that shear two pounds of wool a year; or cows that make 75 lbs. of butter. We might make a profit out of a wheat crop of 8 bushels per acre, or a corn-crop of 15 bushels, or a potato-crop of 50 bushels. But it cannot be done with labor costing from $1.00 to $1.25 per day. And I do not believe labor will cost much less in our time. The only thing we can do is to employ it to the best advantage. Machinery will help us to some extent, but I can see no real escape from our difficulties in this matter, except to raise larger crops per acre. In ordinary farming, “larger crops per acre” means fewer acres planted or sown with grain. It means more summer fallow, more grass, clover, peas, mustard, coleseed, roots, and other crops that are consumed on the farm. It means more thorough cultivation. It means clean and rich land. It means husbanding the ammonia and nitric acid, which is brought to the soil, as well as that which is developed from the soil, or which the soil attracts from the atmosphere, and using it to grow a crop every second, third, or fourth year, instead of every year. If a piece of land will grow 25 bushels of corn every year, we should aim to so manage it, that it will grow 50 every other year, or 75 every third year, or, if the _climate_ is capable of doing it, of raising 100 bushels per acre every fourth year. Theoretically this can be done, and in one of Mr. Lawes’ experiments he did it practically in the case of a summer-fallow for wheat, the one crop in two years giving a little more than two crops sown in succession. But on sandy land we should probably lose a portion of the liberated plant-food, unless we grew a crop of some kind every year. And the matter organized in the renovating crop could not be rendered completely available for the next crop. _In the end_, however, we ought to be able to get it with little or no loss. How best to accomplish this result, is one of the most interesting and important fields for scientific investigation and practical experiment. We know enough, however, to be sure that there is a great advantage in waiting until there is a sufficient accumulation of available plant-food in the soil to produce a large yield, before sowing a crop that requires much labor. If we do not want to wait, we must apply manure. If we have no barn-yard or stable-manure, we must buy artificials. HOW AND WHEN MANURE SHOULD BE APPLIED. This is not a merely theoretical or chemical question. We must take into consideration the _cost_ of application. Also, whether we apply it at a busy or a leisure season. I have seen it recommended, for instance, to spread manure on meadow-land immediately after the hay-crop was removed. Now, I think this may be theoretically very good advice. But, on my farm, it would throw the work right into the midst of wheat and barley harvests; and I should make the theory bend a little to my convenience. The meadows would have to wait until we had got in the crops--or until harvest operations were stopped by rain. I mention this merely to show the complex character of this question. On my own farm, the most leisure season of the year, except the winter, is immediately after wheat harvest. And, as already stated, it is at this time that John Johnston draws out his manure and spreads it on grass-land intended to be plowed up the following spring for corn. If the manure was free from weed-seeds, many of our best farmers, if they had some well-rotted manure like this of John Johnston’s, would draw it out and spread it on their fields prepared for winter-wheat. In this case, I should draw out the manure in heaps and then spread it carefully. Then harrow it, and if the harrow pulls the manure into heaps, spread them and harrow again. It is of the greatest importance to spread manure evenly and mix it thoroughly with the soil. If this work is well done, and the manure is well-rotted, it will 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 roots can only take up the manure when in solution.” “It must also be remembered,” said I, “that a light rain of, say, only half an inch, pours down on to the manures spread on an acre of land about 14,000 gallons of water, or about 56 tons. If you have put on 8 tons of manure, half an inch of rain would furnish a gallon of water to each pound of manure. It is not difficult to understand, therefore, how manure applied on the surface, or near the surface, can be taken up by the young roots.” “That puts the matter in a new light to me,” said the Deacon. “If the manure was plowed under, five or six inches deep, it would require an abundant rain to reach the manure. And it is not one year in five that we get rain enough to thoroughly soak the soil for several weeks after sowing the wheat in August or September. And when it does come, the season is so far advanced that the wheat plants make little growth.” My own opinion is, that on clayey land, manure will act much quicker if applied on, or near the surface, than if plowed under. Clay mixed with manure arrests or checks decomposition. Sand has no such effect. If anything, it favors a more active decomposition, and hence, manure acts much more rapidly on sandy land than on clay land. And I think, as a rule, where a farmer advocates the application of manure on the surface, it will be found that he occupies clay land or a heavy loam; while those who oppose the practice, and think manure should be plowed under, occupy sandy land or sandy loam. “J. J. Thomas,” said I, “once gave me a new idea.” “Is that anything strange,” remarked the Deacon. “Are ideas so scarce among you agricultural writers, that you can recollect who first suggested them?” “Be that as it may,” said I, “this idea has had a decided influence on my farm practice. I will not say that the idea originated with Mr. Thomas, but at any rate, it was new to me. I had always been in the habit, when spading in manure in the garden, of putting the manure in the trench and covering it up; and in plowing it in, I thought it was desirable to put it at the bottom of the furrow where the next furrow would cover it up.” “Well,” said the Deacon, “and what objection is there to the practice?” “I am not objecting to the practice. I do not say that it is not a good plan. It may often be the only practicable method of applying manure. But it is well to know that there is _sometimes_ a better plan. The idea that Mr. Thomas gave me, was, that it was very desirable to break up the manure fine, spread it evenly, and thoroughly mix it with the soil. “After the manure is spread on the soil,” said Mr. Thomas, “and before plowing it in, great benefit is derived by thoroughly harrowing the top-soil, thus breaking finely both the manure and the soil, and mixing them well together. Another way for the perfect diffusion of the manure among the particles of earth, is, to spread the manure in autumn, so that, all the rains of this season may dissolve the soluble portions and carry them down among the particles, where they are absorbed and retained for the growing crop. “In experiments,” continues Mr. Thomas, “when the manure for corn was thus applied in 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 of sowing, and was harrowed in, has increased the crop from 7 to 10 bushels per acre--and in addition to this, by the stronger growth it has caused, as well as by the protection it has afforded to the surface, it has not unfrequently saved the crop from partial or total winter-killing. “In cases where it is necessary to apply coarse manures at once, much may be done in lessening the evils of coarseness by artificially grinding it into the soil. The instrument called the drag-roller--which is like the common roller set stiff so as not to revolve--has been used to great advantage for this purpose, by passing it over the surface in connection with the harrow. We have known this treatment to effect a thorough intermixture, and to more than double the crop obtained by common management with common manure.” TOP-DRESSING WITH MANURE. The term “top-dressing” usually refers to sowing or spreading manures on the growing crop. For instance, we top-dress pastures or meadows by spreading manure on the surface. If we sow nitrate of soda, or guano, on our winter-wheat in the spring, that would be top-dressing. We often sow gypsum on clover, and on barley, and peas, while the plants are growing in the spring, and this is top-dressing. “If the gypsum was sown broadcast on the land before sowing the seed,” said the Deacon, “would not that be top-dressing also?” Strictly speaking, I suppose that would not be top-dressing. Top-dressing in the sense in which I understand the term, is seldom adopted, except on meadows and pastures as a regular system. It is an after-thought. We have sown wheat on a poor, sandy knoll, and we draw out some manure and spread on it in the winter or early spring; or we top-dress it with hen-manure, or guano, or nitrate of soda and superphosphate. I do not say that this is better than to apply the manure at the time of sowing the wheat, but if we neglect to do so, then top-dressing is a commendable practice. Dr. Vœlcker reports the result of some experiments in top-dressing winter-wheat on the farm of the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, England. The manures were finely sifted and mixed with about ten times their weight of fine soil, and sown broadcast on the growing wheat, March 22. A fine rain occurred the following day, and washed the manure into the soil. The following is the yield per acre:-- No manure 27 bushels and 1984 lbs. of straw. 280 lbs. Peruvian guano 40 ” ” 2576 ” ” 195 ” nitrate of soda 38 ” ” 2695 ” ” 180 ” nitrate of soda, and 168 lbs. of common salt 40½ ” ” 2736 ” ” 448 lbs. Proctor’s wheat-manure 39½ ” ” 2668 ” ” 672 ” ” ” ” 44¼ ” ” 3032 ” ” 4 tons chalk-marl 27 ” ” 1872 ” ” The manures in each case cost $7.80 per acre, except the large dose of Proctor’s wheat-manure, which cost $11.70 per acre. The wheat was worth $1.26 per bushel. Leaving the value of the straw out of the question, the profit from the use of the top dressing was: With guano $8.70 per acre. ” nitrate of soda 6.00 ” nitrate of soda and common salt 9.33 ” 448 lbs. wheat-manure 7.94 ” 672 ” ” ” 10.16 The marl did no good. The nitrate of soda and common salt contained no phosphoric acid, and yet produced an excellent effect. The guano and the wheat-manure contained phosphoric acid as well as nitrogen, and the following crop of clover would be likely to get some benefit from it. John Johnston wrote in 1868, “I have used manure only as a top-dressing for the last 26 years, and I do think one load, used in that way, is worth far more than two loads plowed under on our stiff land.” CHAPTER XXXIII. MANURES ON PERMANENT MEADOWS AND PASTURES. In this country, where labor is comparatively high, and hay often commands a good price, a good, permanent meadow frequently affords as much real profit as any other portion of the farm. Now that we have good mowing-machines, tedders, rakes, and loading and unloading apparatus, the labor of hay-making is greatly lessened. The only difficulty is to keep up and increase the annual growth of good grass. Numerous experiments on top-dressing meadows are reported from year to year. The results, of course, differ considerably, being influenced by the soil and season. The profit of the practice depends very much on the price of hay. In the Eastern States, hay generally commands a higher relative price than grain, and it not unfrequently happens that we can use manure on grass to decided advantage. The celebrated experiments of Messrs. Lawes & Gilbert with “Manures on Permanent Meadow-land” were commenced in 1856, and have been continued on the same plots every year since that time. “You need not be afraid, Deacon,” said I, as the old gentleman commenced to button up his coat, “I am not going into the details of these wonderful experiments; but I am sure you will be interested in the results of the first six or seven years.” The following table explains itself: Experiments with Manures on Permanent Meadow land at Rothamsted, England. Hay/Acre 20th (1875): Hay per Acre the 20th Season, 1875. Total/Acre: Total Hay (per) Acre. ----+-------------------------------+----------------------------------+ | | Annual Produce of Hay | | | per Acre in Lbs. | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | Description and Amount of |1856|1857|1858|1859|1860|1861|1862| | Manures per Acre. | | | | | | | | ----+-------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 1 |No manure |2433|2724|3116|2558|2822|3074|3238| 2{|400 lbs. ammonia-salts = 82 | | | | | | | | {| lbs. of nitrogen |4028|3774|3982|3644|2940|3808|3854| | | | | | | | | | 3 |Superphosphate of lime | | | |2828|3176|3400|3252| 4{|400 lbs. ammonia-salts and | | | | | | | | {| superphosphate of lime | | | |4996|4788|4968|4756| 5 |Mixed mineral manures |3429|3666|4082|3416|3928|4488|4424| 6 |400 lbs. ammonia-salts and | | | | | | | | | mixed mineral manures |6363|6422|7172|6198|5624|6316|6402| 7 |800 lbs. ammonia-salts and | | | | | | | | | mixed mineral manures |7054|6940|7508|7150|5744|6710|7108| 8 |800 lbs. ammonia-salts and | | | | | | | | | mixed mineral manures, | | | | | | | | | including 200 lbs. each | | | | | | | | | silicates, soda, and lime | | | | | | |7120| | | | | | | | | | 9 |275 lbs. nitrate of soda | | |2952|3588|3948|4092|4446| 10 |550 lbs. nitrate of soda = 82 | | | | | | | | | lbs. of nitrogen | | |3564|4116|4410|4452|4086| 11 |Mixed mineral manures and 275 | | | | | | | | | lbs. nitrate of soda | | |4236|4956|4812|5514|5178| 12 |Mixed mineral manures and 550 | | | | | | | | | lbs. nitrate of soda | | |5636|6072|5586|5892|5718| 13 |14 tons farmyard-manure |4030|5328|4164|4584|5208|5052|5060| 14 |14 tons farmyard-manure and | | | | | | | | | 200 lbs. ammonia-salts |5009|6008|5320|5356|5704|5320|5556| ----+-------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ --------------------+----------------+---- Average Hay per | Hay/Acre | Acre. | 20th (1875) | ---------+----------+----+----+------+ 1st 7 Yrs| 20 Years.|1st |2nd |Total | 1856-62.| |Crop|Crop| /Acre| ---------+----------+----+----+------+---- 2824 | 2534 |2436|1491| 3927| 1 | | | | | 3719 | 2940 |2702|2016| 4718| 2 (4 yrs.)}|(17 yrs.)}| | | | 3164 }| 2492 }|2352|1722| 4074| 3 (4 yrs.)}|(17 yrs.)}| | | | 4877 }| 3612 }|4102|1610| 5712| 4 3919 | 3948 |4564|2688| 7252| 5 | | | | | 6357 | 5712 |5824|2744| 8508| 6 | | | | | 6876 | 6454 |6222|5684|10,906| 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7000 |6720|4592|11,312| 8 1858-62}|(18 yrs.)}| | | | 3805 }| 3794 }|3360|1456| 4816| 9 |(18 yrs.)}| | | | 4126 | 3962 }|3276|1470| 4746| 10 |(18 yrs.)}| | | | 4939 | 5208 }|5040|1862| 6902| 11 |(18 yrs.)}| | | | 5783 | 6384 }|7028|1974| 9002| 12 4775 | 4130 |2996|1316| 4312| 13 | | | | | 5468 | 4816 |3766|1960| 5726| 14 ---------+----------+----+----+------+---- These are all the figures I will trouble you with. The “mixed mineral manures” consisted of superphosphate of lime (composed of 150 lbs. bone-ash and 150 lbs. sulphuric acid, sp. gr. 1.7), 300 lbs. sulphate of potash, 200 lbs. sulphate of soda, and 100 lbs. sulphate of magnesia. The ammonia-salts consisted of equal parts sulphate and muriate of ammonia, containing about 25 per cent. of ammonia. The manures were sown as early as possible in the spring, and, if the weather was suitable, sometimes in February. The farmyard-manure was spread on the land, in the first year, in the spring, afterwards in November or December. The hay was cut from the middle to the last of June; and the aftermath was pastured off by sheep in October. “It is curious,” said the Deacon, “that 400 lbs. of ammonia-salts should give as great an increase in the yield of hay the first year as 14 tons of farmyard-manure, but the second year the farmyard-manure comes out decidedly ahead.” “The farmyard-manure,” said I, “was applied every year, at the rate of 14 gross tons per acre, for eight years--1856 to 1863. After 1863, this plot was left without manure of any kind. The average yield of this plot, during the first 8 years was 4,800 lbs. of hay per acre.” On the plot dressed with 14 tons of farmyard-manure and 200 lbs. ammonia-salts, the average yield of hay for 8 years was 5,544 lbs. per acre. After the eighth year the farmyard-manure was discontinued, and during the next twelve years the yield of hay averaged 3,683 lbs., or 1,149 lbs. more than the continuously unmanured plot. In 1859, superphosphate of lime was used alone on plot 3, and has been continued ever since. It seems clear that this land, which had been in pasture or meadow for a hundred years or more, was not deficient in phosphates. “It does not seem,” said the Deacon, “to have been deficient in anything. The twentieth crop, on the continuously unmanured plot was nearly 1¼ ton per acre, the first cutting, and nearly ¾-ton the second cutting. And apparently the land was just as rich in 1875, as it was in 1856, and yet over 25 tons of hay had been cut and _removed_ from the land, without any manure being returned. And yet we are told that hay is a very exhausting crop.” “Superphosphate alone,” said the Doctor, “did very little to increase the yield of hay, but superphosphate _and_ ammonia produced the first year, 1859, over a ton more hay per acre than the superphosphate alone,