Part 31 Talks on Manures - 🍇GrapeNovel.com

Part 31

"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 Cl.u.s.ter), Sown Autumn, 1850.

Manures FM Farm-yard Manure.

WSC Cut Wheat-straw and Chaff.

CS Common Salt.

SP Sulphate of Pota.s.s.

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

of Lime.

+----+----+-----+

WSC

S-A

SMg

B-A

SAc

MAc

SAm

MAm

----+-----+----+------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+

Tons.

lbs.

600

450

600

400

200

Unmanured.

200

400

300

200

100

200

150

300

200

100

200

150

300

200

100

200

150

200

300

200

100

200

150

200

300

200

100

200

150

200

1000

300

200

100

200

150

200

1000

5000

300

200

100

200

150

100

200

10a

200

10b

200

11a

200

150

200

11b

200

150

200

12a

200

100

200

150

200

12b

200

100

200

150

200

13a

300

200

150

200

13b

300

200

150

200

14a

200

100

200

150

200

14b

200

100

200

150

200

15a

200

100

200

400

15b

200

100

200

400

500

16a

336[1]

200

100

200

150

300

16b

200

100

200

150

300

17a

200

100

200

150

200

17b

200

100

200

150

200

18a

200

18b

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 --------+-----+

t Qty.

Wt/Bu

S&C

C&S

S&C

OCD

C100

s --------+-----+----+----+----+----+------+-----+------+----+----+--- Bu. Pks.

lbs.

18 3

61.9

125

1296

1862

3158

213

235

448

10.7

69.6

0 18 1

61.7

124

1251

1845

3096

168

218

386

11.0

67.8

1 29 2

63.6

166

2049

3094

5143

966

1467

2433

8.8

66.2

2 15 3

61.1

114

1083

1627

2710

11.8

66.6

28 0

62.6

159

1919

2949

4868

836

1322

2158

9.0

65.1

36 0

63.3

194

2473

4131

6604

1390

2504

3894

8.6

59.9

5a 37 3

63.3

213

2611

4294

6905

1528

2667

4195

8.9

60.8

5b 33 1

63.3

154

2271

3624

5895

1188

1997

3185

7.2

62.6

6a 31 0

62.3

189

2119

3507

5626

1036

1880

2916

9.8

60.4

6b 36 3

63.0

201

2524

4587

7111

1441

2960

4401

8.7

55.0

7a 37 1

63.0

178

2532

4302

6834

1449

2675

4124

7.6

58.8

26 0

62.8

141

1785

2769

4554

702

1142

1844

8.6

64.5

8a 27 2

62.6

137

1863

2830

4693

780

1203

1983

7.9

65.8

8b 31 1

62.4

182

2142

3252

5394

1059

1625

2684

9.3

65.9

9a 29 0

62.0

170

1970

2942

4912

887

1315

2202

9.5

67.0

9b 28 3

61.9

179

1966

3070

5036

883

1443

2326

10.0

64.0

10a 28 2

62.5

149

1937

3048

4985

854

1421

2275

8.3

63.5

10b

32 2

62.3

181

2216

3386

5602

1133

1759

2892

8.9

65.4

11a 31 2

62.5

181

2163

3302

5465

1080

1675

2755

9.1

65.5

11b 32 3

63.1

165

2234

3600

5834

1151

1973

3124

8.0

62.0

12a 32 2

62.5

166

2203

3581

5784

1120

1954

3074

8.2

61.5

12b 30 2

62.6

180

2102

3544

5646

1019

1917

2936

9.4

59.3

13a 30 3

62.3

160

2083

3440

5523

1000

1813

2813

8.3

60.5

13b 31 0

62.9

168

2120

3605

5725

1037

1978

3015

8.6

58.8

14a 31 0

62.8

165

2121

3537

5658

1038

1910

2948

8.4

59.9

14b

27 0

62.7

138

1839

3041

4880

756

1414

2170

8.1

60.5

15a 30 2

62.9

148

2077

3432

5509

994

1805

2799

7.6

60.5

15b

36 3

63.5

161

2499

4234

6733

1416

2607

4023

6.9

59.0

16a 36 2

63.4

176

2501

4332

6833

1418

2705

4123

7.6

57.7

16b 31 3

63.3

131

2149

3597

5746

1066

1970

3036

6.5

59.7

17a 30 2

63.1

152

2079

3406

5485

996

1779

2775

7.9

61.0

17b 30 3

63.0

139

2083

3390

5473

1000

1763

2763

7.2

64.1

18a 31 0

62.4

143

2090

3586

5676

1007

1959

2966

7.3

58.3

18b

30 1

62.4

144

2031

3348

5379

948

1721

2669

7.7

60.7

19 14 1

60.8

956

1609

2565

-127

-18

-145

10.2

59.4

21} 17 3

61.9

127

1232

1763

2995

149

136

285

11.5

69.9

22} --------+-----+----+----+----+----+------+-----+------+----+----+---

The plot continuously unmanured, gives about 16 bushels of wheat per acre.

The plot with barn-yard manure, nearly 30 bushels per acre.

400 lbs. of ammonia-salts _alone_, on plot 9_a_, 31 bushels; on 9_b_, 29 bushels; on 10_a_ and 10_b_, nearly 29 bushels each. This is remarkable uniformity.

400 lbs. ammonia-salts and a large quant.i.ty of mineral manures in addition, on _twelve_ different plots, average not quite 32 bushels per acre.

"The superphosphate and minerals," said the Deacon, "do not seem to do much good, that is a fact."

You will notice that 336 lbs. of common salt was sown on plot 16_a_. It does not seem to have done the slightest good. Where the salt was used, there is 2 lbs. less grain and 98 lbs. less straw than on the adjoining plot 16_b_, where no salt was used, but otherwise manured alike. It would seem, however, that the quality of the grain was slightly improved by the salt. The salt was sown in March as a top-dressing.

"It would have been better," said the Deacon. "to have sown it in autumn with the other manures."

"The Deacon is right," said I, "but it so happens 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 following year the same quant.i.ty of salt used on the same plot did more harm than good."

Before we leave the results of this year, it should be observed that on 8_a_, 5,000 lbs. of cut straw and chaff were used per acre. I do not recollect seeing anything in regard to it. And yet the result was very remarkable--so much so indeed, that it is a matter of regret that the experiment was not repeated.

This 5,000 lbs. of straw and chaff gave an increase of more than 10 bushels per acre over the continuously unmanured plot.

"Good," said the Deacon, "I have always told you that you under-estimated the value of straw, especially in regard to its _mechanical_ action."

I did not reply to this remark of the good Deacon. I have never doubted the good effects of anything that lightens up a clay soil and renders it warmer and more porous. I suppose the great benefit derived from this application of straw must be attributed to its ameliorating action on the soil. The 5,000 lbs. of straw and chaff produced a crop within nearly 3 bushels per acre of the plot manured every year with 14 tons of barn-yard manure.

"I am surprised," said the Doctor, "that salt did no good. I have seen many instances in which it has had a wonderful effect on wheat."

"Yes," said I, "and our experienced friend, John Johnston, is very decidedly of the opinion that its use is highly profitable. He sows a barrel of salt per acre broadcast on the land at the time he sows his wheat, and I have myself seen it produce a decided improvement in the crop."

We have now given the results of the first _eight_ years of the experiments. From this time forward, the _same manures_ were used year after year on the same plot.

The results are given in the accompanying tables for the following twelve years--harvests for 1852-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62 and 1863.

Such another set of experiments are not to be found in the world, and they deserve and will receive the careful study of every intelligent American farmer.

"I am with you there," said the Deacon. "You seem to think that I do not appreciate the labors of scientific men. I do. Such experiments as these we are examining command the respect of every intelligent farmer. I may not fully understand them, but I can see clearly enough that they are of great value."

Experiments at Rothamsted on the Growth of Wheat, Year After Year, on the Same Land.

Table IX.--Manures per Acre per Annum (with the exceptions explained in the Notes on p. 203), for 12 Years in succession--namely, for the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Seasons: that is, for the crops of Harvests 1852- 53- 54- 55- 56- 57- 58- 59- 60- 61- 62 and 1863.*

Manures FM Farm-yard Manure.

CS Common Salt.

SP Sulphate of Pota.s.s.[1]

SS Sulphate of Soda.[1]

SMg Sulphate of Magnesia.[1]

B-A Bone-ash.

SAc Sulphuric Acid. (Sp. gr. 1.7) MAc Muriatic Acid.

SAm Sulphate of Ammonia.

MAm Muriate of Ammonia.

NS Nitrate of Soda.

RC Rape-cake.

--------+--------------------------------------------------------------+

Manures per Acre per Annum for 12 Years, 1851-2 to

1862-3 inclusive, except in the cases explained in the

Notes on p. 203.

P +-----+-----+----+----+----+----+---------------+----+----+----+ l

Superphosphate

of Lime.

+----+----+-----+

SMg

B-A

SAc

MAc

SAm

MAm

--------+-----+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+

Tons.

lbs.

600

450

600

400

200

Unmanured

300

200

100

200

150

300

200

100

200

150

300

200

100

200

150

100

300

200

100

200

150

100

300

200

100

200

150

200

300

200

100

200

150

200

300

200

100

200

150

300

200

100

200

150

300

[2] 9a

300

200

100

200

150

550

[3] 9b

550

10a

200

10b

200

11a

200

150

200

11b

200

150

200

12a

550

200

150

200

12b

550

200

150

200

13a

300

200

150

200

13b

300

200

150

200

14a

420

200

150

200

14b

420

200

150

200

15a

300

200

100

200

400

15b

300

200

100

200

300

500

16a

336[4]

300

200

100

200

150

400

16b

300

200

100

200

150

400

[5]{17a

200

{17b

200

[5]{18a

300

200

100

200

150

{18b

300

200

100

200

150

200

300

500

Unmanured

300

200

100

300

200

100

--------+-----+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+----+

* For the particulars of the produce of each separate season, see Tables X.-XXI. inclusive.

[Note 1: For the _16th and succeeding seasons_--the sulphate of pota.s.s was reduced from 600 to 400 lbs. per acre per annum on Plot 1, and from 300 to 200 lbs. on all the other Plots where it was used; the sulphate of soda from 400 to 200 lbs. on Plot 1, to 100 lbs. on all the Plots on which 200 lbs. had previously been applied, and from 550 to 336 lbs. (two-thirds the amount) on Plots 12_a_ and 12_b_; and the sulphate of magnesia from 420 to 280 lbs. (two-thirds the amount) on Plots 14_a_ and 14_b_.]

[Note 2: _Plot 9a_--the sulphates of pota.s.s, soda, and magnesia, and the superphosphate of lime, were applied in the 12th and succeeding seasons, but not in the 9th, 10th, and 11th; and the amount of nitrate of soda was for the 9th season only 475 lbs. per acre, and for the 10th and 11th seasons only 275 lbs.]

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