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.

----------------------------------+---------------+-----+----+---- | Increase per | | | Produce per Acre, etc. |Acre by Manure.| | | P --------------+----+----+----+----+---------------+ | | l Dressed corn. | | | | | | | | | | o --------+-----+ | | | | | | TP | | | t Qty.[5] |Wt/Bu| OC | TC | S&C| TP | C | S&C | C&S| OCD |C100| s --------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+---- Bu. Pks.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.| lbs| lbs.|lbs.| | | 32 0 |56.5 |159 |1967|3977|5944| 526| 1265|1791|10.9 |49.5| 0 26 1¼ |54.8 |248 |1689|3699|5388| 248| 987|1235|17.3 |45.7| 1 32 0 |56.8 |151 |1967|3915|5882| 526| 1203|1729| 8.9 |50.2| 2 23 0¾ |56.5 |131 |1441|2712|4153| .. | .. | .. | 8.7 |53.1| 3 29 2½ |58.0 |161 |1879|3663|5542| 438| 951|1389| 9.4 |51.3| 4 22 2¼ |57.5 |134 |1431|2684|4115| -10| -28| -38|10.1 |53.3|1}5 26 3¾ |57.3 |190 |1732|3599|5331| 291| 887|1178|14.2 |48.1|2} 28 2¾ |57.8 |214 |1871|3644|5515| 430| 932|1362|14.1 |57.3| 6 26 2¾ |57.0 |161 |1682|3243|4925| 241| 531| 772|11.3 |51.9| 7 27 0½ |56.3 |164 |1716|3663|5379| 275| 951|1226|14.0 |46.9| 8 33 1½ |58.3 |187 |2131|4058|6189| 690| 1346|2036|10.2 |52.5| 9 31 3¼ |56.3 |191 |1980|4266|6216| 539| 1554|2093|12.3 |46.4| 10 30 3 |56.0 |158 |1880|4101|5981| 439| 1392|1831|11.3 |45.8| 11 28 2¼ |55.8 |264 |1842|4134|5976| 401| 1422|1823|17.8 |44.5| 12 25 0 |56.3 |152 |1558|3355|4913| 117| 643| 760|12.0 |46.4| 13 27 1 |57.5 |176 |1743|3696|5439| 302| 981|1286|16.2 |47.1| 14 32 3¾ |57.3 |209 |2103|4044|6147| 662| 1332|1994|11.8 |52.0| 15 32 2¼ |56.3 |182 |2028|4191|6219| 587| 1479|2066|11.1 |48.4| 16 32 0¾ |55.8 |299 |2093|3826|5919| 652| 1114|1766|15.2 |54.7| 17 33 1¼ |56.5 |180 |2948|3819|3867| 607| 1107|1714|11.2 |53.6| 18 34 3 |57.0 |133 |2114|4215|6329| 673| 1503|2176| 9.1 |50.2| 19 24 2¾ |56.0 |113 |1495|3104|4599| 54| 392| 446| 9.7 |48.2| 20 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 21 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 22 --------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----

[Note 1: 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; it was ground to powder under edge-stones.]

[Note 2: The manures termed superphosphate of lime and phosphate of potass, were made by acting upon bone-ash by means of sulphuric acid, and in the case of the potass salt neutralizing the compound thus obtained, by means of pearl-ash. 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 phosphate of potass, 4 parts bone ash, water as needed, 3 parts sulphuric acid of sp. gr. 1.84; and an equivalent amount of pearl-ash. The mixtures, of course, lost weight considerably by the evolution of water and carbonic acid.]

[Note 3: The medicinal carbonate of ammonia; it was dissolved in water and top-dressed.]

[Note 4: Plot 5, was 2 lands wide (in after years, respectively, 5_a_ and 5_b_); 5.1 consisting of 2 alternate one-fourth lengths across both lands, and 5.2 of the 2 remaining one-fourth lengths.]

[Note 5: Top-dressed at once.]

[Note 6: Top-dressed at 4 intervals.]

[Note 7: Peruvian.]

[Note 8: Ichaboe.]

The season of 1845 was more favorable for wheat, than that of 1844, and the crops on all the plots were better. On plot No. 3, which had no manure last year, or this, the yield is 23 bushels per acre, against 15 bushels last year.

Last year, the 14 tons of barn-yard manure gave an _increase_ of only 5¼ bushels per acre. This year it gives an increase of nearly 9 bushels per acre.

“Do you mean,” said the Deacon, “that this plot, No. 2, had 14 tons of manure in 1844, and 14 tons of 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 are still continued from year to year at Rothamsted.”

“It is poor farming,” said the Deacon, “and I should think the land would get too rich to grow wheat.”

“It is not so,” said I, “and the fact is an interesting one, and teaches a most important lesson, of which, more hereafter.”

Plot 5, last year, received 700 lbs. of superphosphate per acre. This year, this plot was divided; one half was left without manure, and the other dressed with 252 lbs. of pure carbonate of ammonia per acre. The half without manure, (5a), did not produce quite as much grain and straw as the plot which had received no manure for two years in succession. But the wheat was of better quality, weighing 1 lb. more per bushel than the other. Still it is sufficiently evident that superphosphate of lime did no good so far as increasing the growth was concerned, either the first year it was applied, or the year following.

The carbonate of ammonia was dissolved in water and sprinkled over the growing wheat at three different times during the spring. You see this manure, which contains no _mineral_ matter at all, gives an increase of nearly 4 bushels of grain per acre, and an increase of 887 lbs. of straw.

“Wait a moment,” said the Deacon, “is not 887 lbs. of straw to 4 bushels of grain an unusually large proportion of straw to grain? I have heard you say that 100 lbs. of straw to each bushel of wheat is about the average. And according to this experiment, the carbonate of ammonia produced over 200 lbs. of straw to a bushel of grain. How do you account for this.”

“It is a general rule,” said I, “that the heavier the crop, the greater is the proportion of straw to grain. On the no-manure plot, we have, this year, 118 lbs. of straw to a bushel of dressed grain. Taking this as the standard, you will find that the _increase_ from manures is proportionally greater in straw than in grain. Thus in the increase of barn-yard manure, this year, we have about 133 lbs. of straw to a bushel of grain. I do not believe there is any manure that will give us a large crop of grain without a still larger crop of straw. There is considerable difference, in this respect, between different varieties of wheat. Still, I like to see a good growth of straw.”

“It is curious,” said the Doctor, “that 3 cwt. of ammonia-salts alone on plots 9 and 10 should produce as much wheat as was obtained from plot 2, where 14 tons of barn-yard manure had been applied two years in succession. I notice that on one plot, the ammonia-salts were applied at once, in the spring, while on the other plot they were sown at four different times--and that the former gave the best results.”

The only conclusion to be drawn from this, is, that it is desirable to apply the manure _early_ in the spring--or better still, in the autumn.

“You are a great advocate of Peruvian guano,” said the Deacon, “and yet 3 cwt. of Peruvian guano on Plot 13, only produced an increase of two bushels and 643 lbs. of straw per acre. The guano at $60 per ton, would cost $9.00 per acre. This will not pay.”

This is an unusually small increase. The reason, probably, is to be found in the fact that the manure and seed were not sown until March, instead of in the autumn. The salts of ammonia are quite soluble and act quickly; while the Peruvian guano has to decompose in the soil, and consequently needs to be applied earlier, especially on clay land.

“I do not want you,” said the Deacon, “to dodge the question why an application of 14 tons of farmyard-manure per acre, every year for over thirty years, does not make the land too rich for wheat.”

“Possibly,” said I, “on light, sandy soil, such an annual dressing of manure _would_ in the course of a few years make the land too rich for wheat. But on a clayey soil, such is evidently not the case. And the fact is a very important one. When we apply manure, our object should be to make it as available as possible. Nature preserves or conserves the food of plants. The object of agriculture is to use the food of plants for our own advantage.”

“Please be a little more definite,” said the Deacon, “for I must confess I do not quite see the significance of your remarks.”

“What he means,” said the Doctor, “is this: If you put a quantity of soluble and available manure on land, and do not sow any crop, the manure will not be wasted. The soil will retain it. It will change it from a soluble into a comparatively insoluble form. Had a crop been sown the first year, the manure would do far more good than it will the next year, and yet it may be that none of the manure is lost. It is merely locked up in the soil in such a form as will prevent it from running to waste. If it was not for this principle, our lands would have been long ago exhausted of all their available plant-food.”

“I think I understand,” said the Deacon; “but if what you say is true, it upsets many of our old notions. We have thought it desirable to plow under manure, in order to prevent the ammonia from escaping. You claim, I believe, that there is little danger of any loss from spreading manure on the surface, and I suppose you would have us conclude that we make a mistake in plowing it under, as the soil renders it insoluble.”

“It depends a good deal,” said I, “on the character of the soil. A light, sandy soil will not preserve manure like a clay soil. But it is undoubtedly true that our aim in all cases should be to apply manure in such a form and to such a crop as will give us the greatest _immediate_ benefit. Plowing under fresh manure every year for wheat is evidently not the best way to get the greatest benefit from it. But this is not the place to discuss this matter. Let us look at the result of Mr. Lawes’ experiments on wheat the third year:”

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

Table III.--Manures and Produce; 3rd Season, 1845-6. Manures and Seed (Old Red Lammas), Sown Autumn, 1845.

Manures FM Farmyard Manure. A3W Ash from 3 loads (3,888 lbs.) Wheat-straw. LWM Liebig’s Wheat-manure. PG Peruvian Guano. SPL Superphosphate of Lime. SiP Silicate of Potass.[1] P-A Pearl-ash. S-A Soda-ash. MLS Magnesian Lime-stone. 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | SPL | | | | | | | | t | | | | +-----------+ | | | | | | | s | FM | A3W |LWM|PG |SiP|P-A|S-A|MLS|B-A|SAc|MAc| SAm |MAm|RC | -----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+------+---+---+ |Tons.|lbs. |lbs|lbs|bs.|lbs|lbs|lbs|lbs|lbs|lbs|lbs. |lbs|lbs| 0 | .. | .. | ..|336| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| 1 | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| 2 | 14 | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| 3 |Unmanured. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224| ..|224| 224 | ..| ..| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5a{1| ..}| |{..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| {2| ..}|Straw|{..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224[1]| ..| ..| 5b{1| ..}| Ash |{..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..|448| {2| ..}| |{..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224[1]| ..|448| 6a | .. | .. |448| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| 6b | .. | .. |448| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| 112 |112| ..| 7a | .. | .. |448| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..|448| 7b | .. | .. |448| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| 112 |112|448| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224| ..| ..| .. | ..|448| 8b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224| ..| ..| 112 |112| ..| 9a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..|448| 9b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| 224 | ..|448| 10a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| 224 | ..| ..| 10b |Unmanured. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224|224| ..| .. | ..|448| 11b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224|224| ..| 112 |112| ..| 12a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..|180| ..|224|224| ..| .. | ..|448| 12b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..|180| ..|224|224| ..| 112 |112| ..| 13a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..|200| ..| ..|224|224| ..| .. | ..|448| 13b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..|200| ..| ..|224|224| ..| 112 |112| ..| 14a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| 84|224|224| ..| .. | ..|448| 14b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| 84|224|224| ..| 112 |112| ..| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|224| ..|224| 224 | ..|448| 15b | .. | .. | ..| ..|224| ..| ..| ..|224| ..|224| 224 | ..|448| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| 67| 60| 84|224|224| ..| .. | ..|448| 16b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| 67| 60| 84|224|224| ..| 224 | ..|448| 17a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| 67| 60| 84|224|224| ..| 112 | 11|448| 17b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| 67| 60| 84|224|224| ..| 224 | ..| ..| 18a | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| 67| 60| 84|224|224| ..| 112 | 11| ..| 18b | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| 67| 60| 84|224|224| ..| .. | ..| ..| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | .. | .. | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|112| ..|112| 112 | ..|448| 20 }| | | | | | | | 21 }| Mixture of the residue of | ..| ..| ..| .. | ..| ..| 22 }| most of the other manures. | | | | | | | -----+-----+-----+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+------+---+---+

Produce: Wt/Bu Weight per Bushel. OC Offal Corn. TC Total Corn. S&C Straw and Chaff. TP 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, etc. | Acre by Manure. | | | P --------------+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+------+ | | l Dressed Corn.| | | | | | | | | | o --------+-----+ | | | | | | | | | t Qty. |Wt/Bu| OC | TC |S&C | TP | C | S&C | TP | OCD |C100 | s --------+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+---- Bu. Pks.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs. |lbs. | lbs. | | | 28 1¾ |62.3 |134 |1906|2561|4467| 699 |1048 | 1747 | 7.3 |74.4 | 0 22 0¾ |62.6 |120 |1509|1953|3462| 302 | 440 | 742 | 8.1 |77.3 | 1 27 0¾ |63.0 |113 |1826|2454|4280| 619 | 941 | 1560 | 6.6 |74.4 | 2 17 3¾ |63.8 | 64 |1207|1513|2720| .. | .. | .. | 7.4 |79.7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 25 3¾ |63.5 |130 |1777|2390|4167| 570 | 877 | 1447 | 7.8 |74.3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 19 0½ |63.7 | 87 |1305|1541|2846| 98 | 28 | 126 | .. |84.6 |1}5a 27 0 |63.0 |126 |1827|2309|4136| 620 | 796 | 1416 | .. |79.1 |2} 23 2½ |63.4 |100 |1598|1721|3319| 391 | 208 | 599 | .. |92.8 |1}5b 30 0¾ |63.3 |165 |2076|2901|4977| 869 |1388 | 2257 | .. |71.6 |2} 20 1½ |63.7 |102 |1400|1676|3076| 193 | 163 | 356 | 7.0 |83.6 | 6a 29 0¾ |63.5 |114 |1967|2571|4538| 760 |1058 | 1818 | 5.3 |76.5 | 6b 22 3¼ |63.0 | 97 |1534|1968|3502| 327 | 405 | 732 | 6.8 |77.9 | 7a 31 3 |63.4 |150 |2163|3007|5170| 956 |1494 | 2450 | 7.5 |72.6 | 7b | | | | | | | | | | | 22 3¾ |63.5 |101 |1549|1963|3512| 342 | 450 | 792 | 7.1 |78.9 | 8a 29 0¾ |63.6 |132 |1988|2575|4563| 781 |1062 | 1843 | 7.2 |77.2 | 8b 23 2¾ |63.0 |122 |1614|2033|3647| 407 | 520 | 927 | 7.9 |79.4 | 9a 28 3½ |63.3 |114 |1942|2603|4545| 735 |1090 | 1825 | 7.0 |74.6 | 9b 27 1½ |63.6 |109 |1850|2244|4094 643 | 731 | 1374 | 6.4 |82.4 | 10a 17 2½ |63.8 | 92 |1216|1455|2671| 9 | -58 | -49 | 7.8 |83.6 | 10b | | | | | | | | | | | 23 1¾ |63.3 |145 |1628|2133|3761| 421 | 620 | 1041 | 9.8 |76.3 | 11a 30 0¼ |63.2 |155 |2055|2715|4770| 848 |1202 | 2050 | 6.1 |75.7 | 11b 24 1½ |63.0 |125 |1661|2163|3824| 454 | 650 | 1104 | 7.9 |76.8 | 12a 28 2¾ |63.4 |136 |1955|2554|4509| 748 |1041 | 1789 | 7.4 |76.5 | 12b 24 0 |63.5 |136 |1660|2327|3987| 453 | 814 | 1267 | 9.1 |71.3 | 13a 29 1¾ |63.2 |138 |1998|2755|4753| 791 |1242 | 2033 | 7.3 |72.5 | 13b 23 2½ |63.0 |117 |1605|2031|3636| 398 | 518 | 916 | 7.7 |79.0 | 14a 26 2½ |63.4 |124 |1812|2534|4356| 605 |1021 | 1626 | 7.4 |71.5 | 14b | | | | | | | | | | | 31 1¾ |62.5 |147 |2112|2936|5048| 905 |1423 | 2328 | 7.5 |71.9 | 15a 27 2¾ |63.0 |117 |1861|2513|4374| 654 |1000 | 1654 | 5.9 |74.0 | 15b | | | | | | | | | | | 23 3 |62.5 |108 |1592|2967|3659| 385 | 554 | 939 | 7.0 |77.0 | 16a 30 1 |62.7 |122 |2019|2836|4855| 812 |1323 | 2135 | 6.6 |71.2 | 16b 33 2¾ |62.8 |129 |2241|3278|5519|1034 |1765 | 2799 | 5.8 |68.3 | 17a 30 2 |63.0 |113 |2034|2784|4818| 827 |1271 | 2098 | 5.9 |73.0 | 17b 31 0 |62.8 |103 |2048|2838|4886| 841 |1325 | 2166 | 5.1 |72.2 | 18a 21 1 |62.0 |157 |1474|1893|3367| 267 | 380 | 647 | 6.6 |77.1 | 18b | | | | | | | | | | | 28 3 |62.0 |107 |1889|2425|4314| 682 | 912 | 1594 | 5.8 |77.9 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | |{20 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |{21 | | | | | | | | | | |{22 --------+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+----

[Note 1: Top-dressed in the Spring.]

This year, the seed and manures were sown in the autumn. And I want the Deacon to look at plot 0. 3 cwt. of Peruvian guano here gives an increase of 10½ bushels of wheat, and 1,948 lbs. of straw per acre. This will pay _well_, even on the wheat alone. But in addition to this, we may expect, in our ordinary rotation of crops, a far better crop of clover where the guano was used.

In regard to some of the results this year, Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert have the following concise and interesting remarks:

“At this third experimental harvest, we have on the continuously unmanured plot, namely, No. 3, not quite 18 bushels of dressed corn, as the normal produce of the season; and by its side we have on plot 10_b_--comprising one-half of the plot 10 of the previous years, and so highly manured by ammoniacal salts in 1845, but now unmanured--rather more than 17½ bushels. The near approach, again, to identity of result from the two unmanured plots, at once gives confidence in the accuracy 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 | 11 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 12 | .. | 300 | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 12 | .. | 300 | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 13 | .. | 300 | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 13 | .. | 300 | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 14 | .. | 300 | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 14 | .. | 300 | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | .. | 15 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 16 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | 500 | 17 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 17 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | .. | 18 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | 18 | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | .. | 200 | 150 | .. | 150 | 150 | .. | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | .. | 200 | 300 | .. | 500 | 20 | Unmanured.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 21}| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 22}| | | | | | | | | | | | ---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

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 0¾ |53.4 |138 |1259|2074|3333| 307 | 362 | 669|13.4| 60.7| 0 16 0¾ |59.6 |160 |1124|1735|2859| 172 | 23 | 195|16.3| 64.7| 1 23 2¾ |58.2 |210 |1705|3041|4746| 753 |1329 | 2082|13.8| 56.0| 2 14 3 |57.3 |106 | 952|1712|2664| .. | .. | .. |12.1| 55.6| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 24 0½ |58.5 |172 |1583|2713|4296| 631 |1001 | 1632|12.0| 58.3| 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 29 3½ |59.2 |144 |1911|3266|5177| 959 |1554 | 2513| 7.9| 58.5| 5a 39 3½ |59.1 |107 |1932|3533|5465| 980 |1821 | 2801| 5.8| 57.5| 5b 24 3¼ |58.8 |214 |1672|2878|4550| 720 |1166 | 1886|14.6| 58.0| 6a 26 3 |56.9 |216 |1737|2968|4705| 785 |1256 | 2041|14.0| 58.5| 6b 30 3¼ |59.4 |106 |1936|3088|5024| 984 |1376 | 2360| 5.7| 62.6| 7a 29 3¼ |59.6 |187 |1963|3413|5376|1011 |1701 | 2712|10.3| 57.5| 7b | | | | | | | | | | | 19 3 |56.2 |154 |1263|2317|3580| 311 | 605 | 916|13.6| 54.5| 8a 19 0¾ |59.4 |127 |1267|2148|3415| 315 | 436 | 751|11.1| 58.8| 8b 18 2½ |56.7 |125 |1181|1945|3126| 229 | 233 | 462|11.6| 60.7| 9a 25 0¼ |53.3 |208 |1669|2918|4587| 717 |1206 | 1923|13.9| 57.1| 9b 19 1 |58.1 |215 |1334|2367|3701| 382 | 655 | 1037|19.0| 56.3| 10a 25 0¼ |57.8 |155 |1604|2926|4530| 652 |1214 | 1866|10.6| 54.8| 10b | | | | | | | | | | | 29 1½ |59.6 |233 |1984|3274|5258|1032 |1562 | 2594|13.1| 60.6| 11a 24 3 |57.9 |207 |1641|2898|4539| 689 |1186 | 1875|14.1| 56.4| 11b 29 3 |59.3 |174 |1938|3390|5328| 986 |1678 | 2664| 9.3| 57.2| 12a 26 0¾ |59.2 |167 |1717|2880|4597| 765 |1168 | 1933|10.7| 59.6| 12b 29 1½ |57.9 |253 |1955|3290|5245|1003 |1578 | 2581|14.7| 59.4| 13a 25 3¼ |58.4 |224 |1730|3072|4802| 778 |1360 | 2138|14.6| 56.3| 13b 28 0¼ |58.8 |184 |1834|3257|5091| 882 |1545 | 2427|11.1| 56.3| 14a 25 2½ |58.5 |227 |1726|2897|4623| 774 |1185 | 1959|15.1| 59.5| 14b | | | | | | | | | | | 22 3½ |58.1 |242 |1571|2937|4508| 619 |1225 | 1844|18.1| 53.4| 15a 24 2¾ |56.9 |202 |1607|3016|4623| 655 |1304 | 1959|14.1| 53.2| 15b | | | | | | | | | | | 29 3¼ |60.0 |184 |1973|3115|5088|1021 |1403 | 2424|10.2| 63.3| 16a 30 1¾ |58.4 |171 |1948|3380|5328| 996 |1668 | 2664| 9.4| 57.6| 16b 27 2½ |59.7 |285 |1933|3296|5229| 981 |1584 | 2565|17.0| 58.6| 17a 28 3½ |59.7 |222 |1946|3324|5270| 994 |1612 | 2606|12.6| 58.5| 17b 26 3 |59.2 |150 |1734|2935|4669| 782 |1223 | 2005| 9.2| 59.0| 18a 26 2¾ |59.6 |215 |1804|3056|4860| 852 |1344 | 2196|13.3| 58.7| 18b | | | | | | | | | | | 29 1¾ |56.2 |185 |1838|3295|5133| 886 |1583 | 2469|10.4| 55.7| 19 16 0½ |58.3 |111 |1050|1721|2771| 98 | 9 | 107|11.3| 61.0| 20 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |}21 | | | | | | | | | | |}22 --------+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+----

This season was considered unfavorable for wheat. The continuously unmanured plot produced 14¾ bushels, and the plot receiving 14 tons of barn yard manure, 25¾ bushels per acre nearly.

300 lbs. of ammonia-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 to the above manures of 300 lbs. of potash, 200 lbs. soda, and 100 lbs. sulphate of magnesia, on plot 10_b_, gave precisely the same yield per acre as the ammonia and the superphosphate alone. _The potash, soda, and magnesia, therefore, did no good._

400 lbs. of ammonia-salts, with superphosphate, potash, etc., gave, on plot 17_b_, nearly 29 bushels per acre, or 3½ bushels more than the plot which has now received 70 tons of barn-yard manure in five successive years.

“I see that, on plot 0,” said the Deacon, “one ton of superphosphate was used per acre, and it gave only half a bushel per acre more than 350 lbs. on 9_a_.”

“This proves,” said I, “that an excessive dose of superphosphate will do no harm. I am not sure that 100 lbs. of a good superphosphate _drilled in with the seed_, would not have done _as much good_ as a ton per acre.”

“You say,” remarked the Deacon, “that the season was unfavorable for wheat. And yet the no-manure plot produced nearly 15 bushels of wheat per acre.”

“That is all true,” said I, “and yet the season was undoubtedly an unfavorable one. This is shown not only in the less yield, but in the inferior quality of the grain. The ‘dressed corn’ on the no-manure plot this year only weighed 57⅓ lbs. per bushel, while last year it weighed 61 lbs. per bushel.”

“By the way,” said the Doctor, “what do Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert mean by ‘dressed corn’?”

“By ‘corn,’” said I, “they mean wheat; and by ‘dressed corn’ they mean wheat that has been run through a fanning-mill until all the light and shrunken grain is blown or sieved out. In other words, ‘dressed corn’ is wheat carefully cleaned for market. The English farmers take more pains in cleaning their grain than we do. And this ‘dressed corn’ was as clean as a good fanning-mill could make it. You will observe that there was more ‘offal corn’ this year than last. This also indicates an unfavorable season.”

“It would have been very interesting,” said the Doctor, “if Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert had analyzed the wheat produced by the different manures, so that we might have known something in regard to the quality of the flour as influenced by the use of different fertilizers.”

“They did that very thing,” said I, “and not only that, but they made the wheat grown on different plots, into flour, and ascertained the yield of flour from a given weight of wheat, and the amount of bran, middlings, etc., etc. They obtained some very interesting and important results. I was there at the time. But this is not the place to discuss the question. I am often amused, however, at the remarks we often hear in regard to the inferior quality of our wheat as compared to what it was when the country was new. Many seem to think that ‘there is something lacking in the soil’--some say potash, and some phosphates, and some this, and some that. I believe nothing of the kind. Depend upon it, the variety of the wheat and the soil and season have much more to do with the quality or strength of the flour, than the chemical composition of the manures applied to the land.”

“At any rate,” said the Doctor, “we may be satisfied that anything that will produce a vigorous, healthy growth of wheat is favorable to quality. We may use manures in excess, and thus produce over-luxuriance and an unhealthy growth, and have poor, shrunken grain. In this case, it is not the use, but the abuse of the manure that does the mischief. We must not manure higher than the season will bear. As yet, this question rarely troubles us. Hitherto, as a rule, our seasons are better than our farming. It may not always be so. We may find the liberal use of manure so profitable that we shall occasionally use it in excess. At present, however, the tendency is all the other way. We have more grain of inferior quality from lack of fertility than from an excess of plant-food.”

“That may be true,” said I, “but we have more poor, inferior wheat from lack of draining and good culture, than from lack of plant-food. Red-root, thistles, cockle, and chess, have done more to injure the reputation of ‘Genesee Flour,’ than any other one thing, and I should like to hear more said about thorough cultivation, and the destruction of weeds, and less about soil exhaustion.”

The following table shows the results of the experiments the _sixth year_, 1848-9.

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

Table VI.--Manures and Produce; 6th Season, 1848-9. Manures and Seed (Red Cluster), Sown Autumn, 1848.

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 | .. | 200 | 200 | 500| 6a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | ..| 6b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | ..| 7a | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | ..| 7b | .. | 300 | 200 | 100 | 200 | 150 | .. | 200 | 200 | ..| | | | | | | | | | | | 8a |Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | ..| 8b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |2000| 9a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |2000| 9b |Unmanured. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | ..| 10a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | ..| 10b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 | 200 | ..| | | | | | | | | | | | 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 }|Mixture of the residue of most of the other | .. | ..| 22 }| 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. | | | .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 0 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 31 0 |63.8 |107 |2068|3029|5097| 839|1415 | 2254|4.7 |68.3| 2 19 1 |61.4 | 47 |1229|1614|2843| .. | .. | .. |3.9 |76.1| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 30 0 |63.0 |110 |2063|2645|4708| 834|1031 | 1865|5.6 |78.0| 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 37 1¼ |63.1 | 89 |2446|3589|6035| 1217|1975 | 3192|3.7 |68.1| 5a 39 3½ |63.4 | 97 |2651|3824|6475| 1422|2210 | 3632|5.0 |69.3| 5b 36 1½ |63.0 |117 |2410|3072|5482| 1181|1458 | 2639|5.1 |78.4| 6a 37 3¾ |63.0 | 94 |2484|3516|6000| 1255|1902 | 3157|3.9 |70.6| 6b 38 2¼ |63.1 |137 |2576|3584|6160| 1347|1970 | 3317|5.6 |71.9| 7a 37 3¾ |62.9 |141 |2531|3396|5927| 1302|1782 | 3084|5.9 |74.5| 7b | | | | | | | | | | | 22 3 |61.7 | 76 |1481|1815|3296| 252| 201 | 453|5.3 |81.6| 8a 31 2½ |63.0 | 85 |2080|3166|5246| 851|1552 | 2403|4.3 |65.7| 8b 30 2¾ |62.8 |111 |2035|2683|4718| 806|1069 | 1875|5.8 |75.8| 9a 22 1½ |62.3 | 80 |1475|1810|3285| 246| 196 | 432|5.7 |81.5| 9b 32 2¼ |62.3 |112 |2141|2851|4992| 912|1237 | 2149|5.5 |75.1| 10a 32 1¼ |63.3 |110 |2157|2960|5117| 928|1346 | 2274|5.3 |72.9| 10b | | | | | | | | | | | 35 0½ |62.6 |121 |2317|2892|5209| 1088|1278 | 2366|5.6 |80.1| 11a 32 1¼ |63.0 |112 |2149|2942|5091| 920|1328 | 2248|5.5 |73.0| 11b 35 3¼ |64.3 | 93 |2396|3371|5767| 1167|1757 | 2924|4.1 |71.1| 12a 34 1¼ |64.3 | 71 |2277|3300|5577| 1048|1687 | 2735|3.2 |69.0| 12b 34 3¾ |64.1 |101 |2340|3236|5576| 1111|1622 | 2733|4.5 |72.3| 13a 34 2¼ |64.1 |129 |2346|3246|5592| 1117|1632 | 2749|5.8 |72.3| 13b 34 1½ |64.3 | 56 |2266|3211|5477| 1037|1597 | 2634|2.5 |70.6| 14a 31 1¼ |64.3 |112 |2123|3218|5341| 894|1604 | 2498|5.5 |66.0| 14b | | | | | | | | | | | 31 3¼ |64.2 | 65 |2109|3038|5147| 880|1424 | 2304|3.2 |69.4| 15a 30 0¾ |64.1 | 68 |2005|3262|5267| 776|1648 | 2424|3.5 |61.5| 15b | | | | | | | | | | | 33 1½ |64.5 |101 |2254|3384|5638| 1025|1770 | 2795|4.7 |66.6| 16a 33 3¾ |64.6 | 75 |2268|3559|5827| 1039|1945 | 2984|3.4 |63.7| 16b 34 1 |64.3 |111 |2316|3891|6207| 1087|2277 | 3364|5.1 |59.4| 17a 33 1½ |64.4 |112 |2259|3858|6117| 1030|2244 | 3274|5.2 |58.5| 17b 32 1¼ |64.0 | 93 |2163|3592|5755| 934|1978 | 2912|4.5 |60.2| 18a 33 2¼ |64.0 | 95 |2243|3779|6022| 1014|2165 | 3179|4.4 |59.3| 18b | | | | | | | | | | | 29 2¼ |63.9 |102 |1994|3270|5264| 765|1656 | 2421|5.4 |61.0| 19 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 20 .. .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |}21 | | | | | | | | | | |}22 --------+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+----

“This was my last year at Rothamsted,” said I, “and I feel a peculiar interest in looking over the results after such a lapse of time. When this crop was growing, my father, a good practical farmer, but with little faith in chemical manures, paid me a visit. We went to the experimental wheat-field. The first two plots, 0 and 1, had been dressed, the one with superphosphate, the other with potash, soda, and magnesia. My father did not seem much impressed with this kind of chemical manuring. Stepping to the next plot, where 14 tons of barn-yard manure had been used, he remarked, “this is good, what have you here?”

“Never mind,” said I, “we have better crops farther on.”

The next plot, No. 3, was the one continuously unmanured. “I can beat this myself,” said he, and passed on to the next. “This is better,” said he, “what have you here?”

“Superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia.”

“Well, it is a good crop, and the straw is bright and stiff.”--It turned out 30 bushels per acre, 63 lbs. to the bushel.

The next six plots had received very heavy dressings of ammonia-salts, with superphosphate, potash, soda, and magnesia. He examined them with the greatest interest. “What have you here?” he asked, while he was examining 5_a_, which afterwards turned out 37¼ bushels per acre. --“Potash, soda, epsom-salts, superphosphate, and ammonia--but it is the ammonia that does the good.”

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 --------+-----+----+----+----+----+------+-----+------+----+----+--- Bu. Pks.|lbs. |lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. | | | 18 3½ |61.9 |125 |1296|1862|3158| 213 | 235| 448 |10.7|69.6| 0 18 1¼ |61.7 |124 |1251|1845|3096| 168 | 218| 386 |11.0|67.8| 1 29 2½ |63.6 |166 |2049|3094|5143| 966 | 1467| 2433 | 8.8|66.2| 2 15 3½ |61.1 |114 |1083|1627|2710| .. | .. | .. |11.8|66.6| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 28 0½ |62.6 |159 |1919|2949|4868| 836 | 1322| 2158 | 9.0|65.1| 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 36 0 |63.3 |194 |2473|4131|6604| 1390 | 2504| 3894 | 8.6|59.9| 5a 37 3¾ |63.3 |213 |2611|4294|6905| 1528 | 2667| 4195 | 8.9|60.8| 5b 33 1¾ |63.3 |154 |2271|3624|5895| 1188 | 1997| 3185 | 7.2|62.6| 6a 31 0¼ |62.3 |189 |2119|3507|5626| 1036 | 1880| 2916 | 9.8|60.4| 6b 36 3½ |63.0 |201 |2524|4587|7111| 1441 | 2960| 4401 | 8.7|55.0| 7a 37 1½ |63.0 |178 |2532|4302|6834| 1449 | 2675| 4124 | 7.6|58.8| 7b | | | | | | | | | | | 26 0¾ |62.8 |141 |1785|2769|4554| 702 | 1142| 1844 | 8.6|64.5| 8a 27 2¼ |62.6 |137 |1863|2830|4693| 780 | 1203| 1983 | 7.9|65.8| 8b 31 1½ |62.4 |182 |2142|3252|5394| 1059 | 1625| 2684 | 9.3|65.9| 9a 29 0¾ |62.0 |170 |1970|2942|4912| 887 | 1315| 2202 | 9.5|67.0| 9b 28 3½ |61.9 |179 |1966|3070|5036| 883 | 1443| 2326 |10.0|64.0|10a 28 2½ |62.5 |149 |1937|3048|4985| 854 | 1421| 2275 | 8.3|63.5|10b | | | | | | | | | | | 32 2¾ |62.3 |181 |2216|3386|5602| 1133 | 1759| 2892 | 8.9|65.4|11a 31 2¾ |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 2¼ |62.5 |166 |2203|3581|5784| 1120 | 1954| 3074 | 8.2|61.5|12b 30 2¾ |62.6 |180 |2102|3544|5646| 1019 | 1917| 2936 | 9.4|59.3|13a 30 3¼ |62.3 |160 |2083|3440|5523| 1000 | 1813| 2813 | 8.3|60.5|13b 31 0¼ |62.9 |168 |2120|3605|5725| 1037 | 1978| 3015 | 8.6|58.8|14a 31 0½ |62.8 |165 |2121|3537|5658| 1038 | 1910| 2948 | 8.4|59.9|14b | | | | | | | | | | 27 0½ |62.7 |138 |1839|3041|4880| 756 | 1414| 2170 | 8.1|60.5|15a 30 2½ |62.9 |148 |2077|3432|5509| 994 | 1805| 2799 | 7.6|60.5|15b | | | | | | | | | | | 36 3¼ |63.5 |161 |2499|4234|6733| 1416 | 2607| 4023 | 6.9|59.0|16a 36 2¾ |63.4 |176 |2501|4332|6833| 1418 | 2705| 4123 | 7.6|57.7|16b 31 3½ |63.3 |131 |2149|3597|5746| 1066 | 1970| 3036 | 6.5|59.7|17a 30 2¼ |63.1 |152 |2079|3406|5485| 996 | 1779| 2775 | 7.9|61.0|17b 30 3¼ |63.0 |139 |2083|3390|5473| 1000 | 1763| 2763 | 7.2|64.1|18a 31 0¾ |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 | 89 | 956|1609|2565| -127 | -18| -145 |10.2|59.4|20 | | | | | | | | | | |21} 17 3¼ |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_, 31¼ 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 quantity 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 quantity 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 Potass.[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| | | | o | | | | | | | of Lime. | | | | t | | | | | | +----+----+-----+ | | | s | FM | CS | SP | SS |SMg |B-A |SAc |MAc | SAm |MAm | NS | 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 |Unmanured | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 100 |100 | .. | .. | 6b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 100 |100 | .. | .. | 7a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 7b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 8a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 300 |300 | .. | .. | 8b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 300 |300 | .. | .. | [2] 9a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | .. | .. |550 | .. | [3] 9b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |550 | .. | 10a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 10b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 11a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 11b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 12a | .. | .. | .. |550 | .. |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 12b | .. | .. | .. |550 | .. |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 13a | .. | .. |300 | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 13b | .. | .. |300 | .. | .. |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 14a | .. | .. | .. | .. |420 |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 14b | .. | .. | .. | .. |420 |200 |150 | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | 15a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 | .. |200 | 400 | .. | .. | .. | 15b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 | .. |200 | 300 | .. | .. |500 | 16a | .. |336[4]|300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 400 |400 | .. | .. | 16b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | 400 |400 | .. | .. | [5]{17a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | {17b | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 200 |200 | .. | .. | [5]{18a | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | {18b | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 |200 |150 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 19 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |200 | .. |200 | 300 | .. | .. |500 | 20 |Unmanured | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 21 | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 | .. | .. | .. | .. |100 | .. | .. | 22 | .. | .. |300 |200 |100 | .. | .. | .. | 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 potass 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 336½ 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 potass, 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.]

[Note 3: _Plot 9b_--in the 9th season only 475 lbs. of nitrate of soda were applied.]

[Note 4: _Common salt_--not applied after the 10th season.]

[Note 5: _Plots 17a and 17b, and 18a and 18b_--the manures on these plots alternate: that is, Plots 17 were manured with ammonia-salts in the 9th season; with the sulphates of potass, soda, and magnesia, and superphosphate of lime, in the 10th; ammonia-salts again in the 11th; the sulphates of potass, soda, and magnesia, and superphosphate of lime, again in the 12th, and so on. Plots 18, on the other hand, had the sulphates of potass, soda, and magnesia, and superphosphate of lime, in the 9th season; ammonia-salts in the 10th, and so on, alternately.]

Table X.--Produce of the 9th Season, 1851-2. Seed (Red Cluster) sown November 7, 1851; Crop cut August 24, 1852.

Table XI.--Produce of the 10th Season, 1853. Seed (Red Rostock) sown March 16; Crop cut September 10, and carted September 20, 1853.

Qty. Quantity. Wt/Bu. Weight per Bushel. TC Total Corn. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).

-----+----------------------------||-----+---------------------------- | Produce per Acre, || | Produce per Acre, | etc. (For the Manures || | etc. (For the Manures P | see pp. 202 and 203.) || P | see pp. 202 and 203.) l +----------------+-----+-----|| l +----------------+-----+----- o | Dressed Corn. | | || o | Dressed Corn. | | t +---------+------+ | TP || t +---------+------+ | TP s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S || s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+----- | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|| | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. 0 | 15 0¾ | 55.8 | 919| 2625|| 0 | 9 0¾ | 49.1 | 599| 2406 1 | 13 1 | 56.9 | 825| 2322|| 1 | 6 1¾ | 46.1 | 404| 2036 2 | 27 2¼ | 58.2 | 1716| 5173|| 2 | 19 0½ | 51.1 | 1120| 4492 3 | 13 3¼ | 56.6 | 860| 2457|| 3 | 5 3¼ | 45.1 | 359| 1772 4 | 13 1¼ | 57.3 | 870| 2441|| 4 | 7 1 | 46.1 | 446| 2116 | | | | || | | | | 5a | 16 3 | 57.5 | 1038| 2941|| 5a | 10 0 | 48.9 | 587| 2538 5b | 17 0¼ | 57.3 | 1065| 3097|| 5b | 10 1 | 48.9 | 611| 2741 6a | 20 3 | 57.6 | 1288| 3869|| 6a | 16 3¼ | 51.8 | 978| 3755 6b | 20 3½ | 57.5 | 1300| 3904|| 6b | 19 1 | 51.8 | 1072| 3870 7a | 26 2½ | 56.0 | 1615| 5465|| 7a | 23 2½ | 52.2 | 1369| 5110 7b | 26 3¾ | 55.8 | 1613| 5415|| 7b | 23 2¼ | 51.1 | 1357| 5091 8a | 27 3½ | 55.9 | 1699| 5505|| 8a | 22 1¼ | 51.1 | 1346| 5312 8b | 27 0½ | 55.9 | 1651| 5423|| 8b | 24 2¼ | 51.1 | 1425| 5352 | | | | || | | | | 9a | 25 2 | 55.6 | 1591| 5305|| 9a | 11 1 | 47.7 | 691| 3090 9b | 24 1¾ | 55.3 | 1509| 4883|| 9b | 10 1¾ | 46.1 | 649| 2902 | | | | || | | | | 10a | 21 3½ | 55.9 | 1320| 4107|| 10a | 9 3¾ | 48.9 | 642| 2691 10b | 22 0¼ | 57.3 | 1343| 4162|| 10b | 15 2 | 49.8 | 896| 3578 11a | 24 0¾ | 55.6 | 1472| 4553|| 11a | 17 2 | 50.1 | 1015| 3539 11b | 22 1½ | 55.9 | 1387| 4299|| 11b | 18 2¾ | 51.1 | 1073| 3780 12a | 24 1¾ | 57.4 | 1503| 4760|| 12a | 22 0 | 52.0 | 1283| 4948 12b | 24 1¼ | 57.3 | 1492| 4721|| 12b | 23 3¼ | 51.1 | 1375| 5079 13a | 24 0 | 57.5 | 1480| 4702|| 13a | 22 1¼ | 52.1 | 1341| 5045 13b | 23 3¾ | 57.1 | 1476| 4765|| 13b | 23 2½ | 51.1 | 1396| 5308 14a | 24 1¾ | 56.9 | 1507| 5054|| 14a | 21 2 | 51.2 | 1322| 4793 14b | 25 0¼ | 56.7 | 1530| 5137|| 14b | 23 0¾ | 52.6 | 1347| 5108 | | | | || | | | | 15a | 23 1¼ | 57.4 | 1451| 4663|| 15a | 19 0 | 51.1 | 1143| 4504 15b | 25 0½ | 56.8 | 1520| 4941|| 15b | 23 2½ | 51.1 | 1351| 5107 | | | | || | | | | 16a | 28 3½ | 55.0 | 1794| 6471|| 16a | 24 1½ | 52.5 | 1496| 6400 16b | 28 0 | 54.5 | 1700| 6316|| 16b | 25 3¼ | 52.5 | 1537| 6556 | | | | || | | | | 17a | 25 2 | 56.5 | 1577| 5311|| 17a | 8 1¾ | 49.8 | 520| 2516 17b | 24 1½ | 56.9 | 1520| 4986|| 17b | 8 3¾ | 48.9 | 539| 2551 18a | 13 3 | 57.0 | 869| 2556|| 18a | 17 3¼ | 52.9 | 1111| 4496 18b | 14 3¾ | 56.7 | 921| 2685|| 18b | 20 3 | 52.1 | 1256| 5052 | | | | || | | | | 19 | 24 3¾ | 56.1 | 1582| 4979|| 19 | 19 1¼ | 52.6 | 1160| 4373 | | | | || | | | | 20 | 14 0¾ | 56.6 | 875| 2452|| 20 | 5 3¼ | 47.8 | 425| 2084 21 | 19 1¾ | 56.9 | 1177| 3285|| 21 | 12 3¾ | 50.4 | 753| 2934 22 | 19 2¼ | 55.9 | 1176| 3355|| 22 | 10 1 | 49.4 | 592| 2452 -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+-----

Table XII.--Produce of the 11th Season, 1853-4. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 12, 1853; Crop cut August 21, and carted August 31, 1854.

Table XIII.--Produce of the 12th Season, 1854-5. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 9, 1854; Crop cut August 26, and carted September 2, 1855.

Qty. Quantity. Wt/Bu. Weight per Bushel. TC Total Corn. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).

-----+----------------------------||-----+---------------------------- | Produce per Acre, || | Produce per Acre, | etc. (For the Manures || | etc. (For the Manures P | see pp. 202 and 203.) || P | see pp. 202 and 203.) l +----------------+-----+-----|| l +----------------+-----+----- o | Dressed Corn. | | || o | Dressed Corn. | | t +---------+------+ | TP || t +---------+------+ | TP s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S || s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+----- | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|| | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. 0 | 26 1¾ | 61.0 | 1672| 3786|| 0 | 17 0 | 60.7 | 1096| 2822 1 | 24 1½ | 60.2 | 1529| 4060|| 1 | 18 2 | 60.5 | 1179| 3069 2 | 41 0½ | 62.5 | 2675| 7125|| 2 | 34 2½ | 62.0 | 2237| 6082 3 | 21 0¼ | 60.6 | 1359| 3496|| 3 | 17 0 | 59.2 | 1072| 2859 4 | 23 3½ | 61.1 | 1521| 3859|| 4 | 18 2½ | 59.5 | 1168| 3000 | | | | || | | | | 5a | 24 1½ | 61.0 | 1578| 4098|| 5a | 18 2 | 59.9 | 1157| 2976 5b | 24 0 | 61.6 | 1532| 4035|| 5b | 18 0½ | 60.1 | 1143| 2943 6a | 33 2¾ | 61.8 | 2186| 6031|| 6a | 27 3 | 60.3 | 1753| 4590 6b | 34 2¼ | 61.8 | 2239| 6294|| 6b | 28 1 | 60.9 | 1811| 4848 7a | 45 2¼ | 61.9 | 2950| 8553|| 7a | 32 2¾ | 59.4 | 2084| 5995 7b | 45 1½ | 61.8 | 2944| 8440|| 7b | 33 1¼ | 59.5 | 2138| 6296 8a | 47 1¾ | 61.4 | 3065| 9200|| 8a | 29 3 | 58.8 | 1909| 5747 8b | 49 2½ | 61.8 | 3208| 9325|| 8b | 33 0¾ | 58.7 | 2153| 6495 | | | | || | | | | 9a | 38 3 | 60.7 | 2456| 6598|| 9a | 29 2½ | 58.3 | 1932| 5878 9b | 38 3½ | 60.7 | 2480| 6723|| 9b | 25 1½ | 57.3 | 1605| 4817 | | | | || | | | | 10a | 34 1½ | 60.5 | 2211| 5808|| 10a | 19 3¾ | 57.1 | 1285| 3797 10b | 39 0¾ | 61.6 | 2535| 7003|| 10b | 28 0½ | 58.9 | 1805| 5073 11a | 44 2 | 61.1 | 2859| 8006|| 11a | 18 3 | 55.3 | 1210| 3694 11b | 43 0½ | 61.2 | 2756| 7776|| 11b | 24 2½ | 56.3 | 1580| 4733 12a | 45 3¼ | 62.2 | 2966| 8469|| 12a | 30 0¼ | 59.5 | 1940| 5478 12b | 45 1½ | 62.2 | 2939| 8412|| 12b | 33 2 | 60.2 | 2172| 6182 13a | 45 0½ | 62.2 | 2913| 8311|| 13a | 29 0 | 59.9 | 1924| 5427 13b | 43 3½ | 62.2 | 2858| 8403|| 13b | 32 2 | 60.4 | 2110| 5980 14a | 45 1¼ | 62.2 | 2946| 8498|| 14a | 29 3 | 60.0 | 1954| 5531 14b | 44 0½ | 62.2 | 2863| 8281|| 14b | 33 1¾ | 60.0 | 2158| 5161 | | | | || | | | | 15a | 43 1¼ | 62.1 | 2801| 7699|| 15a | 31 3¼ | 60.0 | 2030| 5855 15b | 43 1 | 62.4 | 2810| 8083|| 15b | 33 3 | 60.6 | 2193| 6415 | | | | || | | | | 16a | 49 2¼ | 61.7 | 3230| 9932|| 16a | 33 1¼ | 58.2 | 2100| 6634 16b | 50 0¾ | 61.7 | 3293| 9928|| 16 | 32 2 | 58.2 | 2115| 7106 | | | | || | | | | 17a | 45 3 | 62.1 | 2948| 8218|| 17a | 18 3¾ | 60.8 | 1227| 3203 17b | 42 2¼ | 62.2 | 2732| 7629|| 17b | 17 0½ | 60.3 | 1110| 2914 18a | 24 0 | 61.2 | 1526| 3944|| 18a | 32 3¾ | 60.9 | 2127| 6144 18b | 23 2¾ | 61.0 | 1511| 3888|| 18b | 33 1¾ | 60.8 | 2170| 6385 | | | | || | | | | 19 | 41 0¾ | 61.7 | 2666| 7343|| 19 | 30 0½ | 58.7 | 1967| 5818 | | | | || | | | | 20 | 22 3 | 60.8 | 1445| 3662|| 20 | 17 2½ | 61.1 | 1155| 2986 21 | 32 0½ | 61.2 | 2030| 5470|| 21 | 24 1¾ | 60.8 | 1533| 3952 22 | 31 3 | 61.0 | 1994| 5334|| 22 | 24 2½ | 60.1 | 1553| 4010 -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+-----

Table XIV.--Produce of the 13th Season, 1855-6. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 13, 1855; Crop cut August 26, and carted September 3, 1856.

Table XV.--Produce of the 14th Season, 1856-7. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 6, 1856; Crop cut August 13, and carted August 22, 1857.

Qty. Quantity. Wt/Bu. Weight per Bushel. TC Total Corn. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).

-----+----------------------------||-----+---------------------------- | Produce per Acre, || | Produce per Acre, | etc. (For the Manures || | etc. (For the Manures P | see pp. 202 and 203.) || P | see pp. 202 and 203.) l +----------------+-----+-----|| l +----------------+-----+----- o | Dressed Corn. | | || o | Dressed Corn. | | t +---------+------+ | TP || t +---------+------+ | TP s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S || s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+----- | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|| | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. 0 | 18 1½ | 56.8 | 1179| 3148|| 0 | 18 2¼ | 59.0 | 1181| 2726 1 | 17 0¾ | 56.3 | 1102| 3035|| 1 | 17 2½ | 59.0 | 1118| 2650 2 | 36 1¼ | 58.6 | 2277| 6594|| 2 | 41 0¾ | 60.4 | 2587| 5910 3 | 14 2 | 54.3 | 892| 2450|| 3 | 19 3¾ | 58.3 | 1236| 2813 4 | 16 1½ | 55.5 | 1026| 2757|| 4 | 22 1¾ | 58.8 | 1386| 2958 | | | | || | | | | 5a | 18 3¼ | 56.5 | 1167| 3179|| 5a | 22 3¾ | 59.0 | 1409| 3026 5b | 20 1¼ | 56.2 | 1247| 3369|| 5b | 24 2¼ | 58.8 | 1512| 3247 6a | 27 1¼ | 58.2 | 1717| 4767|| 6a | 35 1½ | 59.9 | 2211| 4968 6b | 28 0½ | 58.5 | 1755| 4848|| 6b | 35 1¼ | 59.8 | 2193| 4950 7a | 37 1 | 58.0 | 2312| 6872|| 7a | 43 1¼ | 60.5 | 2782| 6462 7b | 36 2¼ | 57.6 | 2244| 6642|| 7b | 46 1½ | 60.3 | 2902| 6793 8a | 40 0½ | 56.8 | 2507| 7689|| 8a | 47 3 | 60.8 | 3058| 7355 8b | 37 3¾ | 57.1 | 2400| 7489|| 8b | 48 3¼ | 60.6 | 3129| 7579 | | | | || | | | | 9a | 32 1½ | 57.2 | 2019| 5894|| 9a | 43 3 | 60.1 | 2767| 6634 9b | 26 0 | 56.3 | 1679| 4831|| 9b | 36 0¾ | 58.0 | 2220| 5203 | | | | || | | | | 10a | 24 0¾ | 55.6 | 1505| 4323|| 10a | 29 0½ | 58.0 | 1816| 4208 10b | 27 2¾ | 57.2 | 1727| 4895|| 10b | 34 2 | 58.6 | 2185| 5060 11a | 31 3½ | 57.3 | 2001| 5518|| 11a | 39 0 | 58.5 | 2432| 5375 11b | 30 2½ | 57.5 | 1946| 5389|| 11b | 39 0¾ | 58.0 | 2397| 5317 12a | 33 3½ | 58.7 | 2102| 5949|| 12a | 43 3½ | 60.4 | 2747| 6394 12b | 32 3½ | 58.8 | 2079| 5804|| 12b | 43 2 | 60.4 | 2729| 6312 13a | 32 1¾ | 58.6 | 2036| 5779|| 13a | 42 3 | 60.6 | 2714| 6421 13b | 30 3¼ | 58.9 | 2008| 5659|| 13b | 43 2 | 60.5 | 2739| 6386 14a | 35 0¼ | 58.6 | 2195| 6397|| 14a | 43 3 | 60.5 | 2781| 6439 14b | 34 0¾ | 59.0 | 2162| 6279|| 14b | 42 3½ | 60.3 | 2699| 6351 | | | | || | | | | 15a | 30 0½ | 59.1 | 1923| 5444|| 15a | 42 1¼ | 60.4 | 2681| 6368 15b | 32 0 | 59.4 | 2045| 5797|| 15b | 44 1¾ | 60.0 | 2765| 6543 | | | | || | | | | 16a | 38 0½ | 58.5 | 2426| 7955|| 16a | 48 3¼ | 60.5 | 3131| 7814 16b | 37 3 | 58.7 | 2450| 7917|| 16b | 50 0 | 60.5 | 3194| 7897 | | | | || | | | | 17a | 31 2½ | 59.0 | 1983| 5541|| 17a | 26 2¾ | 59.1 | 1642| 3700 17b | 30 1½ | 59.1 | 1935| 5400|| 17b | 25 3¾ | 58.8 | 1583| 3523 18a | 17 3½ | 57.8 | 1140| 3152|| 18a | 41 0¼ | 59.7 | 2566| 6009 18b | 18 0 | 57.7 | 1131| 3069|| 18b | 40 0¼ | 59.8 | 2519| 5884 | | | | || | | | | 19 | 32 1 | 58.9 | 2059| 5621|| 19 | 41 2½ | 59.5 | 2600| 5793 | | | | || | | | | 20 | 17 0¾ | 57.7 | 1075| 2963|| 20 | 19 2¾ | 58.4 | 1213| 2777 21 | 22 1½ | 58.0 | 1398| 3927|| 21 | 24 0 | 60.6 | 1538| 3353 22 | 21 1¾ | 57.8 | 1351| 3849|| 22 | 23 0½ | 60.6 | 1491| 3298 -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+-----

Table XVI.--Produce of the 15th Season, 1857-8. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 3 and 11, 1857; Crop cut August 9, and carted August 20, 1858.

Table XVII.--Produce of the 16th Season, 1858-9. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 4, 1858; Crop cut August 4, and carted August 20, 1859.

Qty. Quantity. Wt/Bu. Weight per Bushel. TC Total Corn. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).

-----+----------------------------||-----+---------------------------- | Produce per Acre, || | Produce per Acre, | etc. (For the Manures || | etc. (For the Manures P | see pp. 202 and 203.) || P | see pp. 202 and 203.) l +----------------+-----+-----|| l +----------------+-----+----- o | Dressed Corn. | | || o | Dressed Corn. | | t +---------+------+ | TP || t +---------+------+ | TP s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S || s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+----- | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|| | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. 0 | 20 3 | 61.2 | 1332| 3234|| 0 | 21 2¼ | 54.0 | 1254| 3564 1 | 16 1¼ | 60.7 | 1055| 2685|| 1 | 19 3 | 55.0 | 1189| 3489 2 | 38 3¼ | 62.6 | 2512| 6349|| 2 | 36 0¾ | 56.5 | 2263| 7073 3 | 18 0 | 60.4 | 1141| 2811|| 3 | 18 1¼ | 52.5 | 1051| 3226 4 | 19 0½ | 61.1 | 1206| 2879|| 4 | 19 0¾ | 55.0 | 1188| 3418 | | | | || | | | | 5a | 18 2¾ | 61.5 | 1187| 2719|| 5a | 20 2¼ | 56.0 | 1277| 3600 5b | 19 1 | 61.4 | 1227| 2870|| 5b | 20 2½ | 56.0 | 1273| 3666 6a | 28 2¼ | 62.1 | 1818| 4395|| 6a | 29 2½ | 56.5 | 1808| 5555 6b | 29 0½ | 62.1 | 1850| 4563|| 6b | 30 0½ | 56.5 | 1855| 5708 7a | 38 2¼ | 61.9 | 2450| 6415|| 7a | 34 2¾ | 55.9 | 2097| 6774 7b | 39 2¼ | 62.3 | 2530| 6622|| 7b | 34 2½ | 55.9 | 2089| 6892 8a | 41 3¾ | 61.8 | 2680| 7347|| 8a | 34 3¼ | 54.0 | 2068| 7421 8b | 41 3¼ | 61.7 | 2675| 7342|| 8b | 34 0¾ | 53.4 | 2007| 7604 | | | | || | | | | 9a | 37 2¼ | 60.8 | 2384| 6701|| 9a | 30 0 | 54.5 | 1806| 7076 9b | 23 2 | 58.8 | 1470| 4158|| 9b | 24 2¼ | 50.5 | 1412| 5002 | | | | || | | | | 10a | 22 3½ | 59.6 | 1439| 3569|| 10a | 18 3¾ | 51.5 | 1207| 3937 10b | 27 3 | 61.4 | 1775| 4390|| 10b | 25 2 | 52.5 | 1500| 4920 11a | 30 3½ | 60.5 | 1977| 4774|| 11a | 26 3½ | 51.4 | 1628| 5155 11b | 33 0¼ | 60.4 | 2099| 5117|| 11b | 27 3¼ | 51.3 | 1698| 5275 12a | 37 3¾ | 62.1 | 2437| 6100|| 12a | 34 2½ | 54.5 | 2060| 6610 12b | 37 0¾ | 62.1 | 2387| 6060|| 12b | 34 3½ | 54.8 | 2115| 6858 13a | 37 0¾ | 62.1 | 2384| 6077|| 13a | 34 0¾ | 55.0 | 2037| 6774 13b | 37 0¾ | 62.7 | 2397| 6074|| 13b | 34 3½ | 55.0 | 2087| 6894 14a | 37 3¼ | 62.1 | 2413| 6150|| 14a | 34 1¾ | 54.5 | 2054| 6817 14b | 38 1¼ | 62.0 | 2436| 6146|| 14b | 34 2¼ | 54.5 | 2074| 6774 | | | | || | | | | 15a | 35 1½ | 62.6 | 2285| 5800|| 15a | 34 0¾ | 55.0 | 2053| 6826 15b | 37 2 | 62.8 | 2436| 6134|| 15a | 35 0¼ | 55.0 | 2095| 7088 | | | | || | | | | 16a | 41 3 | 62.1 | 2702| 7499|| 16a | 34 3¾ | 52.6 | 2026| 7953 16b | 42 0½ | 62.1 | 2717| 7530|| 16b | 34 1¾ | 52.6 | 2005| 7798 | | | | || | | | | 17a | 33 1¼ | 62.5 | 2150| 5353|| 17a | 21 1¼ | 55.0 | 1247| 3730 17b | 33 3¼ | 62.5 | 2181| 5455|| 17b | 19 3 | 54.5 | 1168| 3541 18a | 22 3¾ | 62.3 | 1472| 3480|| 18a | 32 3¼ | 55.5 | 1973| 6506 18b | 20 2¾ | 62.4 | 1338| 3305|| 18b | 32 2 | 56.0 | 1980| 6630 | | | | || | | | | 19 | 33 1¼ | 62.5 | 2177| 5362|| 19 | 30 2 | 55.5 | 1903| 5926 | | | | || | | | | 20 | 17 0 | 60.3 | 1089| 2819|| 20 | 17 3¼ | 52.5 | 1039| 3256 21 | 24 1¾ | 61.5 | 1574| 3947|| 21 | 26 1½ | 54.0 | 1538| 4723 22 | 22 0 | 61.5 | 1412| 3592|| 22 | 24 0¾ | 55.0 | 1460| 4440 -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+-----

Table XVIII.--Produce of the 17th Season, 1859-60. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 17, 1859; Crop cut September 17 and 19, and carted October 5, 1858.

Table XIX.--Produce of the 18th Season, 1860-1. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 5, 1860; Crop cut August 20, and carted August 27, 1861.

Qty. Quantity. Wt/Bu. Weight per Bushel. TC Total Corn. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).

-----+----------------------------||-----+---------------------------- | Produce per Acre, || | Produce per Acre, | etc. (For the Manures || | etc. (For the Manures P | see pp. 202 and 203.) || P | see pp. 202 and 203.) l +----------------+-----+-----|| l +----------------+-----+----- o | Dressed Corn. | | || o | Dressed Corn. | | t +---------+------+ | TP || t +---------+------+ | TP s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S || s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+----- | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|| | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. 0 | 14 1¼ | 53.5 | 826| 2271|| 0 | 15 1½ | 57.6 | 1001| 2769 1 | 12 1¾ | 52.8 | 717| 2097|| 1 | 12 3¾ | 57.6 | 828| 2215 2 | 32 1¼ | 55.5 | 1864| 5304|| 2 | 34 3½ | 60.5 | 2202| 5303 3 | 12 3½ | 52.6 | 738| 2197|| 3 | 11 1¼ | 57.4 | 736| 1990 4 | 14 2 | 53.0 | 832| 2352|| 4 | 11 3½ | 58.0 | 863| 2193 | | | | || | | | | 5a | 15 2¾ | 54.0 | 903| 2483|| 5a | 15 1¾ | 59.1 | 1047| 2540 5b | 16 0½ | 53.1 | 935| 2595|| 5b | 15 1½ | 59.0 | 1082| 2692 6a | 21 0½ | 53.7 | 1210| 3393|| 6a | 27 1¼ | 59.5 | 1755| 4328 6b | 22 3¼ | 54.2 | 1326| 3719|| 6b | 27 3¼ | 59.4 | 1818| 4501 7a | 27 3½ | 54.3 | 1612| 4615|| 7a | 35 2¼ | 59.0 | 2263| 5764 7b | 27 2¼ | 54.3 | 1597| 4734|| 7b | 34 1¼ | 59.0 | 2183| 5738 8a | 30 3 | 52.8 | 1759| 5639|| 8a | 36 0 | 58.3 | 2290| 6203 8b | 31 2¾ | 52.3 | 1787| 5600|| 8b | 34 0¼ | 58.5 | 2190| 5985 | | | | || | | | | 9a | 32 2½ | 51.5 | 1858| 6635|| 9a | 33 3 | 56.8 | 2162| 6607 9b | 19 2¼ | 48.5 | 1155| 4285|| 9b | 13 3 | 53.9 | 909| 3079 | | | | || | | | | 10a | 15 0½ | 49.5 | 905| 3118|| 10a | 12 3½ | 55.0 | 854| 2784 10b | 18 2½ | 51.0 | 1060| 3420|| 10b | 15 3¾ | 55.5 | 1033| 3196 11a | 22 1½ | 51.0 | 1270| 3773|| 11a | 23 1¾ | 55.3 | 1455| 4032 11b | 22 1½ | 51.2 | 1307| 4000|| 11b | 25 0¾ | 55.8 | 1578| 4223 12a | 28 0½ | 53.4 | 1648| 4878|| 12a | 32 1¼ | 58.1 | 2009| 5201 12b | 26 2¼ | 53.5 | 1577| 4664|| 12b | 33 1¾ | 58.7 | 2144| 5481 13a | 26 0¾ | 54.3 | 1575| 4568|| 13a | 33 1¼ | 59.9 | 2168| 5486 13b | 27 0½ | 53.8 | 1600| 4637|| 13b | 35 0 | 60.0 | 2304| 5794 14a | 27 1½ | 53.7 | 1583| 4636|| 14a | 33 0¼ | 59.1 | 2125| 5502 14b | 27 0¼ | 53.2 | 1563| 4666|| 14b | 33 3¾ | 59.3 | 2173| 5476 | | | | || | | | | 15a | 25 1½ | 53.8 | 1510| 4387|| 15a | 34 1¾ | 60.0 | 2188| 5506 15b | 28 0 | 54.0 | 1614| 4704|| 15b | 34 3 | 60.2 | 2249| 5727 | | | | || | | | | 16a | 32 2 | 52.0 | 1856| 5973|| 16a | 36 1¾ | 58.0 | 2338| 6761 16b | 32 3 | 51.7 | 1889| 6096|| 16b | 37 2 | 58.6 | 2432| 6775 | | | | || | | | | 17a | 24 0¼ | 54.1 | 1409| 4109|| 17a | 19 1 | 59.3 | 1229| 2982 17b | 26 1½ | 54.3 | 1548| 4518|| 17b | 18 0¾ | 59.1 | 1166| 2829 18a | 15 1¼ | 54.5 | 929| 2649|| 18a | 32 1½ | 59.6 | 2650| 5144 18b | 16 1¼ | 54.6 | 963| 2706|| 18b | 33 1½ | 59.5 | 2122| 5446 | | | | || | | | | 19 | 24 0½ | 53.0 | 1435| 4178|| 19 | 32 2 | 58.8 | 2107| 5345 | | | | || | | | | 20 | 12 0¼ | 51.5 | 722| 2155|| 20 | 13 0½ | 57.9 | 872| 2340 21 | 15 2 | 52.5 | 893| 2639|| 21 | 16 1¾ | 58.2 | 1109| 2749 22 | 13 3¼ | 53.8 | 847| 2414|| 22 | 19 2¾ | 58.5 | 1306| 3263 -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+-----

Table XX.--Produce of the 19th Season, 1861-2. Seed (Red Rostock) sown October 25, 1861; Crop cut August 29, and carted September 12, 1862.

Table XXI.--Produce of the 20th Season, 1862-3. Seed (Red Rostock) sown November 17, 1862; Crop cut August 10, and carted August 18, 1863.

Qty. Quantity. Wt/Bu. Weight per Bushel. TC Total Corn. TP/C&S Total Produce (Corn and Straw).

-----+----------------------------||-----+---------------------------- | Produce per Acre, || | Produce per Acre, | etc. (For the Manures || | etc. (For the Manures P | see pp. 202 and 203.) || P | see pp. 202 and 203.) l +----------------+-----+-----|| l +----------------+-----+----- o | Dressed Corn. | | || o | Dressed Corn. | | t +---------+------+ | TP || t +---------+------+ | TP s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S || s | Qty. |Wt/Bu.| TC | C&S -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+----- | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs.|| | Bu. Pks.| lbs. | lbs.| lbs. 0 | 19 3½ | 58.5 | 1228| 3258|| 0 | 22 0½ | 62.6 | 1429| 3254 1 | 16 2¾ | 58.0 | 1024| 2772|| 1 | 20 3 | 62.8 | 1334| 3079 2 | 38 1½ | 61.0 | 2447| 6642|| 2 | 44 0 | 63.1 | 2886| 7165 3 | 16 0 | 57.8 | 996| 2709|| 3 | 17 1 | 62.7 | 1127| 2727 4 | 16 2½ | 58.5 | 1049| 2711|| 4 | 20 1 | 62.3 | 1303| 2957 | | | | || | | | | 5a | 17 3¾ | 59.0 | 1119| 2959|| 5a | 19 2½ | 63.0 | 1283| 2970 5b | 17 2½ | 59.0 | 1101| 2961|| 5b | 19 3 | 63.0 | 1296| 3064 6a | 27 2 | 59.5 | 1715| 4554|| 6a | 39 1½ | 62.3 | 2522| 6236 6b | 28 3¼ | 59.8 | 1797| 4897|| 6b | 39 3 | 62.3 | 2534| 6250 7a | 35 2¼ | 59.3 | 2200| 6106|| 7a | 53 1¼ | 62.6 | 3477| 9330 7b | 36 0¾ | 59.5 | 2265| 6178|| 7b | 54 0 | 62.5 | 3507| 9385 8a | 39 3 | 59.2 | 2477| 7200|| 8a | 56 2¼ | 62.3 | 3668|10383 8b | 39 0½ | 59.0 | 2452| 7087|| 8b | 54 3¼ | 62.3 | 3559|10048 | | | | || | | | | 9a | 43 1¾ | 59.5 | 2688| 8738|| 9a | 55 2¼ | 62.1 | 3576| 9888 9b | 25 3½ | 56.3 | 1641| 4897|| 9b | 41 1¾ | 62.5 | 2723| 6920 | | | | || | | | | 10a | 23 0¼ | 56.5 | 1457| 4050|| 10a | 39 0½ | 62.6 | 2587| 6068 10b | 24 3¼ | 57.5 | 1600| 4443|| 10b | 43 2¼ | 62.8 | 2858| 6914 11a | 26 2¾ | 58.0 | 1706| 4548|| 11a | 45 0 | 62.5 | 2979| 7212 11b | 27 0¼ | 58.0 | 1734| 4607|| 11b | 46 2 | 62.1 | 3060| 7519 12a | 34 1¼ | 58.0 | 2096| 5745|| 12a | 54 2¾ | 62.1 | 3533| 8976 12b | 33 0¾ | 58.0 | 2025| 5634|| 12b | 53 1 | 62.2 | 3454| 8819 13a | 31 3¾ | 58.0 | 1953| 5542|| 13a | 53 1 | 62.6 | 3453| 9192 13b | 32 2¾ | 58.0 | 2019| 5691|| 13b | 53 1¼ | 62.5 | 3439| 9238 14a | 30 1¾ | 58.0 | 1886| 5283|| 14a | 54 1¾ | 62.5 | 3527| 8986 14b | 32 0¼ | 58.1 | 2008| 5558|| 14b | 53 1¾ | 62.5 | 3450| 8749 | | | | || | | | | 15a | 30 1¾ | 58.3 | 1872| 5268|| 15a | 48 1¼ | 62.5 | 3114| 8276 15b | 32 2¾ | 58.3 | 2029| 5787|| 15b | 48 0 | 62.9 | 3127| 8240 | | | | || | | | | 16a | 36 1¼ | 58.0 | 2225| 6752|| 16a | 56 2¾ | 62.4 | 3710|10717 16b | 36 0½ | 57.5 | 2233| 6730|| 16b | 55 0¼ | 62.3 | 3607|10332 | | | | || | | | | 17a | 27 3½ | 58.1 | 1747| 4827|| 17a | 21 0½ | 62.8 | 1370| 3288 17b | 27 2¼ | 58.1 | 1685| 4762|| 17b | 21 1½ | 62.8 | 1389| 3292 18a | 18 1½ | 58.5 | 1168| 3161|| 18a | 46 1½ | 62.6 | 3006| 7889 18b | 18 2¾ | 58.5 | 1195| 3335|| 18b | 46 0¾ | 62.8 | 3009| 7737 | | | | || | | | | 19 | 23 1½ | 57.2 | 1479| 4132|| 19 | 46 2¾ | 62.9 | 3054| 7577 | | | | || | | | | 20 | 12 1½ | 57.3 | 818| 2335|| 20 | 17 2¾ | 62.5 | 1137| 2609 21 | 20 1½ | 58.1 | 1273| 3465|| 21 | 27 2½ | 62.5 | 1796| 4279 22 | 20 0¼ | 58.0 | 1250| 3430|| 22 | 29 3 | 62.4 | 1907| 4599 -----+---------+------+-----+-----||-----+---------+------+-----+-----

The _ninth_ season (1851-2), was unusually cold in June and wet in August. It will be seen that the wheat, both in quantity and quality, is the poorest since the commencement of the experiments. The unmanured plot gave less than 14 bushels of dressed grain per acre; the plot with barn-yard manure, less than 28 bushels, and the best yield in the whole series was not quite 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 weight per bushel, 63½ lbs. So much for a favorable and an unfavorable season.

The _tenth_ season (1852-3), was still more unfavorable. The autumn of 1852 was so wet that it was impossible to work the land and sow the wheat until the 16th of March 1853.

You will see that the produce on the unmanured plot was less than 6 bushels per acre. With barn-yard manure, 19 bushels, and with a heavy dressing of ammonia-salts and minerals, not quite 26 bushels per acre. With a heavy dressing of superphosphate, not quite 9¼ bushels per acre, and with a full dressing of mixed mineral manures and superphosphate, 10 bushels per acre.

The weight per bushel on the unmanured plot was 45 lbs.; with mixed mineral manures, 48½ lbs.; with ammonia-salts alone, 48½ lbs.; with barn-yard manure, 51 lbs.; and with ammonia-salts and mixed mineral manures, 52¼ lbs.

Farmers are greatly dependent on the season, but the good farmer, who keeps up the fertility of his land stands a better chance of making money (or of losing less), than the farmer who depends on the unaided products of the soil. The one gets 6 bushels per acre, and 1,413 lbs. of straw of very inferior quality; the other gets 20 to 26 bushels per acre, and 5,000 lbs. of straw. And you must recollect that in an unfavorable season we are pretty certain to get high prices.

The _eleventh_ season (1853-4,) gives us much more attractive-looking figures! We have over 21 bushels per acre on the plot which has grown eleven crops of wheat in eleven years without any manure.

With barn-yard manure, over 41 bushels per acre. With ammonia-salts alone (17_a_), 45¾ bushels. With ammonia-salts and mixed minerals, (16_b_), over 50 bushels per acre, and 6,635 lbs. of straw. A total produce of nearly 5½ tons per acre.

The _twelfth_ season (1854-5), gives us 17 bushels of wheat per acre on the continuously unmanured plot. Over 34½ bushels on the plot manured with barn-yard manure. And I think, for the first time since the commencement of the experiments, this plot produces the largest yield of any plot in the field. And well it may, for it has now had, in twelve years, 168 tons of barn-yard manure per acre!

Several of the plots with ammonia-salts and mixed minerals, are nearly up to it in grain, and ahead of it in straw.

The _thirteenth_ season (1855-6), gives 14½ bushels on the unmanured plot; over 36¼ bushels on the plot manured with barn-yard manure; and over 40 bushels on 8_a_, dressed with 600 lbs. ammonia-salts and mixed mineral manures. It will be noticed that 800 lbs. ammonia-salts does not give quite as large a yield this year as 600 lbs. I suppose 40 bushels per acre was all that the _season_ was capable of producing, and an extra quantity of ammonia did no good. 400 lbs. of ammonia-salts, on 7_a_, produced 37¼ bushels per acre, and 800 lbs. on 16_b_, only 37¾ bushels. That extra half bushel of wheat was produced at considerable cost.

The _fourteenth_ season (1856-7), gives 20 bushels per acre on the unmanured plot, and 41 bushels on the plot with barn-yard manure. Mixed mineral manures alone on 5_a_ gives nearly 23 bushels per acre. Mixed mineral manures and 200 lbs. ammonia-salts, on 6_a_, give 35¼ bushels. In other words the ammonia gives us over 12 extra bushels of wheat, and 1,140 lbs. of straw. Mineral manures and 400 lbs. ammonia-salts, on 7_b_, give 46¼ bushels per acre. Mineral manures and 600 lbs. ammonia-salts, on 8_b_, give nearly 49 bushels per acre. Mineral manures and 800 lbs. of ammonia-salts, on 16_b_, give 50 bushels per acre, and 4,703 lbs. of straw.

“This exceedingly heavy manuring,” said the Deacon, “does not pay. For instance,

“200 lbs. ammonia-salts give an increase of 12¼ bushels per acre. 400 ” ” ” ” 23¼ ” ” 600 ” ” ” ” 26 ” ” 800 ” ” ” ” 27 ” ”

The Deacon is right, and Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert call especial attention to this point. The 200 lbs. of ammonia-salts contain about 50 lbs. of ammonia, and the 400 lbs., 100 lbs. of ammonia. And as I have said, 100 lbs. of ammonia per acre is an unusually heavy dressing. It is as much ammonia as is contained in 1,000 lbs. of average Peruvian guano. We will recur to this subject.

The _fifteenth_ season (1857-8,) gives a yield of 18 bushels of wheat per acre on the continuously unmanured plot, and nearly 39 bushels on the plot continuously manured with 14 tons of barnyard manure. Mixed mineral manures on 5_a_ and 5_b_, give a mean yield of less than 19 bushels per acre.

Mixed mineral manures and 100 lbs. ammonia-salts, on plots 21 and 22, give 23¼ bushels per acre. In other words:

25 lbs. ammonia, gives an _increase_ of 4¼ bush. (100 lbs. ammonia-salts) 50 ” ” , ” ” ” ” 10 ” (200 ” ” ” ) 100 ” ” , ” ” ” ” 20 ” (400 ” ” ” ) 150 ” ” , ” ” ” ” 23 ” (600 ” ” ” ) 200 ” ” , ” ” ” ” 23 ” (800 ” ” ” )

“It takes,” said the Deacon, “about 5 lbs. of ammonia to produce a bushel of wheat. And according to this, 500 lbs. of Peruvian guano, guaranteed to contain 10 per cent of ammonia, would give an increase of 10 bushels of wheat.”

“This is a very interesting matter,” said I, “but we will not discuss it at present. Let us continue the examination of the subject. I do not propose to make many remarks on the tables. You must study them for yourself. I have spent hours and days and weeks making and pondering over these tables. The more you study them the more interesting and instructive they become.”

The _sixteenth_ season (1858-9), gives us a little over 18¼ bushels on the unmanured plot. On the plot manured with 14 tons farmyard manure, 36¼ bushels; and this is the highest yield this season in the wheat-field. Mixed mineral manures alone, (mean of plot 5_a_ and 5_b_), give 20½ bushels.

25 lbs. ammonia (100 lbs. ammonia-salts), and mixed minerals, give 25¼ bushels, or an _increase_ over minerals alone of 4¾ bushels.

50 lbs. ammonia, an increase of 9¼ bushels. 100 ” ” ” ” ” 14 ” 150 ” ” ” ” ” 14 ” 200 ” ” ” ” ” 14¼ ”

The season was an unfavorable one for excessive manuring. It was too wet and the crops of wheat when highly manured were much laid. The quality of the grain was inferior, as will be seen from the light weight per bushel.

The _seventeenth_ season (1859-60,) gives less than 13 bushels per acre on the unmanured plot; and 32¼ bushels on the plot manured with 14 tons farm-yard manure. This season (1860), was a miserable year for wheat in England. It was both cold and wet. Mixed mineral manures, on plots 5_a_ and 5_b_, gave nearly 16 bushels per acre. 25 lbs. ammonia, in addition to the above, gave less than 15 bushels. In other words it gave no _increase_ at all.

50 lbs. ammonia, gave an _increase_ of 6 bushels. 100 ” ” ” ” ” ” 11¾ ” 150 ” ” ” ” ” ” 15¼ ” 200 ” ” ” ” ” ” 16¾ ”

It was a poor year for the wheat-grower, and that, whether he manured excessively, liberally, moderately, or not at all.

“I do not quite see that,” said the Deacon, “the farm-yard manure gave an _increase_ of nearly 20 bushels per acre. And the quality of the grain must have been much better, as it weighed 3½ lbs. per bushel more than the plot unmanured. If the wheat doubled in price, as it ought to do in such a poor year, I do not see but that the good farmer who had in previous years made his land rich, would come out ahead.”

“Good for the Deacon,” said I. “‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’” If the Deacon continues to study these experiments much longer, we shall have him advocating chemical manures and high farming!

The _eighteenth_ season (1860-1,) gave less than 11½ bushels per acre on the unmanured plot; and nearly 35 bushels on the manured plot.

The mixed mineral manures, gave nearly 15½ bushels. ” ” ” and 25 lbs. ammonia 18¼ ” ” ” ” ” 50 ” ” 27¾ ” ” ” ” ” 100 ” ” 35 ” ” ” ” ” 150 ” ” 35 ” ” ” ” ” 200 ” ” 37 ”

The _nineteenth_ season (1861-2,) gave 16 bushels per acre on the unmanured plot, and over 38¼ bushels on the plot manured with farm-yard manure.

Mixed mineral manures, gave nearly 18 bushels per acre. ” ” ” and 25 lbs. ammonia 20¼ ” ” ” ” ” ” 50 ” ” 28¼ ” ” ” ” ” ” 100 ” ” 36 ” ” ” ” ” ” 150 ” ” 39½ ” ” ” ” ” ” 200 ” ” 36¼ ” ”

The _twentieth_ season (1862-3), gave 17¼ bushels on the unmanured plot, and 44 bushels per acre on the manured plot.

Mixed mineral manures alone gave 19¾ bushels per acre. ” ” ” and 25 lbs. ammonia 28¾ ” ” ” ” ” ” 50 ” ” 39¾ ” ” ” ” ” ” 100 ” ” 53¾ ” ” ” ” ” ” 150 ” ” 55¾ ” ” ” ” ” ” 200 ” ” 56 ” ”

When we 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 surprising thing about the whole matter is, that the plot which has had no manure of any kind for 25 years, and has grown 20 wheat-crops in 20 successive years, should still produce a crop of wheat of 17¼ bushels per acre. Many of our farmers do not average 10 bushels per acre. Mr. Lawes must either have very good land, or else the climate of England is better adapted for wheat-growing than Western New York.”

“I do not think,” said I, “that Mr. Lawes’ land is any better than yours or mine; and I do not think the climate of England is any more favorable for growing wheat without manure than our climate. If there is any difference it is in our favor.”

“Why, then,” asked the Doctor, “do we not grow as much wheat per acre as Mr. Lawes gets from his continuously unmanured plot?”

This is a question not difficult to answer.

1st. _We grow too many weeds._ Mr. Lawes plowed the land twice every year; and the crop was hoed once or twice in the spring to kill the weeds.

2d. We do not half work our heavy land. We do not plow it enough--do not cultivate, harrow, and roll enough. I have put wheat in on my own farm, and have seen others do the same thing, when the drill on the clay-spots could not deposit the seed an inch deep. There is “plant-food” enough in these “clay-spots” to give 17 bushels of wheat per acre--or perhaps 40 bushels--but we shall not get ten bushels. The wheat will not come up until late in the autumn--the plants will be weak and thin on the ground; and if they escape the winter they will not get a fair hold of the ground until April or May. You know the result. The straw is full of sap, and is almost sure to rust; the grain shrinks up, and we harvest the crop, not because it is worth the labor, but because we cannot cut the wheat with a machine on the better parts of the field without cutting these poor spots also. An acre or two of poor spots pull down the average yield of the field below the average of Mr. Lawes’ well-worked but unmanured land.

3d. Much of our wheat is seriously injured by stagnant water _in the soil_, and standing water on the surface. I think we may safely say that one-third the wheat-crop of this county (Monroe Co., N.Y.), is lost for want of better tillage and better draining--and yet we think we have as good wheat-land and are as good farmers as can be found in this country or any other!

Unless we drain land, where drainage is needed, and unless we work land thoroughly that needs working, and unless we kill the weeds or check their excessive growth, it is poor economy to sow expensive manures on our wheat-crops.

But I do not think there is much danger of our falling into this error. The farmers who try artificial manures are the men who usually take the greatest pains to make the best and most manure from the animals kept on the farm. They know what manures cost and what they are worth. As a rule, too, such men are good farmers, and endeavor to work their land thoroughly and keep it clean. When this is the case, there can be little doubt that we can often use artificial manures to great advantage.

“You say,” said the Deacon, who had been looking over the tables while I was talking, “that mixed mineral manures and 50 lbs. of ammonia give 39¾ bushels per acre. Now these mixed mineral manures contain potash, soda, magnesia, and superphosphate. And I see where superphosphate was used without any potash, soda, and magnesia, but with the same amount of ammonia, the yield is nearly 46 bushels per acre. This does not say much in favor of potash, soda, and magnesia, as manures, for wheat. Again, I see, on plot 10_b_, 50 lbs. of ammonia, _alone_, gives over 43½ bushels per acre. On plot 11_b_, 50 lbs. ammonia _and_ superphosphate, give 46½ bushels. Like your father, I am inclined to ask, ‘_Where can I get this ammonia?_’”