Talks on Manures Part 31

"That," said I, "is simply because the nitrogen in the manure is not in an available condition. And the practical question is, how to make the nitrogen in our manure more immediately available. It is one of the most important questions which agricultural science is called upon to answer.

Until we get more light, I feel sure in saying that one of the best methods is, to feed our animals on richer and more easily digested food."

The following table gives the results of the _eighth_ season of 1850-51.

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

Table VIII.--Manures and Produce; 8th Season, 1850-51. Manures and Seed (Red Cl.u.s.ter), Sown Autumn, 1850.

Manures FM Farm-yard Manure.

WSC Cut Wheat-straw and Chaff.

CS Common Salt.

SP Sulphate of Pota.s.s.

S-A Soda-ash.

SMg Sulphate of Magnesia.

B-A Bone-ash.

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

SAm Sulphate of Ammonia.

MAm Muriate of Ammonia.

RC Rape-cake.

----+---------------------------------------------------------------+ Manures per Acre. P +-----+----+------+----+----+----+---------------+----+----+----+ l Superphosphate 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 3 61.9 125 1296 1862 3158 213 235 448 10.7 69.6 0 18 1 61.7 124 1251 1845 3096 168 218 386 11.0 67.8 1 29 2 63.6 166 2049 3094 5143 966 1467 2433 8.8 66.2 2 15 3 61.1 114 1083 1627 2710 .. .. .. 11.8 66.6 3 28 0 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 3 63.3 213 2611 4294 6905 1528 2667 4195 8.9 60.8 5b 33 1 63.3 154 2271 3624 5895 1188 1997 3185 7.2 62.6 6a 31 0 62.3 189 2119 3507 5626 1036 1880 2916 9.8 60.4 6b 36 3 63.0 201 2524 4587 7111 1441 2960 4401 8.7 55.0 7a 37 1 63.0 178 2532 4302 6834 1449 2675 4124 7.6 58.8 7b 26 0 62.8 141 1785 2769 4554 702 1142 1844 8.6 64.5 8a 27 2 62.6 137 1863 2830 4693 780 1203 1983 7.9 65.8 8b 31 1 62.4 182 2142 3252 5394 1059 1625 2684 9.3 65.9 9a 29 0 62.0 170 1970 2942 4912 887 1315 2202 9.5 67.0 9b 28 3 61.9 179 1966 3070 5036 883 1443 2326 10.0 64.0 10a 28 2 62.5 149 1937 3048 4985 854 1421 2275 8.3 63.5 10b 32 2 62.3 181 2216 3386 5602 1133 1759 2892 8.9 65.4 11a 31 2 62.5 181 2163 3302 5465 1080 1675 2755 9.1 65.5 11b 32 3 63.1 165 2234 3600 5834 1151 1973 3124 8.0 62.0 12a 32 2 62.5 166 2203 3581 5784 1120 1954 3074 8.2 61.5 12b 30 2 62.6 180 2102 3544 5646 1019 1917 2936 9.4 59.3 13a 30 3 62.3 160 2083 3440 5523 1000 1813 2813 8.3 60.5 13b 31 0 62.9 168 2120 3605 5725 1037 1978 3015 8.6 58.8 14a 31 0 62.8 165 2121 3537 5658 1038 1910 2948 8.4 59.9 14b 27 0 62.7 138 1839 3041 4880 756 1414 2170 8.1 60.5 15a 30 2 62.9 148 2077 3432 5509 994 1805 2799 7.6 60.5 15b 36 3 63.5 161 2499 4234 6733 1416 2607 4023 6.9 59.0 16a 36 2 63.4 176 2501 4332 6833 1418 2705 4123 7.6 57.7 16b 31 3 63.3 131 2149 3597 5746 1066 1970 3036 6.5 59.7 17a 30 2 63.1 152 2079 3406 5485 996 1779 2775 7.9 61.0 17b 30 3 63.0 139 2083 3390 5473 1000 1763 2763 7.2 64.1 18a 31 0 62.4 143 2090 3586 5676 1007 1959 2966 7.3 58.3 18b 30 1 62.4 144 2031 3348 5379 948 1721 2669 7.7 60.7 19 14 1 60.8 89 956 1609 2565 -127 -18 -145 10.2 59.4 20 21} 17 3 61.9 127 1232 1763 2995 149 136 285 11.5 69.9 22} --------+-----+----+----+----+----+------+-----+------+----+----+---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Deacon is right," said I, "but it so happens that the next year and the year after, the salt _was_ applied at the same time as the other manures. It gave an increase of 94 lbs. of grain and 61 lbs. of straw in 1851, but the following year the same quant.i.ty of salt used on the same plot did more harm than good."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manures FM Farm-yard Manure.

CS Common Salt.

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

SS Sulphate of Soda.[1]

SMg Sulphate of Magnesia.[1]

B-A Bone-ash.

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

SAm Sulphate of Ammonia.

MAm Muriate of Ammonia.

NS Nitrate of Soda.

RC Rape-cake.

--------+--------------------------------------------------------------+ Manures per Acre per Annum for 12 Years, 1851-2 to 1862-3 inclusive, except in the cases explained in the Notes on p. 203. P +-----+-----+----+----+----+----+---------------+----+----+----+ l Superphosphate 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 pota.s.s was reduced from 600 to 400 lbs. per acre per annum on Plot 1, and from 300 to 200 lbs. on all the other Plots where it was used; the sulphate of soda from 400 to 200 lbs. on Plot 1, to 100 lbs. on all the Plots on which 200 lbs. had previously been applied, and from 550 to 336 lbs. (two-thirds the amount) on Plots 12_a_ and 12_b_; and the sulphate of magnesia from 420 to 280 lbs. (two-thirds the amount) on Plots 14_a_ and 14_b_.]

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