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
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