Talks on Manures Part 30

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 1 63.1 89 2446 3589 6035 1217 1975 3192 3.7 68.1 5a 39 3 63.4 97 2651 3824 6475 1422 2210 3632 5.0 69.3 5b 36 1 63.0 117 2410 3072 5482 1181 1458 2639 5.1 78.4 6a 37 3 63.0 94 2484 3516 6000 1255 1902 3157 3.9 70.6 6b 38 2 63.1 137 2576 3584 6160 1347 1970 3317 5.6 71.9 7a 37 3 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 2 63.0 85 2080 3166 5246 851 1552 2403 4.3 65.7 8b 30 2 62.8 111 2035 2683 4718 806 1069 1875 5.8 75.8 9a 22 1 62.3 80 1475 1810 3285 246 196 432 5.7 81.5 9b 32 2 62.3 112 2141 2851 4992 912 1237 2149 5.5 75.1 10a 32 1 63.3 110 2157 2960 5117 928 1346 2274 5.3 72.9 10b 35 0 62.6 121 2317 2892 5209 1088 1278 2366 5.6 80.1 11a 32 1 63.0 112 2149 2942 5091 920 1328 2248 5.5 73.0 11b 35 3 64.3 93 2396 3371 5767 1167 1757 2924 4.1 71.1 12a 34 1 64.3 71 2277 3300 5577 1048 1687 2735 3.2 69.0 12b 34 3 64.1 101 2340 3236 5576 1111 1622 2733 4.5 72.3 13a 34 2 64.1 129 2346 3246 5592 1117 1632 2749 5.8 72.3 13b 34 1 64.3 56 2266 3211 5477 1037 1597 2634 2.5 70.6 14a 31 1 64.3 112 2123 3218 5341 894 1604 2498 5.5 66.0 14b 31 3 64.2 65 2109 3038 5147 880 1424 2304 3.2 69.4 15a 30 0 64.1 68 2005 3262 5267 776 1648 2424 3.5 61.5 15b 33 1 64.5 101 2254 3384 5638 1025 1770 2795 4.7 66.6 16a 33 3 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 1 64.4 112 2259 3858 6117 1030 2244 3274 5.2 58.5 17b 32 1 64.0 93 2163 3592 5755 934 1978 2912 4.5 60.2 18a 33 2 64.0 95 2243 3779 6022 1014 2165 3179 4.4 59.3 18b 29 2 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 pa.s.sed 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 37 bushels per acre. --"Potash, soda, epsom-salts, superphosphate, and ammonia--but it is the ammonia that does the good."

He pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed 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, 3 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.

Pa.s.sing to the next plot, he exclaimed "this is better, but not so good as some that we have pa.s.sed." --"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 pa.s.sed 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 quant.i.ty 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 Cl.u.s.ter), 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 1 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 3 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 3 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 0 61.1 119 1960 3927 5887 958 2208 3166 6.3 49.9 6a 29 3 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 0 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 1 60.4 118 1951 3550 5501 949 1831 2780 6.3 55.0 9a 27 2 60.8 80 1762 3165 4927 760 1446 2206 4.7 55.7 9b 26 3 60.2 100 1721 3089 4810 719 1370 2089 6.1 55.7 10a 17 3 61.1 76 1171 1949 3120 169 230 399 6.8 60.1 10b 30 3 61.0 121 2001 3806 5807 999 2087 3086 6.4 52.6 11a 29 1 61.1 145 1940 3741 5681 938 2022 2960 8.0 51.9 11b 29 3 61.5 94 1935 3921 5856 933 2202 3135 5.1 49.4 12a 30 3 61.4 115 2013 3905 5918 1011 2186 3197 5.9 51.5 12b 31 3 60.2 105 2027 4026 6053 1025 2307 3332 5.4 50.3 13a 30 1 61.0 111 1964 4008 5972 962 2289 3251 6.0 49.0 13b 31 1 61.1 102 2023 4052 6075 1021 2333 3354 5.3 49.9 14a 31 1 61.5 65 1995 4015 6010 993 2296 3289 3.2 49.7 14b 26 0 61.5 90 1693 3321 5014 691 1602 2293 5.7 51.0 15a 30 3 61.0 59 1942 3926 5868 940 2207 3147 3.0 49.5 15b 33 2 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 2 61.5 139 1961 4034 5995 959 2315 3274 7.7 48.6 17b 29 3 61.2 110 1934 3927 5861 932 2208 3140 6.1 49.3 18a 28 2 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, 32 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 furnis.h.i.+ng less than half the ammonia contained in the 14 tons of manure, that produces a better yield of wheat."