Chapter XXIX
Reading edition
MANURES FOR BARLEY.
Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert have published the results of experiments with different manures on barley grown annually on the same land for twenty years in succession. The experiments commenced in 1852.
The soil is of the same general character as that in the field on the same farm where wheat was grown annually for so many years, and of which we have given such a full account. It is what we should call a calcareous clay loam. On my farm, we have what the men used to call “clay spots.” These spots vary in size from two acres down to the tenth of an acre. They rarely produced even a fair crop of corn or potatoes, and the barley was seldom worth harvesting. Since I have drained the land and taken special pains to bestow extra care in plowing and working these hard and intractable portions of the fields, the “clay spots” have disappeared, and are now nothing more than good, rather stiff, clay loam, admirably adapted for wheat, barley, and oats, and capable of producing good crops of corn, potatoes, and mangel-wurzels.
The land on which Mr. Lawes’ wheat and barley experiments were made is not dissimilar in general character from these “clay spots.” If the land was only half-worked, we should call it clay; but being thoroughly cultivated, it is a good clay loam. Mr. Lawes describes it as “a somewhat heavy loam, with a subsoil of raw, yellowish red clay, but resting in its turn upon chalk, which provides good natural drainage.”
The part of the field devoted to the experiments was divided into 24 plots, about the fifth of an acre each.
Two plots were left without manure of any kind.
One plot was manured every year with 14 tons per acre of farm-yard manure, and the other plots “with manures,” to quote Dr. Gilbert, “which respectively supplied certain constituents of farm-yard manure, separately or in combination.”
In England, the best barley soils are usually lighter than the best wheat soils. This is probably due to the fact that barley usually follows a crop of turnips—more or less of which are eaten off on the land by sheep. The trampling of the sheep compresses the soil, and makes even a light, sandy one firmer in texture.
In this country, our best wheat land is also our best barley land, provided it is in good heart, and is very thoroughly worked. It is no use sowing barley on heavy land half worked. It will do better on light soils; but if the clayey soils are made fine and mellow, they produce with us the best barley.
In chemical composition, barley is quite similar to wheat. Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert give the composition of a wheat-crop of 30 bushels per acre, 1,800 lbs. of grain, and 3,000 lbs. of straw; and of a crop of barley, 40 bushels per acre, 2,080 lbs. grain, and 2,500 lbs. of straw, as follows:
In Grain. In Straw. In Total Produce.
Wheat Barley Wheat Barley Wheat Barley
lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.
Nitrogen 32. 33. 13. 12. 45. 45.
Phosphoric acid 16. 17. 7. 5. 23. 22.
Potash 9.5 11.5 20.5 18.5 30. 30.
Lime 1. 1.5 9. 10.5 10. 12.
Magnesia 3.5 4. 3. 2.5 6.5 6.5
Silica 0.5 12. 99.5 63. 100. 75.
A few years ago, when the midge destroyed our wheat, many farmers in Western New York raised “winter barley,” instead of “winter wheat,” and I have seen remarkably heavy crops of this winter barley. It is not now grown with us. The maltsters would not pay as much for it as for spring barley, and as the midge troubles us less, our farmers are raising winter wheat again.
Where, as with us, we raise winter wheat and spring barley, the difference between the two crops, taking the above estimate of yield and proportion of grain to straw, would be:
1st. Almost identical composition in regard to nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, lime, and magnesia; but as it has more straw, the wheat-crop removes a larger amount of silica than barley.
2d. The greatest difference is in the length of time the two crops are in the ground. We sow our winter wheat the last of August, or the first and second week in September. Before winter sets in, the wheat-plant often throws out a bunch of roots a foot in length. During the winter, though the thermometer goes down frequently to zero, and sometimes 10° to 15° below zero, yet if the land is well covered with snow, it is not improbable that the roots continue to absorb more or less food from the ground, and store it up for future use. In the spring, the wheat commences to grow before we can get the barley into the ground, though not to any considerable extent. I have several times sown barley as soon as the surface-soil was thawed out five or six inches deep, but with a bed of solid frozen earth beneath.
3d. Two-rowed barley does not ripen as early as winter wheat, but our ordinary six-rowed barley is ready to harvest the same time as our winter wheat.
4th. We sow our barley usually in May, and harvest it in July. The barley, therefore, has to take up its food rapidly. If we expect a good growth, we must provide a good supply of food, and have it in the proper condition for the roots to reach it and absorb it; in other words, the land must be not only rich, but it must be so well worked that the roots can spread out easily and rapidly in search of food and water. In this country, you will find ten good wheat-growers to one good barley grower.
“That is so,” said the Deacon; “but tell us about Mr. Lawes’ experiments. I have more confidence in them than in your speculations. And first of all what kind of land was the barley grown on?”
“It is,” said I, “rather heavy land—as heavy as what the men call ‘clay-spots,’ on my farm.”
“And on those clay-spots,” said the Deacon, “you either get very good barley, or a crop not worth harvesting.”
“You have hit it exactly, Deacon,” said I. “The best barley I have this year (1878) is on these clay-spots. And the reason is, that we gave them an extra plowing last fall with a three-horse plow. That extra plowing has probably given me an extra 30 bushels of barley per acre. The barley on some of the lighter portions of the field will not yield over 25 bushels per acre. On the clay-spots, it looks now (June 13) as though there would be over 50 bushels per acre. It is all headed out handsomely on the clay-spots, and has a strong, dark, luxuriant appearance, while on the sand, the crop is later and has a yellow, sickly look.”
“You ought,” said the Doctor, “to have top-dressed these poor, sandy parts of the field with a little superphosphate and nitrate of soda.”
“It would have paid wonderfully well,” said I, “or, perhaps, more correctly speaking, the loss would have been considerably less. We have recently been advised by a distinguished writer, to apply manure to our best land, and let the poor land take care of itself. But where the poor land is in the same field with the good, we are obliged to plow, harrow, cultivate, sow, and harvest the poor spots, and the question is, whether we shall make them capable of producing a good crop by the application of manure, or be at all the labor and expense of putting in and harvesting a crop of chicken-feed and weeds. Artificial manures give us a grand chance to make our crops more uniform.”
“You are certainly right there,” said the Doctor, “but let us examine the Rothamsted experiments on barley.”
You will find the results in the following tables. The manures used, are in many respects the same as were adopted in the wheat experiments already given. The mineral or ash constituents were supplied as follows:
Potash—as sulphate of potash.
Soda—as sulphate of soda.
Magnesia—as sulphate of magnesia.
Lime—as sulphate, phosphate, and superphosphate.
Phosphoric acid—as bone-ash, mixed with sufficient sulphuric acid to convert most of the insoluble earthy phosphate of lime into sulphate and soluble superphosphate of lime.
Sulphuric acid—in the phosphatic mixture just mentioned; in sulphates of potash, soda, and magnesia; in sulphate of ammonia, etc.
Chlorine—in muriate of ammonia.
Silica—as artificial silicate of soda.
Other constituents were supplied as under:
Nitrogen—as sulphate and muriate of ammonia; as nitrate of soda; in farm-yard manure; in rape-cake.
Non-nitrogenous organic matter, yielding by decomposition, carbonic acid, and other products—in yard manure, in rape-cake.
The artificial manure or mixture for each plot was ground up, or otherwise mixed, with a sufficient quantity of soil and turf-ashes to make it up to a convenient measure for equal distribution over the land. The mixtures so prepared were, with proper precautions, sown broadcast by hand; as it has been found that the application of an exact amount of manure, to a limited area of land, can be best accomplished in that way.
The same manures were used on the same plot each year. Any exceptions to this rule are mentioned in foot-notes.
Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year after Year, on the same land, without Manure, and with different descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England.
TABLE I.—SHOWING, taken together with the foot-notes, THE DESCRIPTION AND QUANTITIES OF THE MANURES APPLIED PER ACRE ON EACH PLOT, IN EACH YEAR OF THE TWENTY, 1852-1871 INCLUSIVE.
[N.B. This table has reference to all the succeeding Tables].
Plots manures per acre, per annum (unless otherwise stated in the foot-notes). Plots
1 O. Unmanured continuously 1 O.
2 O. 3½ cwts. Superphosphate of Lime* 2 O.
3 O. 200 lbs. †Sulphate of Potass, 100 lbs. ‡ Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia 3 O.
4 O. 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass. 100 lbs. ‡ Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 4 O.
1 A. 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts § 1 A.
2 A. 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 2 A.
3 A. 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts, 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia 3 A.
4 A. 200 lbs. Ammonia salts 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 4 A.
{1 AA. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda 1 AA.}
{2 AA. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 2 AA.}
‖{3 AA. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 200 lbs. † Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia 3 AA.}‖
{4 AA. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 4 AA.}
{1 AAS. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 400 lbs. ¶Silicate Soda 1 AAS.}
{2 AAS. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 400 lbs. ¶Silicate Soda, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 2 AAS.}
{3 AAS. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 400 lbs. ¶Silicate Soda, 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia 3 AAS.}
{4 AAS. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda, 400 lbs. ¶Silicate Soda, 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 4 AAS.}
{1 C. 1000 lbs. Rape-cake 1 C.}
{2 C. 1000 lbs. Rape-cake, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 2 C.}
**{3 C. 1000 lbs. Rape-cake, 200 lbs. † Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3 C.}**
{4 C. 1000 lbs. Rape-cake, 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 100 lbs. ‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate 4 C.}
{1 N. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda 1 N.}
††{2 N. 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda (550 lbs. Nitrate for 5 years, 1853, 4, 5, 6, and 7) 2 N.}
M. 100 lbs. ‡‡Sulphate Soda, 100 lbs. Sulphate Magnesia, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate (commencing 1855; 1852, 3, and 4, unmanured M.
5 O. 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate (200 lbs. Ammonia-salts also, for the first year, 1852, only) 5 O.
5 A. 200 lbs. †Sulphate Potass, 3½ cwts. Superphosphate, 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts 5 A.
6 {1 Unmanured continuously 1} 6
{2 Ashes (burnt-soil and turf) 2}
7 14 Tons Farmyard-Manure 7
NOTES TO TABLE I.
Transcriber’s Note: For comparison purposes, the above table is repeated here in the format used for similar tables in Chapter XXVII.
FM Farm-yard Manure. ABT Ashes (burnt-soil and turf). SiS Silicate of Soda. SPL Superphosphate (of Lime). SMg Sulphate of Magnesia. SP Sulphate of Potass. S Sulphate of Soda. NS Nitrate of Soda. RC Rape-Cake. A-S Ammonia-salts.
Plots FM ABT SiS SPL SMg SP SS NS RC A-S
Tons. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.
1 O. .. .. unmanured continuously .. .. ..
2 O. .. .. .. 350 .. .. .. .. .. ..
3 O. .. .. .. .. 100 200 100 .. .. ..
4 O. .. .. .. 350 100 200 100 .. .. ..
1 A. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200
2 A. .. .. .. 350 .. .. .. .. .. 200
3 A. .. .. .. .. 100 200 100 .. .. 200
4 A. .. .. .. 350 100 200 100 .. .. 200
{1 AA. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 275 .. ..
{2 AA. .. .. .. 350 .. .. .. 275 .. ..
{3 AA. .. .. .. .. 100 200 100 275 .. ..
{4 AA. .. .. .. 350 100 200 100 275 .. ..
{1 AAS. .. .. 400 .. .. .. .. 275 .. ..
{2 AAS. .. .. 400 350 .. .. .. 275 .. ..
{3 AAS. .. .. 400 .. 100 200 100 275 .. ..
{4 AAS. .. .. 400 350 100 200 100 275 .. ..
1 C. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1000 ..
2 C. .. .. .. 350 .. .. .. .. 1000 ..
3 C. .. .. .. .. 100 200 100 .. 1000 ..
4 C. .. .. .. 350 100 200 100 .. 1000 ..
1 N. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 275 .. ..
2 N. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 275 .. ..
M. .. .. .. 350 100 .. 100 .. .. ..
5 O. .. .. .. 350 .. 200 .. .. .. ..
5 A. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
6{1 .. .. unmanured continuously .. .. ..
{2 .. (—)* .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
7 14 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
The following four tables are shown in “thumbnail” form. The full-width versions are collected in a separate file.
Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year after Year, on the same land, without Manure, and with different descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England.
TABLE II.—DRESSED CORN PER ACRE—bushels.
[N.B. The double vertical lines show that there was a change in the description, or quantity, of Manure, at the period indicated, for particulars of which see Table I., and foot-notes thereto, p. 231.]
1st 10: First ten Years, 1852-’61. 2nd 10: Second ten Years, 1862-’71. T20: Total Period, 20 Years, 1852-’71.
Harvests. Average Annual.
Plots. 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1st 10 2nd 10 T20
bushels. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bushels. bushels. bushels.
1 O. 27¼ 25¾ 35 31 13⅞ 26⅛ 21⅛ 13½ 13¼ 16¼ 16½ 22⅞ 24 18 15⅞ 17⅛ 15⅝ 15⅛ 13½ 16¾ 22⅜ 17½ 20
2 O. 28⅝ 33½ 40⅝ 36¼ 17¾ 33¼ 28¾ 19⅝ 15¾ 25 21⅞ 32⅜ 30¼ 22½ 22⅜ 24⅝ 18½ 18¼ 18 23⅛ 27⅞ 23¼ 25½
3 O. 26⅛ 27⅝ 36½ 34¾ 16⅝ 32 24¼ 15⅞ 15¼ 18⅞ 19¾ 27⅝ 26⅛ 22 19⅛ 17 14¼ 18¾ 16¾ 19⅜ 24¾ 20⅛ 22⅜
4 O. 32¾ 35⅝ 42 37⅛ 19¾ 39¾ 30⅞ 19¾ 18¼ 29⅜ 25⅛ 33 33¼ 24⅜ 24 20⅞ 17⅝ 22¼ 18½ 25 30½ 24⅜ 27½
Means 28¾ 30⅝ 38½ 34¾ 17 32¾ 26¼ 17¼ 15⅝ 22⅜ 20¾ 28⅞ 28⅜ 21¾ 20⅜ 19⅞ 16½ 18⅝ 16¾ 21⅛ 26⅜ 21¼ 23⅞
1 A. 36⅞ 38⅝ 47¾ 44½ 25 38⅞ 31½ 15⅜ 26⅝ 30½ 31⅜ 42⅝ 38⅞ 29⅞ 27⅛ 30⅝ 20⅜ 27⅞ 27¾ 36⅜ 33⅝ 31¼ 32½
2 A. 38⅝ 40⅛ 60½ 47¾ 29⅛ 56½ 51⅜ 34½ 43⅜ 55 48⅝ 61⅝ 58½ 48⅜ 50½ 44 37⅝ 48 41½ 45⅛ 45⅝ 48⅜ 47
3 A. 36 36½ 50 44½ 28⅜ 42⅜ 34¼ 16⅞ 28 32¾ 35¼ 48⅝ 43⅞ 33¼ 27½ 33 25 34¾ 30⅞ 38⅛ 35 35 35
4 A. 40¾ 38¼ 60⅝ 48⅜ 31¾ 57⅜ 51½ 34⅝ 43½ 54⅝ 47⅝ 55⅜ 55⅜ 46½ 47 43⅞ 34⅝ 49¼ 38 46½ 46⅛ 46⅜ 46¼
Means 38⅛ 38⅜ 54¾ 46¼ 28½ 48¾ 42⅛ 25⅜ 35⅜ 43¼ 40¾ 52⅛ 49⅛ 39½ 38⅛ 37⅞ 29⅜ 39⅞ 34½ 41½ 40⅛ 40¼ 40¼
1 AA. 44½ 40¾ 56⅝ 48 36¼ 49¾ 39⅜ 21½ 25⅜ 35 31½ 49 41¾ 33¾ 29⅛ 29¾ 27 32⅛ 29¼ 39⅛ 39¾ 34¼ 37
2 AA. 43¾ 42¼ 63¼ 50⅜ 31½ 66½ 56¼ 35⅞ 43¼ 55¾ 51 60½ 56⅞ 47½ 50⅞ 44¼ 44 48¼ 46¼ 46½ 48⅞ 49⅝ 49¼
3 AA. 41¾ 41¼ 51½ 47¾ 25⅜ 49⅞ 40⅝ 20⅜ 30¾ 36⅞ 36¼ 54 44⅝ 34⅛ 29¾ 32⅞ 27½ 33⅞ 32⅜ 36⅛ 38⅝ 36⅛ 37⅜
4 AA. 45⅛ 44½ 62¾ 49⅝ 37⅝ 64⅞ 56¼ 35¾ 46¼ 55⅞ 48¾ 59½ 56⅜ 48⅞ 50⅞ 45 45⅜ 49⅞ 44½ 46 49⅞ 49½ 49¾
Means 43¾ 42⅛ 58½ 48⅞ 32⅝ 57¾ 48⅛ 28⅜ 36⅜ 45⅞ 41⅞ 55¾ 49⅞ 41⅛ 40⅛ 38 36 41 38⅛ 42 44¼ 42⅜ 43⅜
1 AAS. 44⅛ 34⅞ 37⅞ 32¼ 29⅜ 34¾ 35 48⅛ {37¼ 36⅞ 37 }
2 AAS. 54⅞ 47¼ 51⅛ 44 44⅞ 49⅞ 44¾ 49½ {49¼ 47¼ 48¼}1
3 AAS. 50 41 41⅞ 39½ 36⅜ 40½ 42¾ 48⅜ 1{43⅛ 42 42⅝}
4 AAS. 59⅛ 50½ 50¾ 45¼ 46⅝ 51¾ 47¼ 48⅞ {51⅜ 48⅝ 50 }
Means (d)2 43⅜ 45⅜ 40¼ 39⅜ 44¼ 42½ 48¾ 45¼ 43¾ 44½
1 C. 39⅛ 39⅞ 60¾ 48½ 36¾ 64⅛ 53¾ 38¾ 31¾ 56½ 41 51⅞ 48⅛ 45 45⅞ 38⅝ 37 42½ 41¾ 44 47 43⅝ 45¼
2 C. 36½ 36⅛ 60⅝ 53¼ 37⅛ 62¼ 57⅜ 41 36¾ 56⅞ 45 55 51¾ 46⅛ 47½ 45½ 35¼ 48¼ 41¾ 41¾ 47¾ 45¾ 46¾
3 C. 33½ 35¼ 56½ 48⅞ 32⅝ 60¼ 52 34⅛ 35¼ 51⅛ 36 53⅛ 49⅛ 48¾ 43⅞ 38⅞ 35⅛ 43⅝ 38½ 45⅜ 44 43¼ 43⅝
4 C. 38 40⅛ 60¼ 51¾ 35⅜ 62¼ 57⅛ 35 40¾ 53⅝ 45½ 54½ 53 48⅛ 48⅝ 42⅝ 36¼ 52⅛ 43¾ 47½ 47⅜ 47¼ 47⅜
Means 36¾ 37⅞ 59½ 50⅝ 35½ 62¼ 55 37¼ 36⅛ 54½ 41⅞ 53⅝ 50½ 47 46½ 41⅜ 35⅞ 46⅝ 41½ 44⅝ 46½ 45 45¾
1 N. }(25⅞){ 34⅜ 49⅜ 50 28½ 47⅞ 37¾ 24⅞ 27⅜ 38¼ 35½ 51½ 40¾ 37 34⅜ 33 25½ 35¼ 34¾ 43⅛ 2{37⅝ 37⅛ 37⅜}2
2 N.37⅛ 53¼ 49⅜ 42 58 43⅞ 26½ 29¾ 41⅝ 38⅜ 53⅞ 46¼ 39⅞ 41 36⅜ 25⅜ 38⅜ 40¼ 45⅜ {42⅜ 40½ 41⅜}
M. 32⅛ 18¾ 24½ 25⅞ 19½ 10⅝ 27⅝ 23⅜ 28⅛ 25⅞ 19¾ 19 20½ 14¾ 16⅝ 16⅛ 22⅛ 3(22⅝ 20⅝ 21½)3
5 O. (36½) 27½ 30¾ 32⅜ 19⅛ 31⅛ 25⅜ 16½ 10⅛ 28⅝ 17⅜ 29½ 26½ 23 22½ 19½ 15 23⅜ 14½ 20 4(24⅝ 21⅛ 22¾)4
5 A. 36½ 40⅛ 51⅞ 47⅞ 33⅛ 54⅞ 48⅛ 33⅛ 39 49⅜ 46⅝ 51½ 50¾ 48¼ 43⅞ 34⅞ 36⅛ 49⅞ 41¾ 44¼ 43⅜ 44¾ 44⅛
6{1 29 26¼ 35⅛ 37¼ 15⅛ 34⅞ 26½ 17⅛ 12¼ 16⅝ 18½ 27¼ 25⅛ 21 16⅛ 16⅜ 15¼ 14⅞ 15¼ 18¾ 25 18⅞ 22
{2 25⅛ 27⅜ 33¼ 36¼ 15⅞ 31⅛ 25¼ 14¾ 12⅛ 17⅞ 19 28⅝ 25⅛ 19¼ 17¼ 19¾ 15⅞ 15⅜ 15⅛ 24¼ 23⅞ 20 21⅞
7 33 36⅛ 56⅜ 50⅛ 32⅛ 51¼ 55 40 41⅝ 54⅜ 49¾ 59½ 62 52¾ 53⅛ 45⅝ 43⅝ 46⅞ 47½ 54¼ 45 51½ 48¼
Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year after Year, on the same land, without Manure, and with different descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England.
TABLE III.—WEIGHT PER BUSHEL OF DRESSED CORN—lbs.
[N.B. The double vertical lines show that there was a change in the description, or quantity, of Manure, at the period indicated, for particulars of which see Table I., and foot-notes thereto, p. 231.]
1st 10: First ten Years, 1852-’61. 2nd 10: Second ten Years, 1862-’71. T20: Total Period, 20 Years, 1852-’71.
Harvests. Average Annual.
Plots. 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1st 10 2nd 10 T20
lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.
1 O. 52.1 51.4 53.6 52.4 49.1 52.0 53.0 49.0 50.8 52.3 50.3 53.6 55.7 53.9 51.1 51.8 54.3 52.4 52.9 55.0 51.6 53.1 52.3
2 O. 52.6 52.6 54.0 52.5 46.5 52.8 54.0 52.0 50.5 53.8 52.0 54.2 56.8 53.8 53.2 53.9 55.8 54.3 53.6 56.0 52.0 54.4 53.2
3 O. 52.5 51.9 53.6 52.9 48.5 52.5 53.5 49.5 50.3 52.8 51.8 54.5 56.9 54.5 52.3 52.9 55.7 54.7 54.3 55.4 51.8 54.3 53.0
4 O. 51.5 52.1 54.0 53.1 47.0 53.7 54.0 52.5 51.3 54.0 52.0 54.8 57.3 54.0 52.7 53.6 55.3 54.6 55.6 55.6 52.3 54.6 53.4
Means 52.2 52.0 53.8 52.7 47.8 52.8 53.6 50.8 50.7 53.1 51.5 54.3 56.7 54.1 52.3 53.1 55.3 54.0 54.1 55.5 52.0 54.1 53.0
1 A. 50.7 52.4 53.6 51.8 48.5 51.9 53.0 47.5 50.8 51.5 49.4 53.6 55.4 53.8 50.9 51.3 53.3 52.4 54.6 55.6 51.2 53.0 52.1
2 A. 50.5 52.5 54.3 51.3 46.3 54.3 53.8 51.0 51.0 53.5 53.5 55.3 57.0 52.7 54.4 54.1 54.6 57.0 57.2 55.0 51.8 55.1 53.5
3 A. 50.9 52.6 54.0 52.2 49.1 52.1 54.0 47.5 50.8 51.5 50.5 54.3 56.4 54.7 52.1 51.9 54.8 54.6 55.4 56.1 51.5 54.1 52.8
4 A. 51.4 53.1 54.3 52.0 46.4 54.8 54.0 51.0 51.1 54.0 54.0 56.5 57.6 53.5 54.7 54.3 55.6 57.4 57.1 56.5 52.2 55.7 54.0
Means 50.9 52.7 54.1 51.8 47.6 53.3 53.7 49.3 50.9 52.6 51.9 54.9 56.6 53.7 53.0 52.9 54.6 55.4 56.1 55.8 51.6 54.5 53.1
1 AA. 49.1 51.3 52.8 50.6 48.3 52.0 53.5 47.5 50.7 51.8 50.0 53.9 55.5 53.5 50.9 52.4 53.7 53.1 54.5 54.1 50.8 53.2 52.0
2 AA. 49.5 51.7 52.4 50.1 46.1 53.5 53.3 50.7 51.3 53.5 54.4 55.7 57.2 52.3 55.0 54.1 55.6 57.2 56.9 55.9 51.2 55.4 53.3
3 AA. 50.6 51.3 53.1 50.2 47.3 52.1 53.9 47.5 50.4 51.5 51.5 54.5 56.5 54.8 51.4 51.9 55.1 53.7 54.6 54.3 50.8 53.8 52.3
4 AA. 50.6 51.4 52.1 48.9 45.4 53.9 53.5 50.5 51.0 53.5 54.0 56.4 57.6 53.3 55.4 54.6 56.0 57.1 57.1 56.3 51.1 55.8 53.4
Means 50.0 51.4 52.6 50.0 46.8 52.9 53.6 49.1 50.9 52.6 52.5 55.1 56.7 53.5 53.2 53.3 55.1 55.3 55.8 55.2 51.0 54.6 52.8
1 AAS. 56.1 54.2 51.8 53.5 54.2 54.8 55.0 54.6 {53.9 54.6 54.3}
2 AAS. 57.2 52.4 55.6 55.1 56.2 57.4 57.4 55.6 1{55.1 56.7 55.9}
3 AAS. 57.2 54.8 52.5 53.0 55.5 56.6 55.9 53.8 {54.4 55.5 55.0}
4 AAS. 57.0 53.1 55.3 54.1 56.2 57.8 57.8 55.4 {54.9 56.8 55.8}
Means 56.9 53.6 53.8 53.9 55.5 56.7 56.5 54.9 54.6 55.9 55.2
1 C. 51.7 51.3 52.9 50.5 46.1 53.2 53.5 52.0 52.0 54.0 54.5 56.3 57.1 53.8 55.1 54.4 56.2 56.7 57.5 56.3 51.7 55.8 53.8
2 C. 51.8 51.6 52.8 50.0 47.3 53.8 52.8 51.5 51.5 54.1 55.3 56.4 57.0 53.3 55.7 55.0 56.1 57.1 57.8 56.4 51.7 56.0 53.9
3 C. 51.3 51.5 52.6 50.6 46.6 54.1 53.5 51.7 51.8 53.5 53.5 56.8 57.3 53.3 55.3 54.7 55.8 57.1 57.6 56.3 51.7 55.8 53.7
4 C. 51.4 50.4 52.8 49.5 46.3 54.1 53.1 51.0 51.1 54.3 54.0 56.7 57.2 53.5 55.6 54.8 55.4 57.4 58.0 56.4 51.4 55.9 53.6
Means 51.6 51.2 52.8 50.2 46.6 53.8 53.2 51.6 51.6 54.0 54.3 56.6 57.1 53.5 55.4 54.7 55.9 57.1 57.7 56.4 51.6 55.9 53.8
1 N. }{51.7}{ 51.3 53.3 52.0 50.0 52.9 53.5 48.0 51.0 52.0 51.5 53.4 56.0 54.1 52.0 52.9 52.8 54.3 55.6 54.6 2{51.6 53.7 52.7}
2 N.49.7 53.1 50.1 48.4 53.0 54.0 48.5 51.1 51.8 51.3 53.9 56.5 53.8 52.8 52.7 55.5 54.8 55.8 54.6 {51.1 54.2 52.7}
M. 52.6 49.3 52.6 53.6 49.5 51.0 53.8 52.8 53.8 56.3 54.4 52.9 53.9 54.0 54.0 55.3 55.0 3(51.8 54.2 53.2)
5 O. (51.0) 51.8 53.1 52.6 47.5 53.4 54.0 51.0 51.0 53.3 51.5 54.1 57.6 54.5 53.4 54.0 56.4 55.6 55.9 55.1 4(52.0 54.8 53.4)
5 A. 51.0 52.3 53.8 51.5 46.6 54.5 54.0 51.0 51.2 53.0 52.0 55.6 57.5 54.1 54.8 55.2 57.5 57.5 57.3 55.5 51.9 55.7 53.8
6{1 52.0 50.3 52.8 52.5 50.0 52.3 53.1 48.5 51.3 52.0 51.8 54.0 56.0 53.9 51.3 52.0 53.5 52.8 54.0 55.4 51.5 53.5 52.5
{2 53.0 50.9 53.6 52.6 50.0 52.3 53.1 47.5 51.0 52.0 52.0 54.1 55.8 53.9 51.8 52.5 53.8 52.9 54.6 54.9 51.6 53.6 52.6
7 52.8 51.6 53.9 52.9 47.1 54.2 54.5 52.5 52.1 54.8 54.8 57.2 57.4 54.4 54.9 54.8 57.1 56.4 57.1 56.6 52.6 56.0 54.3
Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year after Year, on the same land, without Manure, and with different descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England.
TABLE IV.—OFFAL CORN PER ACRE—lbs.
[N.B. The double vertical lines show that there was a change in the description, or quantity, of Manure, at the period indicated, for particulars of which see Table I., and foot-notes thereto, p. 231.]
1st 10: First ten Years, 1852-’61. 2nd 10: Second ten Years, 1862-’71. T20: Total Period, 20 Years, 1852-’71.
Harvests. Average Annual.
Plots. 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1st 10 2nd 10 T20
lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.
1 O. 164 225 84 144 131 93 86 110 78 88 64 49 42 47 41 90 21 44 31 48 120 48 84
2 O. 100 101 101 69 58 106 103 159 84 78 114 58 69 38 21 53 29 89 18 33 96 52 74
3 O. 183 151 64 76 129 61 96 83 78 88 73 54 43 38 38 64 27 70 18 35 101 46 74
4 O. 136 160 105 94 88 53 108 160 74 58 117 57 41 28 55 60 25 69 26 48 104 53 78
Means 146 159 89 96 102 78 98 129 78 78 92 55 49 38 39 67 25 68 23 41 105 50 78
1 A. 218 253 201 138 219 113 98 184 150 170 269 116 99 58 94 115 49 139 23 105 174 107 141
2 A. 260 214 150 184 121 88 114 274 159 130 191 99 63 84 64 76 38 113 26 189 174 107 141
3 A. 252 336 197 177 180 91 96 175 115 109 269 108 83 51 106 94 34 95 24 89 173 95 134
4 A. 273 274 138 142 125 70 117 253 150 110 150 81 110 60 63 71 50 21 27 146 165 78 122
Means 251 277 172 160 161 91 106 222 143 130 220 101 89 63 82 89 43 92 25 132 171 94 133
1 AA. 299 303 326 204 310 135 88 215 109 173 296 110 110 64 148 110 46 64 33 133 216 111 164
2 AA. 315 251 329 181 233 133 134 320 118 190 133 143 50 113 111 69 46 89 24 168 220 95 158
3 AA. 318 236 334 212 290 108 118 265 122 138 364 95 76 48 103 106 59 111 36 133 214 113 164
4 AA. 246 301 273 150 176 183 143 285 141 179 191 66 46 76 133 119 43 78 30 90 208 87 148
Means 294 273 316 187 252 140 121 271 123 170 246 103 71 75 124 101 48 86 31 131 215 102 159
1 AAS. 94 55 88 85 49 121 33 94 {81 74 77}
2 AAS. 53 86 96 66 64 60 23 153 1{75 75 75}1
3 AAS. 70 50 141 79 39 136 29 130 {85 84 85}
4 AAS. 93 70 80 93 46 125 26 175 {84 93 89}
Means (d)7 65 101 81 50 111 28 138 81 82 82
1 C. 170 268 178 219 173 135 103 225 120 154 154 85 78 83 104 109 43 69 25 78 175 83 129
2 C. 164 316 238 195 161 169 148 171 156 150 128 109 92 44 89 89 64 111 24 88 193 84 138
3 C. 190 296 248 183 189 156 105 236 115 204 190 71 90 66 94 91 39 91 37 141 192 91 142
4 C. 144 277 227 222 205 168 125 350 153 204 174 66 123 69 128 72 42 67 28 124 208 89 149
Means 167 304 223 205 182 157 120 246 136 178 161 83 96 66 104 90 47 85 28 108 192 87 139
1 N. }(94){ 283 109 128 245 99 119 205 146 225 245 120 74 98 124 119 61 150 33 99 {173 112 141}
2 N.228 286 224 193 151 110 235 179 190 216 114 95 84 104 88 35 98 33 171 2{199 104 149}2
M. 36 94 90 84 85 75 78 198 46 58 69 44 56 26 61 25 58 3(77 64 69)3
5 O. (173) 68 113 50 96 101 71 110 73 73 193 41 78 35 48 56 20 75 23 41 4(84 61 72)4
5 A. 173 210 170 126 151 68 154 168 193 188 210 81 91 94 53 74 33 63 30 144 160 87 124
6 {1 120 200 144 116 152 72 84 121 88 73 75 51 51 45 72 103 27 71 26 50 117 57 87
{2 118 161 119 73 125 105 81 127 95 67 194 65 54 47 51 83 21 57 23 41 107 64 85
7 101 269 86 109 141 134 121 260 147 190 208 66 117 56 148 111 48 100 26 171 156 105 130
Experiments on the Growth of Barley, Year after Year, on the same land, without Manure, and with different descriptions of Manure, Hoos Field, Rothamsted, England.
TABLE V.—STRAW (AND CHAFF) PER ACRE—cwts.
[N.B. The double vertical lines show that there was a change in the description, or quantity, of Manure, at the period indicated, for particulars of which see Table I., and foot-notes thereto, p. 231.]
1st 10: First ten Years, 1852-’61. 2nd 10: Second ten Years, 1862-’71. T20: Total Period, 20 Years, 1852-’71.
Harvests. Average Annual.
Plots. 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1st 10 2nd 10 T20
Cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts.
1 O. 16⅝ 18 21¾ 17⅝ 8¾ 12¾ 10⅞ 9⅛ 7½ 11 9¾ 11⅜ 12¾ 8⅛ 9½ 10¼ 11⅝ 11 6⅝ 11 13⅜ 10¼ 11¾
2 O. 16½ 17⅛ 23¼ 17¾ 8¾ 15⅝ 14⅞ 12¼ 8⅞ 13¼ 12⅞ 15⅝ 15⅝ 9⅛ 12⅝ 12¼ 9⅜ 10⅜ 8 12¼ 14⅞ 11⅞ 13⅜
3 O. 16½ 17¼ 20⅞ 17½ 9⅛ 15 12¼ 9¾ 8½ 11½ 10⅞ 13⅜ 13⅝ 9¾ 10¼ 10⅛ 8⅝ 11 8½ 11¼ 13⅞ 10¾ 12¼
4 O. 19½ 20½ 23⅛ 18 9⅜ 17⅛ 16⅛ 12¼ 9⅛ 15⅜ 13½ 15⅜ 16¾ 10 12⅞ 12 10⅛ 12⅞ 9⅜ 14 16⅛ 12⅝ 14⅜
Means 17¼ 18¼ 22¼ 17⅝ 9 15⅛ 13½ 10⅝ 8⅝ 12¾ 11½ 13⅞ 14⅝ 9¼ 11¼ 11⅛ 9⅞ 11¼ 8⅛ 12⅛ 14½ 11⅜ 12⅞
1 A. 22⅞ 23¾ 30¼ 24⅛ 17⅛ 17¾ 15½ 11½ 14⅞ 19⅝ 20⅜ 21⅜ 20⅜ 13 15⅜ 17¼ 12¼ 18¼ 12½ 23⅛ 19¾ 17⅜ 18½
2 A. 26 25½ 40⅞ 29⅜ 21½ 26¾ 28¾ 24⅞ 25¼ 29¾ 32⅜ 34 32½ 21⅝ 28⅛ 28⅝ 19⅜ 32 17⅞ 28⅛ 27⅞ 27½ 27⅝
3 A. 23⅝ 25⅛ 33¾ 27½ 17⅞ 21⅜ 17⅞ 13½ 16¼ 21½ 23¼ 26¼ 19¼ 16 16¾ 19⅜ 14⅞ 20¾ 15 25⅜ 21⅞ 19¾ 20¾
4 A. 27⅞ 26⅝ 40½ 31 21¼ 27⅞ 29⅜ 27¼ 26⅝ 30½ 31⅝ 32 34⅞ 22½ 27⅜ 25½ 20⅞ 34⅜ 18⅝ 32½ 28⅞ 28 28½
Means 25⅛ 25¼ 36⅜ 28 19½ 23½ 22⅛ 19¼ 20¾ 25⅜ 26¾ 28⅜ 26¾ 18¼ 21¾ 22⅝ 16¾ 26⅜ 16 27¼ 24½ 23⅛ 23¾
1 AA. 26⅞ 26⅛ 37⅞ 32⅛ 24½ 23½ 19⅛ 14½ 13½ 22 21¼ 25⅛ 23¼ 16 17¾ 17⅛ 14½ 21½ 17⅞ 26¾ 24 20⅛ 22⅛
2 AA. 28⅜ 28⅜ 44⅜ 38⅝ 31⅝ 32⅞ 32⅝ 26½ 24¼ 31⅝ 31½ 32½ 33⅛ 23 28⅛ 30⅞ 21⅞ 34⅞ 23¾ 32⅛ 31⅞ 29⅛ 30½
3 AA. 26⅜ 27¼ 37⅞ 34 26⅛ 26 22⅛ 16⅛ 18⅛ 24⅛ 24¾ 27⅞ 26⅞ 17 18⅛ 20¾ 16¼ 22¾ 20⅞ 25⅜ 25¾ 22¼ 24
4 AA. 28⅜ 31⅝ 49 39⅞ 33 36¼ 35¼ 30⅝ 29 33⅝ 33⅛ 34¾ 37¼ 24⅞ 28¼ 28⅜ 25⅝ 38⅛ 18¼ 32⅝ 34¾ 30⅛ 32⅜
Means 27½ 28⅜ 42¼ 36⅛ 28¾ 29⅝ 27½ 21⅞ 21¼ 27⅞ 27⅝ 30 30⅛ 20¼ 23⅛ 24¼ 19⅝ 29¼ 20¼ 29¼ 29 25⅜ 27¼
1 AAS. 26⅛ 22⅜ 20⅝ 18½ 16⅞ 23¾ 17 29¾ {21⅞ 21⅞ 21⅞}
2 AAS. 33½ 23¼ 30¼ 29½ 25¼ 37⅛ 20⅛ 36⅛ 1{29⅛ 29⅝ 29⅜}1
3 AAS. 30¼ 20⅜ 25 23⅜ 22 30⅝ 20½ 31⅛ {24¾ 26⅛ 25⅜}
4 AAS. 40¾ 25½ 29½ 28¼ 26⅝ 42½ 20¾ 38 {31 32 31½}
Means 32⅝ 22⅞ 26⅜ 24⅞ 22⅝ 33½ 19⅝ 33¾ 26⅝ 27⅜ 27
1 C. 24⅝ 26⅞ 43¼ 36⅛ 26 33⅛ 30¾ 26⅞ 17⅞ 27⅞ 26 28⅝ 26⅛ 21½ 24⅛ 25½ 19⅛ 27 17¼ 27½ 29⅜ 24¼ 26⅞
2 C. 23¾ 25⅝ 44⅛ 36⅛ 31½ 33⅛ 33⅞ 28¾ 20⅝ 30⅜ 27¼ 30⅛ 31⅞ 21⅞ 24½ 25⅝ 19⅝ 33⅛ 17⅞ 27⅞ 30⅞ 26 28⅜
3 C. 21⅞ 25¼ 41¼ 35⅞ 26½ 30⅞ 30¾ 25⅝ 20⅛ 30¾ 23⅞ 29⅞ 31 22 24⅜ 22¼ 10¾ 30½ 18⅜ 30⅞ 28⅞ 25¼ 27⅛
4 C. 24⅛ 27½ 42⅛ 37⅝ 30½ 33⅛ 35 29½ 22¾ 31 28⅞ 30¾ 34⅞ 22 27⅝ 24¼ 21⅛ 35⅛ 20⅜ 32 31¼ 27¾ 29½
Means 23½ 26¼ 42¾ 36½ 28⅝ 32⅝ 32⅝ 27¾ 20⅜ 30 26½ 29⅞ 31 21⅞ 25⅛ 24⅜ 19⅞ 31⅜ 18½ 29⅝ 30⅛ 25¾ 28
1 N. }(15¼){ 23⅛ 33⅜ 27 19⅝ 24⅝ 20⅛ 18¾ 16¾ 27¼ 24¼ 30¼ 24⅛ 18½ 21⅛ 21⅛ 18⅞ 24 13¼ 29¼ 2{23⅜ 22½ 22⅞}2
2 N.25⅜ 38¼ 33¼ 28¾ 32 23⅝ 21¼ 18⅝ 29⅝ 24¾ 29⅞ 27¾ 21½ 23⅞ 21¾ 17⅛ 27⅝ 19⅛ 31½ {27⅞ 24½ 26⅛}
M. 15¼ 10⅝ 10⅜ 12⅜ 10⅞ 7¼ 15⅛ 14½ 19½ 13⅞ 9⅜ 12⅜ 12 10⅛ 11⅝ 8⅞ 14¾ 3(11¾ 12¾ 12⅜)3
5 O. (25⅛) 15¾ 20¼ 14⅝ 10⅜ 13¼ 12½ 10½ 6⅞ 17½ 10½ 15¼ 14⅞ 10¾ 10⅝ 10⅜ 8½ 15½ 4⅜ 13⅛ 4(13⅝ 11⅜ 12⅜)4
5 A. 25⅛ 24 35¾ 31 22¾ 27⅝ 28⅝ 26⅛ 25½ 31⅞ 31⅝ 34 33⅞ 24⅞ 28 22⅜ 20⅝ 36⅛ 21⅜ 29⅝ 27⅞ 28¼ 28
6{1 17⅛ 16½ 22½ 18½ 9¼ 16⅛ 12 11¼ 7½ 9⅞ 10⅜ 13½ 13⅝ 8¾ 10½ 9⅜ 10½ 9⅞ 7¾ 13 14 10¾ 12⅜
{2 14⅛ 15⅞ 20¾ 16¾ 9½ 14⅝ 11⅜ 10 7¾ 10 11⅝ 14⅜ 13⅞ 8⅞ 9½ 10⅞ 10⅞ 10⅜ 7⅞ 13⅝ 13 11¼ 12⅛
7 18½ 22¾ 37¼ 27½ 19¾ 23⅝ 31⅜ 28½ 25⅜ 31⅝ 34¼ 33⅛ 37⅜ 25⅜ 31½ 27⅛ 24½ 28¾ 19¾ 37⅛ 26⅝ 29⅞ 28¼
The produce of barley the first season (1852), was, per acre:
On the unmanured plot … … … 27¼ bushels
With superphosphate of lime 28⅝ bushels
With potash, soda, and magnesia 26¼ bushels
With potash, soda, and magnesia and superphosphate 32¾ bushels
With 14 tons barn-yard manure 33 bushels
With 200 lbs. ammonia-salts alone 36⅞ bushels
With 200 lbs. ammonia-salts and superphosphate 38⅝ bushels
With 200 lbs. ammonia-salts and potash, soda, and magnesia 36 bushels
With 200 lbs. ammonia-salts and superphosphate, potash, soda, and magnesia 40¾ bushels
With 400 lbs. ammonia-salts alone 44½ bushels
The 200 lbs. of ammonia-salts contain 50 lbs. of ammonia = 41 lbs. nitrogen.
It will be seen that this 50 lbs. of ammonia alone, on plot 1a, gives an increase of nearly 10 bushels per acre, or to be more accurate, it gives an increase over the unmanured plot of 503 lbs. of grain, and 329 lbs. of straw, while double the quantity of ammonia on plot 1a.a., gives an increase of 17¼ bushels per acre—or an increase of 901 lbs. of grain, and 1,144 lbs. of straw.
“Put that fact in separate lines, side by side,” said the Deacon, “so that we can see it.”
Grain Straw Total Produce.
50 lbs. of ammonia gives an increase of 503 lbs. 704 lbs. 1207 lbs.
100 lbs. of ammonia gives an increase of 901 lbs. 1144 lbs. 2045 lbs.
The first 50 lbs. of ammonia gives an increase of 503 lbs. 704 lbs. 1207 lbs.
The second 50 lbs. of ammonia gives an increase of 398 lbs. 540 lbs. 738 lbs.
“That shows,” said the Deacon, “that a dressing of 50 lbs. per acre pays better than a dressing of 100 lbs. per acre. I wish Mr. Lawes had sown 75 lbs. on one plot.”
I wish so, too, but it is quite probable that in our climate, 50 lbs. of available ammonia per acre is all that it will usually be profitable to apply per acre to the barley crop. It is equal to a dressing of 500 lbs. guaranteed Peruvian guano, or 275 lbs. nitrate of soda. —“Or to how much manure?” asked the Deacon.
To about 5 tons of average stable-manure, or say three tons of good, well-rotted manure from grain-fed animals.
“And yet,” said the Deacon, “Mr. Lawes put on 14 tons of yard manure per acre, and the yield of barley was not as much as from the 50 lbs. of ammonia alone. How do you account for that?”
Simply because the ammonia in the manure is not ammonia. It is what the chemists used to call “potential ammonia.” A good deal of it is in the form of undigested straw and hay. The nitrogenous matter of the food which has been digested by the animal and thrown off in the liquid excrements, is in such a form that it will readily ferment and produce ammonia, while the nitrogenous matter in the undigested food and in the straw used for bedding, decomposes slowly even under the most favorable conditions; and if buried while fresh in a clay soil, it probably would not all decompose in many years. But we will not discuss this at present.
“The superphosphate does not seem to have done much good,” said the Deacon; “3½ cwt. per acre gives an increase of less than two bushels per acre. And I suppose it was good superphosphate.”
There need be no doubt on that point. Better superphosphate of lime cannot be made. But you must recollect that this is pure superphosphate made from burnt bones. It contains no ammonia or organic matter. Commercial superphosphates contain more or less ammonia, and had they been used in these experiments, they would have shown a better result than the pure article. They would have done good in proportion to the available nitrogen they contained. If these experiments prove anything, they clearly indicate that superphosphate alone is a very poor manure for either wheat or barley.
The second year, the unmanured plot gave 25¾ bushels per acre. Potash, soda, and magnesia, (or what the Deacon calls “ashes,”) 27⅝ bushels; superphosphate 33½, and “ashes” and superphosphate, nearly 36 bushels per acre.
50 lbs. of ammonia, alone, gives nearly 39 bushels, and ammonia and superphosphate together, 40 bushels.
The superphosphate and “ashes” give a better account of themselves this year; but it is remarkable that the ammonia alone, gives almost as good a crop as the ammonia and superphosphate, and a better crop than the ammonia and “ashes,” or the ammonia, superphosphate, and ashes, together.
The 14 tons farm-yard manure gives over 36 bushels per acre. This plot has now had 28 tons of manure per acre, yet the 50 lbs. of ammonia alone, still gives a better yield than this heavy dressing of manure.
The third season (1854), was quite favorable for the ripening of wheat and barley. The seed on the experimental barley-field, was sown Feb. 24, and the harvest was late; so that the crop had an unusually long season for growth. It was one of the years when even poor land, if clean, gives a good crop. The unmanured plot, it will be seen, yielded over 35 bushels per acre of dressed grain, weighing over 53½ lbs. per bushel. The total weight of grain, was 1,963 lbs. This is over 40 bushels per acre, of 48 lbs. per bushel, which is the standard with us.
The 14 tons of farm-yard manure produce nearly 56½ bushels per acre.
50 lbs. of ammonia, on plot 1a. 47¾ bushels per acre.
100 lbs. of ammonia, on plot 1a.a. 56⅝ bushels per acre.
You will see, that though the plot which has received 42 tons of manure per acre, produced a splendid crop; the plot having nothing except 100 lbs. of ammonia per acre, produced a crop equally good. “How much increase do you get from 50 lbs. of ammonia,” asked the Deacon, “and how much from 100 lbs.?”
Equal Amer. Bushels. Grain. Straw.
50 lbs. of ammonia, gives an increase of 800 lbs. 952 lbs. 16⅔ bush.
100 lbs. of ammonia, gives an increase of 1,350 lbs. 2,100 lbs. 28 bush.
If you buy nitrate of soda at 3¾ cents a lb., the ammonia will cost 20 cents a lb. In the above experiment, 50 lbs. of ammonia, costing $10, gives an increase of 16⅔ bushels of barley, and nearly half a ton of straw. If the straw is worth $4.00 per ton, the barley will cost 48 cents a bushel.
Double the quantity of manure, costing $20, gives an increase of 28 bushels of barley, and over one ton of straw. In this case the extra barley costs 57 cents a bushel.
On plot 2a., 50 lbs. of ammonia and 3½ cwt. of superphosphate, give 3,437 lbs. of grain, equal to 71½ of our bushels per acre.
On plot 2a.a., 100 lbs. of ammonia and 3½ cwt. of superphosphate, give 3,643 lbs. of grain, which lacks only 5 lbs. of 76 bushels per acre, and nearly 2½ tons of straw.
“That will do,” said the Deacon, “but I see that in 1857, this same plot, with the same manure, produced 66½ bushels of dressed grain per acre, weighing 53½ lbs. to the bushel, or a total weight of 3,696 lbs., equal to just 77 of our bushels per acre.”
“And yet,” said the Doctor, “this same year, the plot which had 84 tons of farm-yard manure per acre, produced only 2,915 lbs. of grain, or less than 61 of our bushels of barley per acre.”
The Squire happened in at this time, and heard the last remark. “What are you saying,” he remarked, “about only 61 bushels of barley per acre. I should like to see such a crop. Last year, in this neighborhood, there were hundreds of acres of barley that did not yield 20 bushels per acre, and very little of it would weigh 44 lbs. to the bushel.”
This is true. And the maltsters find it almost impossible to get six-rowed barley weighing 48 lbs. per bushel. They told me, that they would pay $1.10 per bushel for good bright barley weighing 48 lbs. per bushel, and for each pound it weighed less than this, they deducted 10 cents a bushel from the price. In other words, they would pay $1.00 a bushel for barley weighing 47 lbs. to the bushel; 90 cents for barley weighing 46 lbs.; 80 cents for barley weighing 45 lbs., and 70 cents for barley weighing 44 lbs.—and at these figures they much preferred the heaviest barley.
It is certainly well worth our while, if we raise barley at all, to see if we cannot manage not only to raise larger crops per acre, but to produce barley of better quality. And these wonderful experiments of Mr. Lawes are well worth careful examination and study.
The Squire put on his spectacles and looked at the tables of figures.
“Like everybody else,” said he, “you pick out the big figures, and to hear you talk, one would think you scientific gentlemen never have any poor crops, and yet I see that in 1860, there are three different crops of only 12⅛, 12¼, and 13¼ bushels per acre.”
“Those,” said I, “are the three plots which have grown barley every year without any manure, and you have selected the worst year of the whole twenty.”
“Perhaps so,” said the Squire, “but we have got to take the bad with the good, and I have often heard you say that a good farmer who has his land rich and clean makes more money in an unfavorable than in a favorable season. Now, this year 1860, seems to have been an unfavorable one, and yet your pet manure, superphosphate, only gives an increase of 148 lbs. of barley—or three bushels and 4 lbs. Yet this plot has had a tremendous dressing of 3½ cwt. of superphosphate yearly since 1852. I always told you you lost money in buying superphosphate.”
“That depends on what you do with it. I use it for turnips, and tomatoes, cabbages, lettuce, melons, cucumbers, etc., and would not like to be without it; but I have never recommended any one to use it on wheat, barley, oats, Indian corn, or potatoes, except as an experiment. What I have recommended you to get for barley is, nitrate of soda, and superphosphate, or Peruvian guano. And you will see that even in this decidedly unfavorable season, the plot 2a.a., dressed with superphosphate and 275 lbs. of nitrate of soda, produced 2,338 lbs. of barley, or 48¾ bushels per acre. This is an increase over the unmanured plots of 33½ bushels per acre, and an increase of 1,872 lbs. of straw. And the plot dressed with superphosphate and 200 lbs. of salts of ammonia, gave equally as good results.”
And this, mark you, is the year which the Squire selected as the one most likely to show that artificial manures did not pay.
“I never knew a man except you,” said the Squire, “who wanted unfavorable seasons.”
I have never said I wanted unfavorable seasons. I should not dare to say so, or even to cherish the wish for one moment. But I do say, that when we have a season so favorable that even poorly worked land will produce a fair crop, we are almost certain to have prices below the average cost of production. But when we have an unfavorable season, such crops as barley, potatoes, and beans, often advance to extravagantly high prices, and the farmer who has good crops in such a season, gets something like adequate pay for his patient waiting, and for his efforts to improve his land.
“That sounds all very well,” said the Squire, “but will it pay to use these artificial manures?”
I do not wish to wander too much from the point, but would like to remark before I answer that question, that I am not a special advocate of artificial manures. I think we can often make manures on our farms far cheaper than we can buy them. But as the Squire has asked the question, and as he has selected from Mr. Lawes’ results, the year 1860, I will meet him on his own ground. He has selected a season specially unfavorable for the growth of barley. Now, in such an unfavorable year in this country, barley would be likely to bring, at least, $1.25 per bushel, and in a favorable season not over 75 cents a bushel.
Mr. Lawes keeps his land clean, which is more than can be said of many barley-growers. And in this unfavorable season of 1860, he gets on his three unmanured plots an average of 730 lbs. of barley, equal to 15¼ bushels per acre, and not quite 800 lbs. of straw.
Many of our farmers frequently do no better than this. And you must recollect that in such careful experiments as those of Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert, great pains would be taken to get all the barley that grew on the land. With us, barley is cut with a reaper, and admirable as our machines are, it is not an easy matter to cut a light, spindling crop of barley perfectly clean. Then, in pitching the crop and drawing it in, more or less barley is scattered, and even after we have been over the field two or three times with a steel-tooth rake, there is still considerable barley left on the ground. I think we may safely assume that at least as much barley is left on the ground as we usually sow—say two bushels per acre. And so, instead of having 15¼ bushels per acre, as Mr. Lawes had, we should only harvest 13¼ bushels.
Of all our ordinary farm crops, barley is attended with the least labor and expense. We usually sow it after corn or potatoes. On such strong land as that of Mr. Lawes, we ought to plow the land in the autumn and again in the spring, or at least stir up the land thoroughly with a two or three-horse cultivator or gang-plow.
Let us say that the cost of plowing, harrowing, drilling, and rolling, is $5.00 per acre. Seed, $2.00. Harvesting, $2.00. Threshing, 6 cents a bushel.
Receipts:
13¼ bushels barley @ 1.25 $16.57
800 lbs. of straw @ $4. per ton 1.60
18.17
Putting in and harvesting the crop $9.00
Threshing 13¼ bushels @ 6c .80 9.80
Rent and profit per acre $8.37
“That is a better showing than I expected,” said the Squire, “and as barley occupies the land only a few months, and as we sow wheat after it, we cannot expect large profits.”
“Very well,” said I, “Now let us take the crop, this same unfavorable year, on plot 2a.a., dressed with superphosphate and nitrate of soda.”
The expense of plowing, harrowing, drilling, rolling, seed, and harvesting, would be about the same, or we will say $2.00 an acre more for extra labor in harvesting. And we will allow two bushels per acre for scatterings—though there is nothing like as much barley left on the ground when we have a good crop, as when we have a poor crop. But I want to be liberal.
The yield on plot 2a.a., was 48¾ bushels per acre, and 2,715 lbs. of straw.
Receipts:
46¾ bushels @ $1.25 $58.43
2,715 lbs. straw @ $4. per ton 5.43
$63.86
Putting in the crop and harvesting $11.00
Threshing 46¾ bushels @ 6 c 2.80
275 lbs. nitrate of soda @ 4 c 11.00
392 lbs. superphosphate @ 2 c 7.84
$32.64
Rent and profit $31.22
In ordinary farm practice, I feel sure we can do better than this. Growing barley year after year on the same land, is not the most economical way of getting the full value of the manure. There is much nitrogen and phosphoric acid left in the land, which barley or even wheat does not seem capable of taking up, but which would probably be of great benefit to the clover.
MANURE AND ROTATION OF CROPS.
The old notion that there is any real chemical necessity for a rotation of crops is unfounded. Wheat can be grown after wheat, and barley after barley, and corn after corn, provided we use the necessary manures and get the soil clean and in the right mechanical condition.
“What, then, do we gain by a rotation?” asked the Deacon.
Much every way. A good rotation enables us to clean the land. We can put in different crops at different seasons.
“So we could,” broke in the Deacon, “if we sowed wheat after wheat, barley after barley, and corn after corn.”
True, but if we sowed winter-wheat after winter-wheat, there would not be time enough to clean the land.
“Just as much as when we sow wheat after oats, or peas, or barley.”
“True again, Deacon,” I replied, “but we are supposed to have cleaned the land while it was in corn the previous year. I say supposed, because in point of fact, many of our farmers do not half clean their land while it is in corn. It is the weak spot in our agriculture. If our land was as clean as it should be to start with, there is no rotation so convenient in this section, as corn the first year, barley, peas, or oats the second year, followed by winter-wheat seeded down. But to carry out this rotation to the best advantage we need artificial manures.”
“But will they pay?” asks the Deacon.
“They will pay well, provided we can get them at a fair price and get fair prices for our produce. If we could get a good superphosphate made from Charleston phosphates for 1½ cent per lb., and nitrate of soda for 3½ or 4 cents per lb., and the German potash-salts for ¾ cent per lb., and could get on the average $1.25 per bushel for barley, and $1.75 for good white wheat, we could use these manures to great advantage.”
“Nothing like barn-yard manure,” says the Deacon.
No doubt on that point, provided it is good manure. Barn-yard manure, whether rich or poor, contains all the elements of plant-food, but there is a great difference between rich and poor manure. The rich manure contains twice or three times as much nitrogen and phosphoric acid as ordinary or poor manure. And this is the reason why artificial manures are valuable in proportion to the nitrogen and phosphoric acid that they contain in an available condition. When we use two or three hundred pounds per acre of a good artificial manure we in effect, directly or indirectly, convert poor manure into rich manure. There is manure in our soil, but it is poor. There is manure in our barn-yard, but it is poor also. Nitrogen and phosphoric acid will make these manures rich. This is the reason why a few pounds of a good artificial manure will produce as great an effect as tons of common manure. Depend upon it, the coming farmer will avail himself of the discoveries of science, and will use more artificial fertilizers.
But whether we use artificial fertilizers or farm-yard manure, we shall not get the full effect of the manures unless we adopt a judicious rotation of crops.
When we sow wheat after wheat, or barley after barley, or oats after oats, we certainly do not get the full effect of the manures used. Mr. Lawes’ experiments afford conclusive evidence on this point. You will recollect that in 1846, one of the plots of wheat (10b), which had received a liberal dressing of salts of ammonia the year previous, was left without manure, and the yield of wheat on this plot was no greater than on the plot which was continuously unmanured. In other words, the ammonia which was left in the soil from the previous year, had no effect on the wheat.
The following table shows the amount of nitrogen furnished by the manure, and the amount recovered in the crop, when wheat is grown after wheat for a series of years, and also when barley is grown after barley, and oats after oats.
TABLE SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF NITROGEN RECOVERED, AND NOT RECOVERED, IN INCREASE OF PRODUCE, FOR 100 SUPPLIED IN MANURE.
100N: For 100 Nitrogen in Manure R/I: Recovered in Increase. NRI: Not Recovered in Increase.
Plots. MANURES PER ACRE, PER ANNUM. 100N
R/I NRI
WHEAT—20 YEARS, 1852-1871.
6 Mixed Mineral Manure and 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 41 lbs. Nitrogen) 32.4 67.6
7 Mixed Mineral Manure and 400 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 82 lbs. Nitrogen) 32.9 67.1
8 Mixed Mineral Manure and 600 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 123 lbs. Nitrogen) 31.5 68.5
16 Mixed Mineral Manure and 800 lbs.1 Ammonia-salts (= 164 lbs. Nitrogen) 28.5 71.5
9A Mixed Mineral Manure and 550 lbs.2 Nitrate Soda (= 82 lbs. Nitrogen) 45.3 54.7
2 14 tons Farmyard-Manure every year. 14.6 85.4
BARLEY—20 YEARS, 1852-1871.
4A Mixed Mineral Manure and 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 41 lbs. Nitrogen) 48.1 51.9
4AA Mixed Mineral Manure and 400 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 82 lbs. Nitrogen) 6 years, 1852-’57 49.8 50.2
Mixed Mineral Manure and 200 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 41 lbs. Nitrogen) 10 years, 1858-’67
Mixed Mineral Manure and 275 lbs. Nitrate Soda (= 41 lbs. Nitrogen) 4 years, 1868-’71
4C Mixed Mineral Manure and 2000 lbs. Rape-cake (= 95 lbs. Nitrogen) 6 years, 1852-’57 36.3 63.7
Mixed Mineral Manure and 1000 lbs. Rape-cake (= 47.5 lbs. Nitrogen) 14 years, 1858-’71
7 14 tons Farmyard-Manure every year. 10.7 89.3
OATS—3 YEARS, 1869-1871.
4 Mixed Mineral Manure and 400 lbs. Ammonia-salts (= 82 lbs. Nitrogen) 51.9 48.1
6 Mixed Mineral Manure and 550 lbs. Nitrate Soda (= 82 lbs. Nitrogen) 50.4 49.6
It is not necessary to make any comments on this table. It speaks for itself; but it does not tell half the story. For instance, in the case of wheat and barley, it gives the average result for 20 years. It shows that when 100 lbs. of nitrogen in a soluble and available form, are applied to wheat, about 68 lbs. are left in the soil. But you must recollect that 100 lbs. was applied again the next year, and no account is taken of the 68 lbs. left in the soil—and so on for 20 years. In other words, on plot 8, for instance, 2,460 lbs. of nitrogen have been applied, and only 775 lbs. have been recovered in the total produce of grain, straw, and chaff, and 1,685 lbs. have been left in the soil.
Mr. Lawes estimates, from several analyses, that his farm-yard manure contains 0.637 per cent of nitrogen, 2.76 per cent of mineral matter, and 27.24 per cent of organic matter, and 70 per cent of water.
According to this, the plot dressed with 14 tons of manure every year, for 20 years, has received 3,995 lbs. of nitrogen, of which 583¼ lbs. were recovered in the produce, and 3,411¾ lbs. were left in the soil.
In the case of barley, 3,995 lbs. of nitrogen was applied during the 20 years to the plot dressed with farm-yard manure, of which 427½ lbs. were recovered in the crop, and 3,567½ lbs. left in the soil.
“I see,” said the Deacon, “that barley gets less of the goodness out of farm-yard manure than wheat, but that it gets more out of the salts of ammonia and nitrate of soda. How do you account for that?”
“I suppose, because the manure for wheat was applied in the autumn, and the rains of winter and spring dissolved more of the plant-food than would be the case if the manure was applied in the spring. If the manure had been applied on the surface, instead of plowing it under, I believe the effect would have been still more in favor of the autumn-manuring.”
When the nitrogen is in an available condition, spring barley can take up and utilize a larger proportion of the nitrogen than winter wheat. Neither the wheat nor the barley can get at and take up half what is applied, and this, notwithstanding the fact that a heavy dew or a slight rain furnishes water enough on an acre to dissolve a liberal dressing of nitrate of soda or sulphate and muriate of ammonia. The truth is, the soil is very conservative. It does not, fortunately for us, yield up all its plant-food in a year.
We have seen that when wheat or barley is dressed with soluble ammonia-salts or nitrate of soda, a considerable amount of the nitrogen is left in the soil—and yet this nitrogen is of comparatively little benefit to the succeeding crops of wheat or barley, while a fresh dressing of ammonia-salts or nitrate of soda is of great benefit to the crop.
In other words, when wheat is sown after wheat, or barley after barley, we do not get half the benefit from the manure which it is theoretically capable of producing.
Now, the question is, whether by a judicious rotation of crops, we can avoid this great loss of manure?
There was a time when it was thought that the growth of turnips enriched the soil. I have heard it said, again and again, that the reason English farmers grow larger crops of wheat and barley than we do, is because they grow so many acres of turnips.
“So I have often heard,” said the Deacon, “and I supposed the broad turnip leaves absorbed nitrogen from the atmosphere.”
There is no evidence that leaves have any such power; while there are many facts which point in an opposite direction. The following experiments of Lawes and Gilbert seem to show that the mere growth of turnips does not enrich land for grain crops.
Turnips were grown on the same land, year after year, for ten years. The land was then plowed and sown to barley for three years. The following table gives the results:
Three Years of Barley after Ten Years of Turnips.
PARTICULARS OF MANURES, ETC. Produce of Barley per Acre.
1853. 1854. 1855. Average 3 years
bush. bush. bush. bush.
Hoos-Field— Barley, without manure, after 3 corn-crops 26 35⅛ 34⅛ 31⅜
Barn-Field— Barley, after 10 yrs. Turnips manured as under—
1.—Mineral manures (last 8 years) 20½ 19½ 20 20
2.—Mineral manures (8 yrs.); Ammonia-salts (6 yrs.). 23⅛ 21¼ 21¾ 22
3.—Mineral manures (8 yrs.); Rape-cake (6 yrs.) 28¾ 24⅝ 23⅛ 25¾
4.—Mineral manures (8 yrs.); Ammonia-salts and Rape-cake (6 yrs.) 29⅛ 23¾ 23¾ 25⅝
5.—Mineral manures (8 yrs.); Ammonia-salts, for Barley, 1854 (20½) 52⅜ 26⅝ 39½
6.—Mineral manures (8 yrs.); Ammonia-salts, for Barley, ’54 and ’55 (20½) 54⅞ 49⅜ 47⅝
The yield of barley after turnips is less than it is after grain crops, and it is evident that this is due to a lack of available nitrogen in the soil. In other words, the turnips leave less available nitrogen in the soil than grain crops.
After alluding to the facts given in the foregoing table, Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert say:
“There is evidence of another kind that may be cited as showing that it was of available nitrogen that the turnips had rendered the soil so deficient for the after-growth of barley. It may be assumed that, on the average, between 25 and 30 lbs. of nitrogen would be annually removed from the Rothamsted soil by wheat or barley grown year after year without nitrogenous manure. But it is estimated that from the mineral-manured turnip-plots there were, over the 10 years, more than 50 lbs. of nitrogen per acre per annum removed. As, however, on some of the plots, small quantities of ammonia-salts or rape-cake were applied in the first two years of the ten of turnips, it is, perhaps, more to the purpose to take the average over the last 8 years of turnips only; and this would show about 45 lbs. of nitrogen removed per acre per annum. An immaterial proportion of this might be due to the small amounts of nitrogenous manures applied in the first two years. Still, it may be assumed that about 1½ time as much nitrogen was removed from the land for 8, if not for 10 years, in succession, as would have been taken in an equal number of crops of wheat or barley grown without nitrogenous manure. No wonder, then, that considerably less barley has been grown in 3 years after a series of mineral-manured turnip-crops, than was obtained in another field after a less number of corn-crops.
“The results obtained in Barn-field afford a striking illustration of the dependence of the turnip-plant on a supply of available nitrogen within the soil, and of its comparatively great power of exhausting it. They are also perfectly consistent with those in Hoos-field, in showing that mineral manures will not yield fair crops of barley, unless there be, within the soil, a liberal supply of available nitrogen. The results obtained under such very different conditions in the two fields are, in fact, strikingly mutually confirmatory.”