| Lime. | Magnesia. | Potash. | Soda. | Sulphuric Acid. | Phosphoric Acid. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucern | 197.7 | 24.2 | 36.7 | 26.4 | 18.7 | 38.5 |
| Red-Clover | 262.9 | 48.4 | 58.3 | 20.0 | 26.1 | 74.8 |
| Esparsette | 132.8 | 28.7 | 42.6 | 13.8 | 20.6 | 29.7 |
| Rye | 73.2 | 14.3 | 31.2 | 43.3 | 11.8 | 24.4 |
| Swedish Clover | 136.1 | 17.6 | 25.9 | 5.7 | 13.2 | 24.2 |
| Rape | 163.9 | 12.9 | 34.7 | 20.9 | 30.8 | 31.9 |
| Oats | 85.5 | 11.2 | 24.8 | 18. | 8.8 | 29. |
| Lupine | 80.5 | 11.2 | 16.5 | 3.5 | 7. | 13.8 |
| Wheat | 76.7 | 10.1 | 28.4 | 11. | 7.4 | 11.8 |
| Peas | 71.7 | 11. | 11.2 | 7. | 9.4 | 14.3 |
| Serradella | 79.8 | 13.4 | 8.8 | 4.8 | 9. | 18.4 |
| Buckwheat | 80. | 7.2 | 8.8 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 11. |
| Barley | 42.2 | 5.5 | 9.5 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 11.2 |
It may be presumed, that, while these figures are not absolutely, they are relatively, correct. In other words, we may conclude, that red-clover leaves more nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, in the roots and stubble per acre, than any other of the crops named.
The gross amount of dry substance in the roots, and the gross amount of ash per acre, are considerably exaggerated, owing to the evidently large quantity of dirt attached to the roots and stubble. For instance, the gross amount of ash in Lucern is given as 1,201.6 lbs. per acre; while the total amount of lime, magnesia, potash, soda, sulphuric and phosphoric acids, is only 342.2 lbs. per acre, leaving 859.4 lbs. as sand, clay, iron, etc. Of the 1,919.9 lbs. of ash in the acre of clover-roots and stubble, there are 1,429.4 lbs. of sand, clay, etc. But even after deducting this amount of impurities from a gross total of dry matter per acre, we still have 7,492.2 lbs. of dry roots and stubble per acre, or nearly 3¼ tons of dry roots per acre. This is a very large quantity. It is as much dry matter as is contained in 13 tons of ordinary farm-yard, or stable-manure. And these 3¼ tons of dry clover-roots contain 191½ lbs. of nitrogen, which is as much as is contained in 19 tons of ordinary stable-manure. The clover-roots also contain 74¾ lbs. of phosphoric acid per acre, or as much as is contained in from 500 to 600 lbs. of No. 1 rectified Peruvian guano.
“But the phosphoric acid,” said the Doctor, “is not soluble in the roots.” True, but it was soluble when the roots gathered it up out of the soil.
“These figures,” said the Deacon, “have a very pleasant look. Those of us who have nearly one-quarter of our land in clover every year, ought to be making our farms very rich.”
“It would seem, at any rate,” said I, “that those of us who have good, clean, well-drained, and well-worked land, that is now producing a good growth of clover, may reasonably expect a fair crop of wheat, barley, oats, corn, or potatoes, when we break it up and plow under all the roots, which are equal to 13 or 19 tons of stable-manure per acre. Whether we can or can not depend on these figures, one thing is clearly proven, both by the chemist and the farmer, that a good clover-sod, on well-worked soil, is a good preparation for corn and potatoes.”
MANURES FOR WHEAT.
Probably nine-tenths of all the wheat grown in Western New York, or the “Genesee country,” from the time the land was first cleared until 1870, was raised without any manure being directly applied to the land for this crop. Tillage and clover were what the farmers depended on. There certainly has been no systematic manuring. The manure made during the winter, was drawn out in the spring, and plowed under for corn. Any manure made during the summer, in the yards, was, by the best farmers, scraped up and spread on portions of the land sown, or to be sown, with wheat. Even so good a farmer and wheat-grower as John Johnston, rarely used manure, (except lime, and latterly, a little guano), directly for wheat. Clover and summer-fallowing were for many years the dependence of the Western New York wheat-growers.
“One of the oldest and most experienced millers of Western New York,” remarked the Doctor, “once told me that ‘ever since our farmers began to manure their land, the wheat-crop had deteriorated, not only in the yield per acre, but in the quality and quantity of the flour obtained from it.’ It seemed a strange remark to make; but when he explained that the farmers had given up summer-fallowing and plowing in clover, and now sow spring crops, to be followed by winter wheat with an occasional dressing of poor manure, it is easy to see how it may be true.”
“Yes,” said I, “it is not the manure that hurts the wheat, but the growth of spring crops and weeds that rob the soil of far more plant-food than the poor, strawy manure can supply. We do not now, really, furnish the wheat-crop as much manure or plant-food as we formerly did when little or no manure was used, and when we depended on summer-fallowing and plowing in clover.”