Talks on Manures / A Series of Familiar and Practical Talks Between the Author and the Deacon, the Doctor, and Other Neighbors, on the Whole Subject

by Joseph Harris

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 CLUSTER), SOWN IN AUTUMN, 1849.

Manures	Produce
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.	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.

P l o t s.	Manures perAcre.										Produce perAcre, etc.						Increase perAcre by Manure.
					SPL						Dressed corn.
	FM	P-A	S-A	SMg	B-A	SAc	MAc	SAm	MAm	RC	Quantity	Wt/Bu.	OC	TC	S&C	TP C&S	C	S&C	TP	OC 100	C100
	Tons.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	Bush. Pks.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.	lbs.
0	..	..	..	..	600	450	..	..	..	..	19 1½	60.8	42	1220	2037	3257	218	318	536	3.5	59.9
1	..	600	400	200	..	..	..	..	..	..	.. ..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
2	14	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	28 2	61.9	98	1861	3245	5106	859	1526	2385	5.4	57.3
3	Unmanured.		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	15 3¼	60.6	44	1002	1719	2721	..	..	..	4.5	58.2
4	..	..	..	..	200	..	200	300	..	..	27 3	61.2	87	1785	3312	5097	783	1593	2376	5.1	53.9
5a	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	250	250	..	29 3½	60.4	171	1974	4504	6478	972	2785	3757	9.5	43.8
5b	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	250	250	..	30 3	60.4	160	2018	4379	6397	1016	2660	3676	8.6	46.1
6a	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	30 0½	61.1	119	1960	3927	5887	958	2208	3166	6.3	49.9
6b	..	*00	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	29 3½	61.3	148	1980	3959	5939	978	2240	3218	8.0	50.0
7a	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	500	32 1	61.0	167	2134	4485	6619	1132	2766	3898	8.4	47.9
7b	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	500	32 0¼	61.2	150	2112	4280	6392	1110	2561	3671	7.6	49.4
8a	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	200	200	..	28 3	61.1	101	1856	3407	5263	854	1688	2542	5.5	54.5
8b	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	200	200	..	30 1	61.0	103	1948	3591	5539	946	1872	2818	5.6	54.2
9a	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	200	200	..	30 1½	60.4	118	1951	3550	5501	949	1831	2780	6.3	55.0
9b	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	200	200	..	27 2¾	60.8	80	1762	3165	4927	760	1446	2206	4.7	55.7
10a	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	200	200	..	26 3¾	60.2	100	1721	3089	4810	719	1370	2089	6.1	55.7
10b	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	..	..	..	17 3¾	61.1	76	1171	1949	3120	169	230	399	6.8	60.1
11a	..	..	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	30 3¼	61.0	121	2001	3806	5807	999	2087	3086	6.4	52.6
11b	..	..	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	29 1½	61.1	145	1940	3741	5681	938	2022	2960	8.0	51.9
12a	..	300	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	29 3¾	61.5	94	1935	3921	5856	933	2202	3135	5.1	49.4
12b	..	300	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	30 3¾	61.4	115	2013	3905	5918	1011	2186	3197	5.9	51.5
13a	..	300	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	31 3¾	60.2	105	2027	4026	6053	1025	2307	3332	5.4	50.3
13b	..	300	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	30 1½	61.0	111	1964	4008	5972	962	2289	3251	6.0	49.0
14a	..	300	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	31 1¾	61.1	102	2023	4052	6075	1021	2333	3354	5.3	49.9
14b	..	300	..	..	200	150	..	200	200	..	31 1½	61.5	65	1995	4015	6010	993	2296	3289	3.2	49.7
15a	..	300	200	100	200	..	200	300	..	..	26 0¼	61.5	90	1693	3321	5014	691	1602	2293	5.7	51.0
15b	..	300	200	100	200	..	200	300	..	500	30 3½	61.0	59	1942	3926	5868	940	2207	3147	3.0	49.5
16a	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	33 2½	60.3	108	2134	5103	7237	1132	3384	4516	5.3	41.8
16b	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	33 3	60.4	122	2159	4615	6774	1157	2896	4053	6.0	46.8
17a	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	31 1	61.2	73	1985	4126	6111	983	2407	3390	3.8	48.1
17b	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	29 2½	61.5	139	1961	4034	5995	959	2315	3274	7.7	48.6
18a	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	29 3¼	61.2	110	1934	3927	5861	932	2208	3140	6.1	49.3
18b	..	300	200	100	200	150	..	200	200	..	28 2½	60.9	103	1845	3844	5689	843	2125	2968	5.7	48.0
19	..	..	..	..	200	..	200	300	..	500	29 0	60.8	88	1850	3527	5377	848	1808	2656	4.9	52.4
20	Unmanured.		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	14 0	59.1	40	868	1639	2507	-134	-80	-214	4.5	53.0
21}	Mixture of the residue of most of theother manures.									..	.. ..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
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 10b, which last year gave, with ammonia-salts alone, 32¼ 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, 8a, 8b and 9a, 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.”