Smyrna times., 1859-08-18

, centrated fertilizers upon wheat, during the
past year, which upon motion was ordered to be
published with the transactions of the meeting.
On motion adjourned.
JAMES c. BIRD. Rec. Sec'y.
Spring MILLS, Kent County, Del,
August lst, 1859 {
GENTLEMEN: In q communication to The
Society at the last annual meeting. promised
an account of my experiments on the Wheat
crop then growing (Which has now just been
harvested). shall therefore make no apology
for again appearing before the Society, and
shall IN this communication allow myself suf-
hclent space TO state all the circumstances con-
nected with the experiments which may likely
be of interest to the members of the Society.
II would doubtless be interesting 10 II e men,
bers of the Society, could | give scientific
ana ysls of the soil but this | could not do
without mourning a greater outlay than the
case seemed to justify, or reasonably required
at individual expense. But have taken some
pains to make a comparative analysis. which
will be better understood by plain farmers like
myself, than would be regular chemical analy.
sis OF the most elaborate character. With this
view, ] took from different portions of the plot
liberal portion of earth, and after lhcorpora-
ting 1t fully, took 100 lbs. to aualyse, and found
it as follows:
Pebbles, l.lOO
Undecomposed vegetable matter,
| (grass, roots, &c.,) 2 100
| Fine vegetable matter-not known.
Fine sand passed through No. 20
| seive, as. 100
Sand passed through No. IL seive, 9.l00
Sand that would not pass through No IL
seive, 3.lOO
Clay and fine mould. 37.l00
The latter thirty-seven parts was clay and fine
mould, which was held in solution and carried
off with the water in washing. There are pOr-
tions of each acre If treated separately would
give an increased amount of sand, while other
portions would show much less but taken as
a whole, the land is quite SIMILAR to most of the
land adjoining the Delaware Railroad between
Camden and FELTON,. 1t has been cultivated in
corn and oats for many years. without any re-
turn to the land, until the tenant had to move
and try to get living elsewhere. And the
landlord came to the conclusion that six per
cent would pay better.
The experiments as you are aware have been
conducted on the same land on which corn was
experimental last year, and 1t may be remem-
bered by all who read my last communication,
| that took unusual pains 10 measuring the land.
weighing the fertilizers, and applying the same
|
were allotted | will only say that the same
care and attention has been given to the wheat
crop. The ground having been properly pre-
pared, aud the wheat all drilled IN at the same
time, and the same amount of seed TO each
acre. 1t may be necessary for me to add that
! the utmost care was taken IN threshing the
grain to give each acre its due portion first
threshng the rakngs which charged the yard
with waste wheat, which was afterwards swept
up and it, together with the rakIngs, divided
among the whole. The wheat threshed
/ Immediately from the ground on which it
stood, measured, bagged, and noted as fast as
threshed.
When commenced experimenting with ter
tilzers, remarked that | hoped to find prof.
table substitute for Peruvian Guano; but should
Peruvian prove best upon fair trial, 1t should
have full credit; and, much as | regret the re-
suit, candor compels me to say that it has IN
this case so far won the field, having distanced
the next highest, 81 SO. But am we'll salts
fed, in my own mind, that had continued the
experiment on improved land the result would
have been quite different. Some of the heavi-
est wheat that have ever seen growing this
season was from Pacific ocean guano, but that
article is now imported so wet that the pur-
chaser has TO pay for too much water. Peruvian
guano at high price is cheaper than water at
a low price. | would not, therefore, recommend
the puschase of such Pacific guano as some
that have seen in the market.
To make out a clear statement of the whole
series of experiments it will be necessary, first,
to take the corn crop, showing expenses and
proceeds as follows:
CORN CROP.
Expenses on each acre of cOrn-Plnwing
81 planting Scots; cultivating $l.5O; har-
vesting ST. 90; interest on land, $l.00 amount
per acre $500.
Acre No. l. Peruvian Guano-Expense
;; efcultivation, &c. So; guano, 81 a., $l2 d.
Proceeds 22I baskets of corn, 6 Is
: No. 2. Pacific guano-Expense of culti-
| vaIion, &c, S.; guano, 81 AZ, 10 AZ
: Proceeds, 5 Al
d No. 3. Pacific guano (2O7 lbs } and Pc
d ruvan 600 lbs) combined-Expense
of cultivation, $J; guano, 81 AZ, II A:
: Proceeds, A.
r No. A. Manipulated guano--Expense of
Il cultivation, So; guano, 81 AZ IL A.
j. Proceeds, u
}. No. 5. Jourdan's Super. .phosphate-Ex-
n pense of cultivation, 50 phosphate,
$7 AZ, IL A.
~ Proceeds u
, No. 6. B. NJ. Rhodes super. phosphate
= Expense of cultivation, $5, phosphate,
RI 81 AZ. II
~ Proceeds. D
: No. 7. Allen & Needles super-phos.
,fl phate-Expense Of cultivation, SO phos-
of phate, 81 AZ, IL 4
m Proceeds,
- - No. 8. One acre without manure-Pro-
ceeds, Z baskets,
WHEAT CROP.
ne We will now take the wheat crop and Cir
ed expense Of culiivatIon
g Flowing, @l
"a. Seed at 81 80 per bushe, 2:
narrowing, rolling aud drilling, II