Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-13

whole over one-fifth of an acre, the result OF
which we shall give in the future. This
statement includes that portion of the field
which was trenched. Although we should
not be justified in regarding this experiment
perhaps as quite conclusive, still it would
seem to show, as Mr.. Vile found in his ex-
perimens g, that certain manures which are
usually very beneficial may. under some cir
cumstances, do POSITIVE injury, as the hen
manure appears to have done in the present
case. What also seems quite remarkable in
this statement is the fact that the row with
oft manure in the hill gave about as many
| pounds OF potatoes either of the others,
but as IT reg ,rds the size of the roots there
was rema rka5le difference. full one-half be-
| ing very small, while those in the superphos-
| phate rows in particular were almost every
one of them quite large and of fine quality
Amongst the other rows there were number
Of hills, which were made up of potatoes
which seemed to have attained no more than
half their growth. The tops in these hills
were green and still growing when our early
frosts came and killed them. The superphos-
phate seems, wherever we have tried it, either
ny itself or with other manures, to have
hast tened the maturity of the plant from two
to three weeks in advance of those where
other kinds Of manure alone were made use
Of. Especially was this true as its regards
y
from the beginning of the season, the com
mon field corn, planted on the 9th Of May,
icing ripe and most of it glazed, SO that it
could not be told from old corn, on the first
dav Of September.
1t is interesting to notice, in this connec-
ton. ow soon, land which is regarded as
entirely :! run out, as the saying is. may be
brought into bearing condition. The land
on which these potatoes were grown was So
entirely exhausted that from one row of corn
Of twenty-five hills, on a piece adjoining,
obtainet only five pounds of ears. The
stalks were small in proportion, being only
two or three feet in height. This row is one
of 4 piece of corn on which we have been ma
king similar experiments to those made upon
potatoes with special manures which We in
Il nd TO report in the future. We have anoth-
er piece of land under our observation. an
acre in extent. which was in similar condi-
ton with the above, which has been planted
with corn for the last three years, and ma
nured almost entirely with the superphos-
phate, with view to test its effects upon the
soil, either as exhausting it. as some allegc,
or as building it up. as is claimed by the
of the article. The corn has
not been husked out yet, but we should
Judge that the crop OF this year was more
than double that of last year, as that was
more than double the one of the year previous
This is most important experiment, and
should be continued for some years to come
for if the same ratio of improvement can be
kept up in the future for the same annual
expenditure, it will be brought to high
bearing condition for One-half the expense
per acre per year, which is required. accor
ding to Mr. bull, for his grape lands. the
amount of which, it will be recollected, was
twenty bushels of ground bone. twenty of
wood ashes, and five of plaster, every third
year.
The expense of trenching and manuring
over five square rods about ten dollars.
As potatoes sold last year. this would give a
profit of torty-eight dollars to the acre.
Should the price this year be only one half
rs much, still the investment must prove a
good one, we think, as the land will require
but little expense for manure for several
wears to come. Probably small amount in
rhe hill Will be sufficient to produce good
crnps for some time in the future. The
Hon. Marshall p. Wilder once tried the ex
pertinent of trenching and heavily manurne
land for the ordinary field crops, and found
that it paid very large profits. Would it not
be well for our readers who are engaged in
agaicu lture to try the experiment in a small
way Tor themselves? If they object to the
labor and expense Of trenching, they can do
what is perhaps well-what one of our
n~ighbors has done the present season-that
3. spread their manure on the surface and
plough twice in a furrOw. In preparing an
acre o.: land the coming year, we intend to
manage portion of it in this manner.