Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-01-16

REPORT OF THOMAS 3. oouRsKy, OF KENT
COUNTY, OF A sRRIRs OF EXPERIMENTS.

fertilizers. At that time, super-phosphates
were comparatively unknown In the market,
as an article of merchandise, or as fertil-
iner for the improvement of land. The only
articles known here as such were Allen &
Needles, Mapes', Jordans, and Rhodes,
and learn from firm who sold for Prof.
Mapcs, at that time, that stock of fifty tons
was considered enormous. Now, single
establishment counts its sales by thousands
of tons in single season. And instead of
three or four establishments for their manu-
facture there are scores. Messrs. Allen &
Needles claim to have been the first to man
ufacture them in Philadelphia. Their an
nual sales now amount to five thousand tons
of phosphates, and an equal amount Vt am
nominated fertilizers.
Among my first experiments was one in
which used Allen s. Needles Supcr-phos-
plate, Columbian guano, Pacific Ocean
guano, and one or two other articles. in
competition with Peruvian guano. We had
no agricultural society in this county at that
time, and thinking they might be interest
ing and useful to the agricultural communi-
ty, made them public through the news
papers.
In 1857, commenced a series of expert
ments which were regularly reported to the
Agricultural Society of Kent County, as
each successive crop was harvested, each
report being considered by the society Of
sufficient interest to order their publication
in pamphlet form for distribution among it.
members. These reports were continued
until the close of the series on that plot, ant
until the fifth year on another plot of great
er extent, which was commenced in 1860
and which the present crop will close
There being no Agricultural Society in this
county at this time to report to, offer this
report to the TRIBUNE, or as many of the
Editorial Fraternity as may think it of suf-
ficient interest to give TO their readers.
My last report was read before the Agri-
cultural Society in February 1864. Since
then, this plot has had one year rest in clov-
er, and two crops, one of wheat and one o.
corn. The wheat corp was blighted Gas was
the case with all others in this vicinity, that
year, by the hot sun, few days before
harvest and so shortened that did not deem
it of sufficient interest to report The pre-
sent corn crop has also been so much short
ened by the extreme wet spring and sum
mer, that would not think it necessary tt
report it, but 1t being the last of the series
would, by summing up the aggregate, be o
interest as showing whether fertilizers woult
or would not pay for farmers use
have been exceedingly unfortunate ii
picking the crops on unfavorablc seasons
The first corn crop happened TO be ON !,
very dry summers poor corn year but d
good wheat year. The second crop being
wheat, happened to be unfavorab.i tt
wheat. The third crop was corn, and ,
fair season, the only one in the whole series
Had the crops been reversed there woult
have been much more favorable show fol
the fertilizers.
In order to be explicit, and occupy nj
more room than is necessary to give n pair
statement OF facts will first give the whoa
crop OF 1866, then the corn crop of 81
then add previous crops then the expen
SEES OF the crops of 'GG and '67, an,
} the expenses of previous crops deduct tn
one from,thc other and show where the rai
or loss is. After this | may make som
comments on each article.
, The plot was laid oil in twelve squares {
, one acre each, commencing with No. | o
which Peruvian Guano was used The h,
count with it stands thus T.
NO. !, PERUVIAN GUANo.
1866 Wheat, 6! bushels at 81 10. Sl5.G
1867. Corn, II bushels at LOO, I2.0
Proceeds OF former crops.,,............ i4.7
Value Of whole series -. J.. ....1 23
EXPENSES
1896. Fertilizer, seed wheat,
and cultivation. .............,....S20 ~
1867. Corn, (withOut ferlilizers) 100
Expenses on former crops...... i0.2j
Total.........................,.... $G75
Galn .......................,....$ 40
s' "'te hiauc ~ pushels VI toii VI
first year. % the second crop, and the pr,
sent crop lowing to the season. only II.
No. 2.-pHUiNE.
SGG. Wheat, - bushels. |
1867. Corn, 10 bushels. ................... 100
Proceeds OF former crops................. 81
Value of whole. s,.,S !.
T EXPENSES.
, ste Fertilizers, cultivation.
&c. ...............".."....SiS.
ooi. ......,.....o....,........ i.W
Expenses yn former crops....... 4025
D Total.....".."..... ............ Sa5.4
...",.........,...........".S g.
Phune is composed of animal matte
:, phosphate guano, a small per centage
bones and ammonia. But as it has heretofo
: been manufactured the animal matter h
: not been sufficiently concentrated to be
= par in price with well manufactur,
:, super-phosphate, as is demonstrated in IL
= practical test. There possibly might be
different result on other land.)
NO. 3.-soMBRERo GrANo.
:. 1866. Wheat, IL bushels at 81. 30. -. $50.
u 1867. Corn, % bushels at 90. %.
! Proceeds of former crop.................. 81.
ID ~.
L EXPENSES
~ 1866. Fertilizer and cultivationSl7G
" 1867. Corn cultivation ......... 100
% Expenses in former crop......... a. -
:, Total. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. SOS.
"A S33.
If This is purely phosphate guano, t
Of result of which has somewhat changed I
ne views in regard to fertilizers. 1t may
y, W seen that the present corn crop, unfavoral
ne as the season has been, is more than doul
ne that of the Peruvian and being several d
oe lars in advance of all others. This acre "
IA planted in corn in 1860 without fertilizer.