St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-04-23
Che .farm aud Garden.
Experiments vith Fertilizers.

The following carefully written articl
from the pen of Hon. George Geddes. il
the New York Tribune. will interest IL
readers of this journal. 1t clearly es
tabliShes the advantages of manures OF
oils, in however small quantities appli
ed. 1t also presents valuable salts. no
IN common use by farmers, and illustrate
by experiments how necessary they ar
IN the cultivation of crops Some @
these should be used much more general
ly than they are, being more reliable anC
far cheaper than most of the common
fertilizers now offered to the public.
In 1868 field of oats u rods square
containing just Clio acres, having nc
manure applied to it, was seeded with
timothy (Ph5etm PratelsD and clover.
The ground was to all appearances "oi
even fertility, and the growth OF gras.
and clover prior TO the application o.
any top-dresslng was very uniform.
The soil is Il light sandy loan, and wa.
not considered TO be in high state o.
cultivation at the commencement of the
experiments. 1t was divided into eight
equal parts
No. had no top-dressing, serving a:
a basis of comparison
No. received Il dressing of gypsum
(Pfaster of Paris at the rate of two BUSH
els per acre.
No. 3 received five bushels of wood.
ashes per acre.
No. received 20 loads of pulverized
muck.
No. ) received 20 loads of pulverized
muck and three bushels of common sail
per acre.
No. Is received three bushels of COM
mon salt per acre.
No. : received 20 loads of horse ma.
nure per acre.
No. received 20 loads of cor ma.
nure per acre.
On the 10th day of May, 1861, these
seI erai pieces of land had received the
manure the work of distri button having
been commenced on the 9TH. On tn,
20lh and 2lst days OF the next month";
June, an average of II days from the
time the manure was applied, the croE
was cut.
Here Is an important fact shown The
clover, which then greatly exceeded the
timothy, must have been considerably
grown, and presented a very full cover
ing to the ground. SO the manure must
have been put on the clover, rather than
on the soil. Had the manures been ap-
piled early in the spring, before the clo-
yer had commenced growing, the whole
experiment might have given a very diff
fcrent result When to apply manure is
an important question. and ut some con-
venient time may demand further con-
sideration. The hay was cured in small
cocks, and was drawn into the barn il
good condition on the 18th day of June
each load being carefully weighed
The yield per acre of each piece was
as follows
No. / having had gave the rate of 2s56
No. = having had at the rate of bushels of
platter, s,917 Il
No. 3, having had ct the rate OF bush,ls wood
ashes. 451s Il
No. !, having had 20 loads puyerized muck 1880 #
No. s, having had 20 loads muck, and bushels
salt, 1896 I,
No. c, having had bushels salt, S,sl3 4
No :, having had 20 loads horse manure, 3,5os II
No. ;, having had 20 loads COW manure s,93I Il
This table is worthy of careful study,
| What did these manures cost when ap-
piled ? Each farmer will make his own
calculation what they would cost him.
What these manures did for the first crop
is before the eye, and is worth rejecting
upon.
On the 9th and 10th days of August
following the grass was again cut, and
cooked on the 10th and 11th. The
cocks were turned on the 18th, drawn
! into the barn on the 18th, each load be,