Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-02-21
Experiments with Commercial aud
Concentrated Manures.

toes. beans. etc, while others have failed to
make their mark. Such has been the differ
emit results Of their application ia different
seasons, and different brands OF superphos-
pilates and other concentrated manures, that
have been in doubt respecting the economy
Of their purchase and application.
The past season having at work on my farm
two FIRST rate young men, it afforded me lsis-
uro to carefully experiment on my farm crors
with variety of concentrated manures Q
the express purpose, if possible, Of ascertain
ing the profit and loss Of their appiea-
ton.
experimental with the following kinds,
viz Wilson's, Bradley's, Upton's and Eu-
reka Superphosphates Peruvian Guano, Bran.
don wa and Nova Scotia Plaster GYPSUM
Lebanon Ground Slate, Grafton Mineral Fer
tilizor, and a genuine homemade poudrette Of
hen dung aud unleached ashes. The purchas-
cd mauures cost over s4O aud honestly
readers Of the Country Gentleman, | do not
think the application Of the barrels, bags and
bushels Of all these various manurcs, ben
Gifted my crops 40 cents extra. have
no doubt respecting the commences Of the
$50 pounds Of guano, purchased in Boston
at the rate of $50 per ton, and presume the
four different brands Of superphosphate were
of fair quality. The poudrette and hen
dung we're dried, pulvcrized and silted re-
tanning all their fertilizing qualities, and SO
Of the ashes.
In September, 1870, sowed one bushel of
Arnolds Hybrid Winter Wheat on about II 90
rods Of land from which corn had just been
removed the land plowed most of it dry
a. Indian meal. Wheat sown September 8,
none Of which came up till the first week in
October, at which time we had an inch or SO
Of rain. In consequence Of the following
open winter. the wheat was badly killed out.
About the middle of April 1871, l measured
off at the east end Of the wheat, across the
field, strip ten feet wide; upon this wal
sown a liberal dressing of hen dung On the
west side Of this strip line was drawn so az
enable us tospread the manure straight across
the field Then left a space three feet wide
Then drew two lines, one on each side Of the
next ten feet strip. This was sown with poud
rette. In this way went over the whole field
strewing the following kinds of manure: Brad
= eys superphosphate, Wilson's superphosphate
Mineral Fertilizer, Brandon and Nova Scoti'
IldNltIt anu Dut VI tNO OtbNl hluho ahN
from the day these applications were made
till the crop was harvested, | could never per
ceive any difference on the wheat between tn,
MANFRED and unmanured strips
Some days later, having received the euano
| strewed that and poudrette, and superphos
phate, drawing lines across,) on a patch o
land, ten pounds each, on which two kinds o
winter wheat were sown--seod forwarded L
me by Col. Capron-wheat imported from
r Marseiles, France. Result, the same as OIL
Arnod's wheat. Next, fifty pounds of Ian
caster winter wheat were sown on patch 0
loamy soil, from which Early Rose potatoe
had been harvested, the ground receiving
heavy dressing of fine manure, and the land
5 being inverted sod, was not plowed but thor
oughly worked by the use Of a heavy cult
! yator, On this, guano, poudrette, fertilze
! and superphosphate were applied. Like tn
q others, no difference was to be seen betwee
the strips where the fertilizers were apple
5 and where none were strewn.
I In the spring of 1868, wishing to test tn
value of several sorts of manures on potatoes
plowed one-fourth of an acre of good loan.
sod land. Dropped in the hills of four row
bub hlhh VI hiuuuitf tuCu lNO iOhs nilupu
manure, then four rows with another kind o
manure in the hills, and so on till the whole
, piece was planted. During the growing sea
son there was much difference in the size o
the tops. When harvested each four row
were weighed, as also the two rows each tina
had no manure. In yield the MANFRED row
y gave an increase over the unmanured of fior
twenty five TO fifty per cent. In 1869 tn
same plot was planted with small white bean:
MANFRED in the hills with superphosphatC
except occasionally two rows had none. Whe
3 harvested, we felt confident that the pho'
plated gave a yield Of more than fifty pc
cent. over the rows having none.
. In September, soon after the beans wei
u harvested, the land was MANFRED, plowed an
0 sown with Michigan Tuscan winter wheat
Is fair crop harvested considering the drouth
/ 1870.
e Early in May the land was heavily manu-
ed, deeply plowed aud thoroughly cultivate
T. and | find in my farm journal the followir
Is entry Corn on the quarter acre plat plant,
a. May Is, cut and stocked September S-a GOO
4, crop. MANFRED in the hills as follows T,
III west rows, Wilson's superphosphate tv
T. rows, nothing; ten rows Eureka superpho
s' phate two rows nothing-and SO on, usir
u Uptons superphosphate, poudrette, guam
" Grafton fertilizer, hen manure finished Il
CT piece with n mixture of several kinds, leavil
pS the eleventh and twelfth rows unmanured. ~
~ only difference to be seen in the different Sc
ou Of rows, from the time the corn came up /
rs' harvested, was this Where the guano a
I, M fertilizer were used, about eight or ten hi
Nc failed to come up.
Gu On another piece of good corn land W
ny MANFRED in 1870, and well MANFRED again
or May, 1871 plowed and planted with co
ln' about the middle Of the month MANFRED
e, the hills with several kinds Of phosphates, ct
Il except two rows near the middle Of the fie
u The result the same as on the quarter-aC
piece.
~ May, 1869, plowed half an acre of 60
ne loamy and-.-planted with potatoes, hand
~ of compost in the hills---lS70, gave the la
're a op-dressing Of compost-sowed one peck
mS Cheyaier barley, one quart of Montana !
VA the balance with six or eight varieties
TO oats received from Department Of Agricultl
ou and other sources. May, 1871, MANFRED a
80 plowed, after which | strewed over the Ia
'l two barrels of poudrette, etc, narrowed a
planted with corn 18th of May. June
- and 7th applied to the hills, except four ROY
cir handful of compost of guano, Wilson's
.nu p, plaster, Grafton fertilizer and poudret
M Hood the corn on the same day. The Of
'eA way to tell which rows had the manure fir
S0Sffa FSSsEe n sSRd Sf' HSae rows Ss mas
% One-lourth of an acre of alluvial soil v
~ for the third year in succession planted W
A. ~.
iei hill, then two rows without manure. The
'W lowing named were applied, viz Wilson
ay Uptons aud Eureka phosphates, guano Brt
ie' don plaster, ground slate, mineral iertilz
Nova Scotia plaster poudrctte, hen manur
and from one end Of the field to the other,
one could perceive any difference in the 70
al having the manures and those having no
-" On peas in the drill, the result was the sa
Il however on these only four kinds were us
~ | think there are good reasons why the