The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-12-08
Agricultural department.
INDUCTtD BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Gentleman an account Of the use of SUI.
perphosphato in the county Of Cayuga,
New York, and the very satisfactory re.
suits from using it. II the farmers Of a
part Of Cayuga county fine it so profita.
bic to use a thousand tons in a year, what
amapnt could the farmers OF Addison
county use with equal profit? We pre-.
SUNG that less than one fiftieth part OF
shat amount was used in the whole of
Addison county last year Our most
shrewd and successful farmers are the
ones that have been using the superphos.
ghate that has so far been purchased in
Addison county, and with such good re.
suits that they are yearly increasing the
amount of their purchases 1t will be
noticed that the returns are estimated
from twice to three times the amount OF
outlay. This difference in the crops on
farm might be the very reason why farm
ing did Or did not pay.
Another point we would like to call
attention to, is the statement that some
superphospbates are ammoniated with
dried fish, (which gives a strong stench,)
at small cost to the manufacturer Such
superphosphates although they may be
sold some cheaper and still give as good
profit to the manutacturer) are in the
end much dearer, for while they carry
out one crop very well apparently to the
purchaser, being as good as any. they are
only to be depended upon for one crop,
not for three, as good superphosphate
will, and honestly manufactured, can be
depended upon to.
SUCCESSFUL USE OF SUPERPHospHATE.
In region of several miles 10 extent
in the southwest part of Cayuga county
10 this State, the use Of superphosphate
of lime has proved so generally beneficial
that the quantity annually employed By
farmers has increased for the past eight
years, and now about thousand tons
have been purchased and used during the
present year. The soil in this region
seems to be peculiarly adapted to its use,
ligent farmers who have given it a full
trial, some interesting facts, which may
induce cultivators in other places to try
the experiment of determining its value in
their particular neighborhoods.
VIM. P. Sisson, of Scipiovile, informs
US that from eight years experience he
finds that all crops are benefited, but
winter wheat and clover or grass most so.
On the poorer land, where there is no
danger Of a rank growth, oats show a
marked increase. All running garden
plants, tomatoes, turnips, cabbages, cauli-
flowers, and garden vegetables generally,
with the possible exception of beets and
carrots,) derive much benefit. He finds
the corn crop considerably increased in
amount and to ripen week or ten days
earlier when superphosphate is used.
Sown with winter wheat, the effect on the
succeeding crop Of clover is quite marked
for two or three years. From his long
experience with it, he gives as general
result, on " land of average good quail
ty," ABOUT % per cent increase in the
amount Of the crops. The average cost
is about $50 per ton, and as only 200
lbs. or even less are applied per acre, the
cost per acre is only four or FIVE dollars.
Samuel D. Otis, of Sherwood, who has
not only used it for seven or eight years
on his farm, but has bought hundreds Of
tons for his neghbors, informs US that a
good superphosphate will carry GU. three
crops well, or one of grain and two of
grass, He uses it on all crops, and finds
it to pay largely. often increasing the
wheat crop ten bushels per acre and when
the land is poor, much more, The past
summer he moved sixty heavy loads of
hay on 81 acres There is but little dim.
mutton in the grass the second year. On
poor land, his phosphated barley gave
thirty.four and half bushels per acre
B. F, Beatty of Sherwood has furnish.
cd interesting details of his experiments
and observations for eight years on differ.
ent soils, and with different cropp and the
varying degrees Of success which have at.
tended the use of this fertilizer Much
benefit has been derived from drilling it
in with winter wheat at the rate of 200
lbs. per acre, but he finds less benefit to
spring crops. On corn its effects are
nearly lost, unless manure has been plowed
under. 1t gives the corn start, but if
there is nothing to keep up the growth,
its benefit is slight unless it be to cause
early ripening AS general rule, it is
most beneficial when used in connection
with manure which has been plowed un.
der. 1t canuot be relied on alone to keep
up the fertility of the soil, and hence the
Importance Of making all the manure
practicable and blowing under clover
He has known 1t to increase the wheat
crop ten bushels per acre. His practice
having been for many years to spread the
manure 90 corn ground the preceding au.
tumn (now generally found to be an ex.
cellent mode Of manuring corn) the sue.
ceeding crop Of barley has not generally
needed additional manuring, but the next
crop, wheat, is specially benefited by the
superphosphate.
VIM. 2. Sisson aud others inform ui
that superphospha!e has proved of little
benefit on the clay lands along the Dor
ders Of Caynga Lake. After passing q
mile or more inland, the benefit from it,
use becomes quite marked. This want o.
success on strong clay accords with thu
results Of our own experiments as W,
never discovered the slightest effect OIL
different crops at Union Springs, OF lane
contiguous to the lake shore.
The superphosphate used in this regiol
IS obtained from several different manu-
iacturera, and although different farmer
have special preferences, there does not
on the whole, appear to be great dea
Of difference, Some, however, appear to b
best adapted to certain soils or purposes
Among some of the favorite kinds, W
P. Sisson states that Reed 4 Powell @
Coxsackie, n, Y =, sold for that regio
the past season about 300 tons, Nor
Phillips of Philadelphia about l75 tom
and the New Jersey Chemical Co. Phila