The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-01-18
Chemical Manures.

been very much interested in reading
the account of DR.. Sturtevant's expert.
ments in growing corn by the use of
chemical manures, and only regret
that we have not more full and salts
factory account given as regards the
character of the soil upon which the
crop was grown.
In the Country Gentleman of No
vember Is. Mr.. Conrad Wilson, writ
ing about these experiments, says the
land was 30 poor as only to produce 10
bushels of corn per acre without ma
nure, and that the product was raised
to 30 bushels by the chemical manures,
but In the issue of December 2, in
which cost of labor, fertilizers, &c. is
given, 1t is stated that the land upon
which the chemicals were used had
been in sod for several years, and the
portion not MANFRED produced SO
bushels per acre quite a difference.
Again that portion of the field ma
nured with COW manure yielded 100
bushels per acre, and without manure
SO bushels. Now it Is much to be re-
GREETED that the experiment was not
tried upon soil of equal fertility, as we
then could have formed some idea of
the efficacy of the fertilizers according
to cost per acre.
The increase of crop by the use of SO
loads of clear manure per acre is GER
tainly not very paying one, and in
stead of the corn costing only % cents
per bushel, l think the 81 bushels in
crease cost nearer 20 cts. per bushel, as,
leaving out labor which the stover at
valuation would about pay for-the
manure cost 81 cts. per bushel of corn.
of the chemicals remaining in the soil,
while the COW manure is charged at
only half its cost, presuming that one
half its value remains in the soil for
the benefit of future crops. Why the
chemicals should not have the same
credit l cannot imagine, unless DR..
Sturtevant applied just enough to be
taken up by the crop. which you think
rather fanciful, Now if they were ap-
piled in excess of the wants of the
crop, must not that surplus, whatever
it is. be as safely locked up in the soil
as the half of the COW manure not
charged to the crop? If not, why moi?
One great advantage that chemical
manures haye over those of the barn
yard. is the small amount of labor re-
quired in their application to the soil
or crop. This is notably the case when
applied to the wheat crop by the use of
the drill, as no additional time or Ia
Dor worth mentioning Is consumed in
their distribution. In the case OF the
corn crop, the difference in cost OF la
Dor for applying the manures was $4.09
per acre, and the manure must have
the work done for the amount given
As the distance increases, the difference
In cost of transportation of the fertili-
GERS increases in much greater ratio.
until, at certain distance, 1t amounts
to prohibition. The 80 leads OF manure
doubtless weighed one ton each, OF
which 70 per cent. was water, leaving
600 pounds Of dry matter per load and
this, according to the best authorities !
have at hand, contained OF essential
constituents or plants: phosphoric ac-
Id, reckoned as phosphate of lime, 8
lbs. potash, 10 lbs., and ammonia Is
lhs.-34 lbs. in alternating of actual
plant food 1922 lbs. out of the GO, 0On
lbs. transported to the field while
there was applied of the chemicals 81
lbs. which one horse could have drawn
at one trip.
or the actual cost of the COW or barn.
yard manure, to farmers who have q
market convenient TO them for their
hay, straw and grain, ] may have
something to say in the future, with
your permission. AS to the lasting eff
fects Of chemical manures, I know from
my own experience with them that
they do not benefit succeeding crops,
particularly grass and clover, following
wheat, TO which superphosphate oil
guano had been applied at the rate Of
It's to 200 lbs. per acre. with the drill
the grass always being better in the
drill rows then anywhere else although
crowded. in its first years growth by
the wheat plants, can now see from
where write, square in the field, to
which. 200 lbs. of superphosphate
made from bone-black, was applied five
years ago, when the land was sown in
wheat. Orchard grass and clover fol-
lowedithe wheat, and have been mown