Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-30

from a Lecture by j. d, Lawes Of England
propose to show you what is the compost
ton Of farmyard dung to what ingredients
its fertilzng properties are due why it is
bulky manure-by which / mean that much
larger quantities Of it must be used to pro-
duce the same amount Of crop as would be
used in artificial manures to what its lasting
properties are due how it is enriched by the
consumption Of purchased food and the con
neotion between the manures made on the
farm and those which are artificial A farm
Of 400 acres cultivated on the usual four
course rotation, would produce from the con-
sumption Of its food and litter quantity OF
dung which, in the ordinary state Of moisture,
would weigh $40 tons, or, il we deduct the
moisture 252 tons. OF this, GO tons will be
contributed by the straw of the whole dry
matter of the dung, nearly four-ffths is
straw. That straw must form the bulk Of any
yard Of manure is evident from the fact that
by far tho largest part Of all foods consumed
is either fixed in the animal or passes of in
respiration. OF the better sorts Of food, not
more than one-fourth or one.fifth finds its
way to the manure pile. OF a ton Of this ma
nure the total dry matter is not over COO
pounds, and of the selected constituents need
full to plant life there are only IL pounds OF
potash. eight of phosphoric acid reckoned as
phosphate of lime, and II of nitrogen-mak-
ing Of the three 81 pounds. Dr. Noelcker
shows us that by far the largest part Of the
ingredients Of dung are in an insoluble state
that is in a state wherein plants cannot
feed upon them until they have undergone a
further change. Since nearly four fifths of
barnyard manure consists Of straw, the influ-
ence Of straw as a manure cannot be left out
of our estimates. On two halfAcres of per-
manent pasture at Rothamsted the same guam
tity Of chemical salts was applied every year,
one receiving in addition 2OOO pounds of fine
ly cut wheat straw 1t was not till eight years
after the first application that the influence
of the straw became percepuble but since
then the effect has been continuous, and the
increase Of hay due to the straw has been for
ten years past equal to 100 pounds per year
On another part Of the same pasture dung
was applied for eight years in succession, a
hay crop being removed each year. Since
the last application Of dung ! 3 crops of hay
have been taken, and it appears probable, as
the last crop gave 200 pounds OF hay due to
the unexhausted dung that several years will
elapse before all influence Of the dung ceases
II seems likely that that man had glimpse
of great truth who said the time would come
when the farmer would take his manure out
to the field in his coat pocket; and be in no
danger, as the witty man replied, of bringing
back his crop in his waistcoat pocket
Our crops generally contain from 90 to %
per cent of organic mstter-that is, carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, etc. or matter which, If
you burn it, disappears in the atmosphere.
When we increase crop by means of such a
manure as salt of ammonia or nitrate of soda
which contains no organic matter do we
merely enable the plant to take up what had
previously been supplied in the yard manure
No. On a field of II acres, which as a whole
has received no dung for 36 years, the yield
of straw and grain has been larger on the
part which has had chemical salts than on
that which has had an ample supply of dung.
You see, therefore, that the evidence is very
strong for organic matter being taken from
| the atmosphere. IL fact, if l wish to grow
the largest possible crop, say of grass with
| out any reference to cost, l carefully avoid
applying manure containing any organic mat
! ter. The use of organic matter in manuree
| appears to be chiefly to make the land work
| better and to absorb and retain moisture. Sc
many are disposed to attach mysterious value
! to the excrements Of animals, and to think
some special properties are impaired to then
! in the transformation of the food through the
body of the animal, that l fear they will no
readily accept the idea that the fertilznl
| properties of dung are confined to its che mi
cal salts. 1t must be borne in mind that eI
| perimental fields receive no dung, nor doe
| any animal enter them except the horses tina
cultivate them and carry of the crop. Tn
less plants can thrive on chemical salts there
fore, they could not be there.
The following conclusions will sum up VIVA
l have placed before you
!. That a superphosphate has given q con
siderable increase to each crop of rotation
although used without any other manure, TO
period of 30 years
.. That because grain contains large quAn
titles of nitrogen and phosphoric acid, ant
but small quantity of potash, manures con
tanning soluble nitrogen rs ammonia or nitr
acid are specially applicable to these crops
g. That when crops containing large quan
titles of potash-like roots, potatoes and ha.
are sold of the farm, manures containing
potash, such as purchased dung, appear to b
more suitable
4. That although potash, phosphoric act
and nitrogen are the chief fertlizing ingredi
ents in farmyard dung, the manure from ar
tihca foods and in artificial manures, still tn
differences in form with which these sub
stances are met greatly affect their value. Tn
present method of Analysing manures doe
not properly recognize these distinctions an
valuations founded upon these analyses ar
altogether false and erroneous