Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-01-22
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
coz IlNUoN. nnaAr.anoWINe.


Ls~ss aud HE oladjutoT, DE-. Gilbsrt, on
Las continuous growth OF wheat at Roth
Ameted, Herts. 10 1854 Sir John LAwes
published the details Of the continuous
growth Of wheat during the 20 previous
Y SArs, and IN the present article he gives
>i,nilar datsils Tor u second period Of 20
years, but he gives the rshulls for the
whole 40 years. On several plots Of land
wheat hss bsen grown continuously dur
ing the whole period with various ma
nures, and 10 one plot with no manures
at all. On some plots there hss been no
change in the manurirS for 40
years, and on most of the
others no change for 81 years. Such
heightened experiments are unique III
the history Of agriculture and AZ they
have been carried ont by scientific ex
perts, who have accurately recorded all
the facts connected with them, the
results which are brought ont possess
very high value.
Al the outset the writers call attention
to the greatest Influence OF climatic oOndi.
lions upon the yield OF crops. The beet
wheat crop which they grew during the |
whole 40 years vas that of 1868, when |
the yield Of the permanently uninsured |
plot WAS IVA bushels per acre. The worst
crop was that Of 1879, when the proiuos
Of the same plot was only Al bushelJ par
acre. This plot Of land had not received
any manure since 1889, and since ls43
II had grown wheat every yetr; yet il
yielded Iva bushels per acre il favor
able season rs years after it had last re.
oeived any manure. Ii had bsen generally
supposed that 1868 WAS the beat wheat
year OF the past 81 yesrs in Great Britain,
but II was mot so at RothRmsted, as the
yield there Was 16 bushels, q peeks, or
IL pecks less tnan iu 1868. The first 20
oil the 90 years included several saasons
Of great plenty, and the second 20 several
years Of deficient yield. During the first
period artificial manure applied 10 . plot
OF land produced an average yield OF 40A
bushels per Rore for 10 successive years
but during the second period the same
manure applied to the same
plot OF land produced only 30t bushels
per acre on an average for 10 years In
succession. The most important Lesson
taught by the continuous growth of
wheat on land not manured is that tie
fertility OF land, or At any rate Of land ss
good as that at Rothsmsted, is very slowly
exhausted. In the first 10 years Of the
experiment the produce otths unmanured
plot averaged l5a bushels per acre In
the second 10 yesss, l6t bushels per acre;
in the third, 12a bushels, and il the
fourth period, lot bushels TRe extra
yield Of the second period was due 20 8
run OF exceptionally favorable seasons,
while the falling OFF in the last period
was chiefly caused by an equally excep-
tional run Of bad sessons, though partly
by the gradual exhaustion Of sol, fertility.
That the decrease in produce VS. not
wholly the effect Of exhaustion If the
elements Of fertility in the soil is proved
by she fact that the yield in 1883 was
l32 bushels per sore, which ia nearly
equal to the average produce for the
whole 40 years. Tho conductors Of the
experiments express the opinion that,
apart from climatic influences, the decline
due to exhaustion ia about one.quRrter OF
bushel per acre per annum. They
point out that the yield Of the last year
OF the series Ia equal to the average pro
duoe Of many large tracts OF land in new
countries, where, they say, the store OF
fertility is certainly superior TO that OF
their own farm. This shows, they say,
the great importance OF keeping land
free from weeds, and they attribute the
equality Of yield jus; referred to entirely
10 the cleanness OF the land u Rotbsm
sted.
Sir John Lswss and DR.. Gilber'
remarked that in their previous RTtiol,
they devoted some space to the considera
tien and rsfutatiOn OF the views held bJ
Baron LiebeR with respec to the growtt
OF wheat. This is in reference to til.
famous mineral theory Of the German
scientist. ALI controversy upon thii
hos haa Al.
certainly nothing has been more copelu
sively proved, beth at Roth smsted sni
Woburn (wheEe the Royal Agricltufa
Society has been for some years expert
mentinR), than that mineral manure
alone are Of very li.tls use to the whes
crop. The writer's proceed to ssy
Analysis tells us that q very eonsid
cradle proportion Of the ingredients W
apply to grow the crop is not found il
the produce. What has become Of tn
proportion Again, the greater part @
the crop consists of the ingredients whc
are not supplied. What is the source {
these Ingredients 7"
These are most important question:
and fortunately the results OF ne Roth
amsted experiments afford very conolu
sive answers The susptus OF manure
not utilized by the crop ia partly ~asha
away by rains and partly stored up
the stubble Of roots and plants. II Ia ID
nitrogen in the form OF nitIc sGla chic
is peculiarly liable TO ba wa he'd ava
by rains, and nitrogen ia the most ia
portant OF slI the slemsuts q; so
fertility. AS TO the second question, tt
experiments chow that lsrge pfapoitio
OF the substance OF = crop, It's caSbop al
organic matter in general, Is d-five
from the atmosphere. All the ayideut
is against the theory still held by To
French agricultural chemist, Vile, an
by some other Buropsan soieaftsts,
the effect thsG plants dsrivs theiz MIR
gen directly from the atmosphere a
least this theory 10 disproyei as far 8
the wheat crop is concerned
Some Of the best results at R0.hsmate
have been obtained By the application
nitrate soda and srperphospl ,es
lime, and this mixture, very usual o.
In England, is &bout the bss. tLs5 4
ordinary farmer cnH apply 50 2gssaiE
for wheat. Where no farm yard manu-
ia applied t4ir dressing would Be iot
oWt. Of supetphosphate to two ewt
nitrate Of soda. The superphosphste
best plowed or narrowed into the l3u
and 1t may sStely bs applied in Il
Autu1uu WnFu RlU!hr wheat is sOWut nv
nitrate Of soda, on the other hand, YOU
be nearly all washed away 10 a y
winter II 1t were spilled la ,he autumn
II should be put on alter the crop Ii D
Of the ground. and when two oVt ,
acre are applied it Ia advisable TO B0w t
manure half At a time, with TOW Wseb
interval between the sowinsa Whe
farmyard manure is pnt on for whet
half the quantities Of nitrate OF soda
superphosphates Of limo above msaiion
will suffice, II any be required ct all
England it is common TO put on suot
top dressing when wheat turns yellow
otherwise shows signs Of insuficie
nutrition.
At the end Of their paper the write
give general summary and conclusion
which we oondense. With respect to /
soil, they remark that a soil which
the ordinary oOnrse Of agriculture Won
have received an application of mspu
before another crop was sown mas q
duoed 40 crops of wheat In successit
averaging IA Bushels per acre solely
means Of sxisting fertility, including
large amount OF organic nitrogen derig
from decayed vegetation and a like
supply Of the mineral food Of plan
Kveiy year 3 certain proportion OF |
organic nitrogen has bssE nisFifed
organisms Of fupgoid character exist
In the soil, and part Of the ritra,ea Il
formed have been washed away aud D
used by the crops. As the loss Of Ii,
acid 10 much greater in wet seasons ID