Talks on Manures: A Series of Familiar and Practical Talks Between the Author and the Deacon, the Doctor, and Other Neighbors, on the Whole SubjectHarris, Joseph
Science
Talks on Manures: A Series of Familiar and Practical Talks Between the Author and the Deacon, the Doctor, and Other Neighbors, on the Whole Subject
Harris, Joseph
Fertilizers; Manures
No doubt on that point, provided it is good manure. Barn-yard manure,
whether rich or poor, contains all the elements of plant-food, but there
is a great difference between rich and poor manure. The rich manure
contains twice or three times as much nitrogen and phosphoric acid as
ordinary or poor manure. And this is the reason why artificial manures
are valuable in proportion to the nitrogen and phosphoric acid that they
contain in an available condition. When we use two or three hundred
pounds per acre of a good artificial manure we in effect, directly or
indirectly, convert poor manure into rich manure. There is manure in our
soil, but it is poor. There is manure in our barn-yard, but it is poor
also. Nitrogen and phosphoric acid will make these manures rich. This is
the reason why a few pounds of a good artificial manure will produce as
great an effect as tons of common manure. Depend upon it, the coming
farmer will avail himself of the discoveries of science, and will use
more artificial fertilizers.
But whether we use artificial fertilizers or farm-yard manure, we shall
not get the full effect of the manures unless we adopt a judicious
rotation of crops.
When we sow wheat after wheat, or barley after barley, or oats after
oats, we certainly do not get the full effect of the manures used. Mr.
Lawes’ experiments afford conclusive evidence on this point. You will
recollect that in 1846, one of the plots of wheat (10_b_), which had
received a liberal dressing of salts of ammonia the year previous, was
left without manure, and the yield of wheat on this plot was no greater
than on the plot which was continuously unmanured. In other words, _the
ammonia which was left in the soil from the previous year, had no effect
on the wheat_.
The following table shows the amount of nitrogen furnished by the
manure, and the amount recovered in the crop, when wheat is grown after
wheat for a series of years, and also when barley is grown after barley,
and oats after oats.
Table Showing the Amount of Nitrogen Recovered, and Not Recovered, in
Increase of Produce, for 100 Supplied in Manure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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