274 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



many such cases given evidence of increased capabilities of pro- 

 duction, which, until lately has been set down as simply resulting 

 from the mechanical condition of the soil being more favorable for 

 growth, instead of its being also referred in part to the increase of 

 food for the crop which was then obtained." * * * 



"The stores of ammonia which the atmosphere contains are gath- 

 ered by the soil, and subsequently liberated when required by a 

 growiugcrop, whilst the organic matter of the soil is also by the same 

 agency prepared to minister to vegetable productiveness. Thus we 

 have nearly all the requirements of our crops supplied from natural 

 sources, and these are rendered available by our various tillage 

 operations. The conclusion to which we are brought by these facts 

 is, that tillage operations rendered free and available for vegetation 

 certain fertilizing matters which are essential for our crops, and 

 that the degree to which the resources of any soil are developed is 

 proportioned to the extent of these operations. Practically it 

 matters but little whether so much alkaline matter, ammonia, and 

 organic matter is added to the soil by manure, or converted from 

 a dormant to an active condition. It is manifest that in both cases 

 the soil is equally enriched by equal quantities of the same mate- 

 rials ; but there is this advantage in favor of the tillage operations, 

 that while the two methods may be equal in a chemical point of 

 view, yet the mechanical conditions are very materially in favor of 

 the tillage operations as a substitute for manure. The food being 

 the same, equal results would be obtained, provided other condi- 

 tions were equal, but if the mechanical condition of the soil is very 

 much improved, it will enable the crops to grow more freely, and 

 this is so much the more advantageous for the increase of the crop 

 resulting from our tillage operations." 



Farmers generally do not realize as they ought, the fact that good 

 tillage may be made equivalent to an application of manure. We 

 ought to understand that tillage, in once sense, is manure, and to 

 remember that the very meaning of the verb to manure, from its 

 derivation, and as formerly used, was, to cultivate by manual labor. 

 So that when we plow or harrow our soils to improve them, we 

 manure as really as when we apply dressing from our stalls. 



Adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock on Wednesday. 



