ARTIFICIAL MANURES. 185 



sections at the rate of twenty loads to the acre, of twenty bushels 

 each. These sections were about five rods across. Then, after 

 ploughing, and when I got ready to plant, I applied the sheep 

 manure to the other half of that section, so that I should be 

 able to test the value of it ploughed under, and also applied to 

 the land after it was ploughed and previous to planting, culti- 

 vating under with a horse-hoe. The next section was guano — 

 this " ammoniatcd Pacific guano " at the rate of 200 pounds to 

 the acre, composted with red loam. To the next section I 

 applied flour of bone, at the rate of about 300 pounds to the 

 acre. That I applied without composting it ; had it sowed close 

 down, and its quantity weighed out in proportion to the amount 

 of land it was to cover. So I went on through the piece, alter- 

 nately applying the guano and the flour of bone, until about 

 the fourth or fifth section, which I left without applying any- 

 thing to it at all. Then, on the 4th day of July, that was 

 planted with what we call Italian turnips, a species of French 

 turnip, the seeds of which were imported a number of years 

 ago, and have been constantly cultivated with us since, as prefer- 

 able to any French turnip for tafele use. The whole piece was 

 more or less injured by a worm, which is as large as the army 

 worm, (and really they were almost as troublesome this year,) 

 with yellowish stripes longitudinally, and probably three-six- 

 teenths of an inch in diameter, and the drought was somewhat 

 severe upon the crop when it was growing. The result was a 

 marked difference in favor of the ammoniated guano. The 

 sheep manure that was applied and turned under at the first 

 ploughing was about equal to the guano ; that which was culti- 

 vated in was of no advantage at all perceptibly, but I think that 

 unfavorable result was caused by the drought ; if it had been a 

 rainy season, it might have resulted in greater advantage. I 

 could see no advantage from the flour of bone over the section 

 that had no manure of any kind upon it. That was my exper- 

 iment with the turnips. 



The land adjoining that piece was ploughed and manure 

 turned in at the rate of twenty loads to the acre, of twenty 

 bushels each, and planted with corn, without manure in the 

 hill, except two rows. In those two rows, there was a table- 

 spoonful of the ammoniated guano dropped into each hill, after 

 the seed was planted ; not allowing it to lie upon the seed, but 



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