27 



phoric acid, but either crop can be raised more readily and pro- 

 fitably from ordinary soils, where climate is suitable, than either 

 wheat or corn. 



The foregoing Tables are of great value to the farmer and 

 planter, in showing them the amount of the different valuable 

 elements required by different crops ; also, how far the commer- 

 cial manures of a known composition are able to supply the 

 material for these crops. If the reader wishes to know how 

 much of those elements which are not usually applied as princi- 

 pal constituents of manures, such as oxygen, hydrogen, chlorine, 

 iron, soda, and carbon, is required by plants, he may refer to the 

 Tables on pages 28 and 29 which will show him the percentage 

 of these substances; and from these he can readily calculate the 

 amount required by different crops for an acre. 



Every crop should be supplied with the full amount of all the 

 substances needed to bring it to maturity. That this vital prin- 

 ciple is not understood, or at least attended to, is painfully evi- 

 dent from an examination of the statistics furnished in the re- 

 ports of the Agricultutal Department, at Washington. By these 

 reports we find that the average of the amounts of the different 

 crops raised on an acre in thirty States of the Union, is as 

 follows : 



Wheat 11,56 bushels. 



Indian Corn 28.00 " 



Eye 13.30 " 



Oats 23.95 " 



Barley 19.14 bushels. 



Buckwheat 17.68 " 



Potatoes 93.22 " 



Hay 1.28 tons. 



The above averages show conclusively that there is a great 

 necessity for a more extended use of manufactured manures. 



Even Pennsylvania, that boasts of her fertile soils and the 

 perfection of her system of agriculture, produces only the fol- 

 lowing average of the above named crops per acre : 



Wheat 12.8 bushels. 



Eye 13.0 



Barley 21.4 " 



Potatoes.. ...880 " 



Indian Corn 35.0 bushels. 



Oats 27.8 " 



Buckwheat 16.5 



Hay. 1.3 tons. 



But this will favorably contrast with South Carolina, which 

 shows the lowest average production, as follows: 



Wheat 5.6 bushels. 



Rye 5.0 " 



Barley 9.0 " 



Corn 10.2 bushels. 



Oats 9.7 " 



Potatoes 101.0 " 



