106 



THE GENESEE FAKMER. 



guano, which also contains more or less of all the 

 elements of plants, though in very diflerent propor- 

 tions from barn-yard manure. When we get an 

 increase of 8(5 bushels of potatoes per acre from an 

 application of 300 lbs. of Peruvian guano, we can 

 not attribute the beneficial efiect, with any degree of 

 certainty, to any particular ingredient. It is true 

 that Peruvian guano contains a large quantity of 

 ammonia and phosphate of lime, and a very small 

 amount of the other ingredients of plant-food, and 

 any marked eifcct produced is in all probability due 

 to one or both of these substances; but to which, 

 we can not determine, without resorting to experi- 

 ments with each of them separately and combined. 

 "We believe the above experiments are the first 

 which have been made on potatoes, for the purpose 

 of determining this interesting point. They were 

 instituted not for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether sulphate of ammonia would be a profitable 

 manure for potatoes, but whether ammonia was 

 required for the maximum growth of the potato, 

 and in what quantity. This fact being ascertained, 

 we can use such manures as afford the largest quan- 

 tity of ammonia at the cheapest rate. And the 

 same is true of phosphate of lime, potash, or any 

 other ingredient of plants. 



It will be seen, by reference to the table, that 

 150 lbs. of sulphate of ammonia per acre gave an 

 increase of 45 bushels of potatoes ; 300 lbs. super- 

 phosphate of lime, an increase of 37 bushels; and 

 the two combined, on Plot 4, an increase of 84 

 bushels. The ammonia and the suj)erphosphate 

 sown separately both give considerable increase, 

 but they have a much greater effect when sown 

 together, although the total increase is nearly the 

 same from the same quantity of manure in both 

 cases. The result shows that Peruvian guano — 

 which contains both phosphate of lime and ammo- 

 nia in considerable quantity — would be a much 

 ])«tter manure for potatoes than either superphos- 

 phate of lime or ammonia alone. These experi- 

 ments therefore confirm the opinion of practical 

 farmers in regard to the value of this manm'e for 

 potatoes. 



The ash of potatoes consists of about 50 per cent, 

 of potash, and this fact has induced many writers 

 to recommend ashes as a manure for this crop. It 

 will be seen, however, that in this instance at least 

 they have very little effect, 400 lbs. giving an 

 increase of only five bushels per acre. One hun- 

 dred pounds of plaster per acre gave an increase 

 of six busliels. Plaster and ashes combined, an 

 increase per acre of 15 bushels. 



One fact is clearly brought out by these experi- 

 ments : that this soil, which has been under culti- 

 vation without manure for many years, is not, rela- 



tively to other constituents of crops, deficient in 

 potash. Had such been the case, the sulphate of 

 ammonia and supei-phosphate of lime — manure* 

 which contain no potash — would not have given 

 an increase of 84 bushels of potatoes per acre. 

 There was sufficient potash in the soil, in an avail- 

 able condition, for 179 bushels of potatoes per acre; 

 and the reason why the soil without manure pro- 

 duced only 95 bushels per acre, was owing to a 

 deficiency of ammonia and phosphates. 



In enriching the soil for potatoes, therefore, tho 

 principal object should be to provide a sufiicient 

 quantity of ammonia and pliosphates. Practically^ 

 we may confine our attention to the supply of am- 

 monia ; for there is no economical way of providing 

 this "spirit-like essence of the farm," which does 

 not at the same time furnish an abundance of all 

 the other elements required by the plant. Of all 

 commercial manures, Peruvian guano is undoubt- 

 edly the best and cheapest for potatoes. Of ordi- 

 nary manures made on the farm, hen dung stands 

 first, and hog manure next, inasmuch as hogs ar© 

 fed on foods containing much nitrogen and their 

 manure therefore contains much ammonia. The 

 manure ought to be thoroughly decomposed, but it 

 should be fermented in such a way as to prevent 

 loss of ammonia and to retain all the salts of the 

 urine. 



In the Oenesee Farmer for March, 1856, we stated 

 that no plant enriches the soil so much for potatoes 

 as red clover. Tliis deduction from practical expe- 

 rience is fully sustained by the above experiments. 

 A clover sod, plowed early in the spring and thor- 

 oughly decomposed, would furnish the potatoes 

 with a considerable quantity of ammonia, though 

 probably not sufiicient for a maximum crop. 



We may remark that no difference could be per- 

 ceived in regard to the soundness of the potatoes 

 grown by the different manures. Putrescent ma- 

 nures may have a tendency to increase the rot ; but 

 when the manure is thoroughly decomposed and 

 intimately incorporated with the soil, wo should 

 apprehend no such effect. 



Lettuce aitd Out-Woems. — A corresponlfnit 

 assures us that by scattering a few lettuce soods in 

 different parts of his garden, he is never troubie^l 

 with the cut- worm. The worms get under the 

 leaves of the lettuce and live on them, and do not 

 touch any other plants. Scatter the lettuce seed 

 freely, and when the plants get to be in the way, 

 puU them up. 



Thb editor of the Southern Planter states that 

 several instane«i have been brought to his notice 

 where cattle have died from eating corn stalks that 

 had been chewed by hogs. Have any of our reader^ 

 obserT«d tho same effect ? 



