THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Ill 



the beneficial effect of the application is due to the 

 soluble phosphate of lime, or to the ammonia. On 

 tlie other hand, guano contains both ammonia and 

 phosphate ; and we are equally at a loss to deter- 

 mine, whether the effect is attributable to the 

 ammonia or phosphate, or both. In order, there- 

 fore, to determine satisfactorily, which of the several 

 ingredients of plants is required in greatest propor- 

 tion, for the maximum growth of any particular 

 crop, we must apply these ingredients separately, 

 or in such definite compounds, as wiU enable us to 

 determine to what particular element or compoimds 

 the beneficial effect is to be ascribed. It was for 

 •this reason, that sulphate of ammonia, and a pm-ely 

 mineral superphosphate of lime, were used in the 

 above experiments. No one would think of using 

 sulphate of ammonia at its price, as an ordinary 

 manure, for the reason, that the same quantity of 

 ammonia can be obtained in other substances, such 

 as barn-yard manure, Peruvian guano, etc., at a 

 much cheaper rate. But these manures contain all 

 the elements of plants, and we can not know 

 whether the eff"ect produced by them is due to the 

 ammonia, phosphates or any other ingredients. — 

 For the purpose of experiment, therefore, we must 

 use a manure that furnishes ammonia Avithout any 

 admixture of phosphates, potash, soda, lime, mag- 

 nesia, etc., even though it cost much more than 

 we could obtain the same amount of annuonia in 

 other manures. I make these remarks in order to 

 correct a very common opinion, that if experiments 

 do not //ay, they are useless. The ultunate object, 

 indeed, is to ascertain the most profitable method 

 of manuring; but the means of obtaining this infor- 

 mation, can not in all cases be profitable. 



Similar experiments to those made on Indian 

 corn, were made on soil of a similar character, on 

 about an acre of Chinese sugar cane. I do not pro- 

 pose to give the results in detail, at this time, and 

 allude to them merely to mention one very impor- 

 tant fact^ the superjthosphate of lime had a very 

 marhed effect. This manure was applied in the 

 hill on one plot (the twentieth of an acre,) at the 

 rate of 400 lbs. per acre, and the plants on this plot 

 came up first, and outgrew all the others from the 

 start, and ultimately attained the height of about 

 ten feet ; while on the plot receiving no manure, 

 the plants were not five feet high. This is a result 

 entirely different from what I should have expected. 

 It has been supposed, from the fact, that super- 

 phosphate of lime had no eff'ecl on wheat, that it 

 would probably have little effect on corn, or on the 

 sugar cane, or other ceralia; and that as armnonia 

 is so beneficial for wheat, it would probably be ben- 

 eficial for corn and sugar cane. The above experi- 

 ruents indicates that such is the case, in regard to 

 Indian corn, so far as the production of grain is 

 concerned, though, as we have stated, it is not true 

 in reference to the early growth of the plants. — 

 The superphosphate of lime on Indian corn stimu- 

 lated the growth of the plants, in a very decided 

 manner at first, so much so, that we were led to 

 suppose, for some time, that it would give the 

 lai-gest crop ; but at harvest, it was found that it 

 produced no more corn than plaster. These results 

 seem to indicate, that superphosphate of lime stim' 

 ulatos the growth of stalks and leaves, and has little 

 effect in increasing the production of seed. In 

 raising Indian corn, for fodder or for soillog pinr-- 



poses, superphosphate of lime may be beneficial, as 

 well as in growing tlie sorghum for sugar-making 

 purposes, or for fodder — though, perhaps, not for 

 seed. 



In addition to the experiments given above, I also 

 made the same season, on an adjoining field, another 

 set of experiments on Indian corn, the results of 

 which I now send you. 



The land on which these experiments were made 

 is. of a somewhat firmer texture than that on which 

 the other set of experiments was made. It is situ- 

 ated about a mile from the barnyard, and on this 

 account has seldom if ever been manured. It has 

 been cultivated for many years with ordinary farm 

 crops. It was plowed early in the spring, and it 

 w'as harrowed until quite mellow. The corn was 

 planted May 30, 1857. Each experiment occupied 

 ONE-TENTH of an ACEE, Consisting of 4 rows 3i feet 

 apart, and the same distance between the hills in 

 the rows, with one row without manure between 

 each experimental plot. 



The manure was applied in the hiU, in the same 

 manner as in the first set of experiments. 



The barn-yard manure was well rotted, and con- 

 sisted principally of cow dung with a little horse 

 dung. Twenty two-horse wagon loads of this was 

 applied per acre, and each load would probably 

 weigh about one ton. It was put m the hill and 

 covered with soil and the seed then planted on the 

 top. 



The following table gives the results of the experi- 

 ments. 



TABLE SHOWING THE EESULT3 Of EXPERIMENTS ON InDIAH 

 COKN, MADB NKAE EOCUESTKE, N. Y., IN THE YeAB 1S5T. 



As before stated, the land was of a stronger 

 nature than that on which the first si-i of experi- 

 ments was made, and it was evidently in better 

 condition, as the plot having no maaiare produced 

 20 bushels of ears of corn per acre more than the. 

 plot without manure in the other fie-M. 



On Plot 4, 300 lbs. of superphosphate of lims' 

 gives a total increase of 11 bushels, of ears of co:*i. 

 per acre over the unmanured plot> agreeing exac'%, 

 with the increase obtained from the same qnantJgr 

 of the same manure on Plot 5, in the first sel,jot-i 

 experiments. 



Plot 3, dressed with 150 lbs. of sulphate of amajor- 

 nia per acre, gives a total increase of 28 bushe.sof s 

 ears of corn per acre, over the unmanured T;|ot; , 

 and an increase of 22^^ bushels of ears per acre over 

 Plot 2, which received 20 loads of good, well-r >tted . i 

 barn-yard dung per acre. 



Plot 5, with 400 lbs. of Peruvian guano ■perrmJ^ ^ 



