CHEAPEST MANURE FOR FARMERS. 129 



there was not quite 40 acres, and we had 954 bushels of Diehl 

 wheat. This is not bad in the circumstances ; but I shall not 

 be content until I can average, taking one year with another, 85 

 to 40 bushels per acre. If the land had been rich enough, there 

 would unquestionably have been 40 bushels per acre this year. 

 That is to say, the season was quite capable of producing this 

 amount ; and I think the mechancial condition of the land was 

 also equal to it; all that was needed was sufficient available plant- 

 food in the soil." 



" I can see no reason," said the Doctor, " why you may not av- 

 erage 40 bushels of wheat par acre in a good season." 



" The field of 14 acres," said I, " where wheat followed wheat, 

 yielded 23 bushels per acre. Last year it yielded 22 bushels per 

 acre ; and so we got in the two years 45 bushels per acre." 



This fieLl has had no manure of any kind for years. In fact, 

 since tin lund was cleared, 40 or 50 years ago, I presume that all 

 the manure that has been applied would not, in the aggregate, 

 be equal to more than a good crop of clover-hay. The available 

 plant-food required to produce these two crops of wheat came 

 from tho soil itself, and from the rain, dews, and atmosphere. The 

 land is now seeded down with clover, and with the aid of a bushel 

 or two of plaster per acre, next spring, it is not improbable that, 

 if mown twice for hay next year, it will yield in the two crops 

 three tons of hay per acre. 



Now, three tons of clover-hay contain about 33 Ibs. of phos- 

 phoric acid, 90 Ibs. of potash, and 150 Ibs. of nitrogen. 



The last crop of wheat, of 22 bushels per -acre, and say 1,500 

 Ibs. of straw, would contain : 



In the grain. In the straw. In total crop. 



Phosphoric acid 1H ibs. 3* Ibs. 15* Ibs. 



Potash U " 81 " ' 16* " 



Nitrogen 23 " 9t " 32i " 



It seems very unkind in the wheat-plants not to give me more 

 than 22 bushels per acre, when the clover-plants coming after will 

 find phosphoric acid enough for 40 bushels of wheat, and potash 

 and nitrogen enough for nearly 100 bushels of wheat per acre. 

 And these are the three important constituents of plant-food. 



Why, then, did I get only 22 bushels of wheat per acre? I got 

 23 bushels on the same land the year previous, and it is not 

 improbable that if I had sown the same land to wheat again this 

 fall, I should get 12 or 15 bushels per acre again next year. But 

 the clover will find plant-food enough for 40 bushels of wheat. 



" There is not much doubt," said the Deacon, " that you will 



