"CHEMICAL MANURES. 59 



traditions of the past, this property is in excellent condition, since 

 the production of manure is made equal with the harvests for sale. 



Now, how produce manure there, and how much of it does the 

 land receive the acre ? 



The production of manure is 710 tons the year, which, spread 

 upon 112 acres of arable laud and 22.25 acres of upland meadow, 

 give a mean of 77 pounds the acre per year. But an annual ma- 

 nuring of 77 pounds the acre per year of manure is precarious. You 

 all know, gentlemen, to cultivate under such conditions is to cultivate 

 without gaining anything. 



You can judge of it by the returns obtained from Bechelbronn : 



Returna per acre. 



Wheat 35 bu. 



Oats 75 " 



Beets 52,000 Ibs. 



"Meadow 9,090 " 



At Bechelbronn the culture is for small returns and little profits ; 

 that is true, fixing the rent at 3 per cent., by great trouble a net 

 profit of $627 is obtained. 



Thus, here is a domain worth $62,700, which requires a moving 

 capital of $6650, and where, because only manure is used, infinitely 

 precarious results are obtained, in spite of the high intelligence di- 

 recting it. Is this an industrial situation to be cited as an example, 

 and onewhich is able to contend against importations from abroad? * 



Change these conditions, and see what can be made at Bechelbronn 

 by employing chemical fertilizers. 



At an expense of $5.67 the acre, $1140 in all, see what will take 

 place. / 



The returns will pass from 22 bushels to 43, 21 bushels profit 

 that is to say, against a cost of $5.67, an excess of $20, not counting 

 the straw. Eeduce the profit one-third, if you will, and fix it from 

 $15 to $19 the acre, there will always result this important fact 

 that with an increase of capital of $627, we can increase the profits 

 of the culture of $627 to $1300 or $1500. Will you remark here 

 that I use the lowest estimates ? 



This ought not to surprise you, gentlemen, since the advantages of 

 high culture are familiar to you. 



Once more, at Bechelbronn, without changing anything in the 

 agents or nature of the culture, but by the simple fact of advancing 

 $5.67 of chemical fertilizers the acre, the profit may be tripled. 



Here is a convincing demonstration, it seems to me, of the truth 

 of the principle that in agriculture there is no profit without abun- 

 dant manuring, and in view of the impossibility of producing suffi- 

 cient manure for high culture, it is necessary to have recourse to 

 chemical fertilizers. 



Here is a situation upon the gravity' of which we must not close 

 our eyes, for foreign importation will soon have demonstrated the 

 peril of it. 



You may say that this proposition is contestable from the example 



