CHEMICAL MANURES. 101 



use such and such manures what the soil I cultivate has lost in its 

 elements of fertility. 



I will attempt, then, by the aid of facts accepted by all the world, 

 to demonstrate that the system of M. Ville, applied to the culture of 

 the beet and of wheat, with biennial manuring, far from wasting, 

 helps gradually to increase the fertility of the soil. 



I' will take as the basis of my calculations, field No. 1, which pro- 

 duced in 



1866, beets 53,013 Ibs. the acre. 



1867, grain 57 bu. " 



" straw .". 4888 Ibs. " 



And I will admit in the beet and wheat, 



Beets. Wheat. Straw. 



Azote 0.21 per cent. 2.29 per cent. 0.36 per cent. 



Phos. lime... 0.21 " 2.47 " 0.45 " 



Potash 0.29 " 0.72 " 0.65 " 



According to this composition, the two harvests represent the 

 following quantities of azote, phosphate of lime and potash : 



Azote. Phos. lime. Potash. 



53,013 Ibs of beets Ill Ibs. Ill Ibs. 153 Ibs. 



2,463 Ibs. of Avheat, less seed.... 56 " . 60 " 16 " 



4,888 Ibs. of straw 16" 22" 32" 



And finally, the balance between the fertilizer and the harvest 

 becomes 



Harvest. Fertilizer. 



Azote 184 120 



Phosphate of lime 183 177 



Potash 202 120 



At first sight, the earth appears the loser, and the contradictors of 

 M. Ville appear to have reason on their side. But is this balance 

 the expression of what takes place in cultivation ? Evidently not. 

 The harvests have not carried off what we said. In reality, the beets 

 go to the sugar-maker, where they become pulp, which, returned to 

 the farm, serves as food for stock and a large production of manure ; 

 the straw likewise reaches the same destination. 



Let us see what the farm recuperates from different products, and 

 which ought to enter into the deductions of what the soil loses. 



Azote. Phos. lime. Potash. 



13,333 Ibs. of pulp 57 Ibs. 24 Ibs. 76 Ibs. 



1,777 " " 10 " 81 " 8 " 



4,888 " of straw 17 " 22 " 32 " 



Kefuse of different kinds _4 " 



Total 88 Ibs. 127 Ibs. 116 Ibs. 



This correction made, these quantities of the agents of fertility 

 being added to the corresponding terms of the fertilizer, we are led 

 to the following balance, which is the true expression of the 

 phenomena : 



