24 TALKS ON MANURES. 



" Simply because the nalunil manure' anl other plant-food 

 which the soil contains is not in an available condition. It lies 

 dead and inert. It is not soluble, and the roots of the plants can- 

 not get enough of it to enable theni to thrive ; and in addition to 

 this, you will find as a matter of fact that these poor ' exhausted ' 

 farms are infested with weeds, which rob the growing crops of a 

 large part of the scanty supply of avaihiblc plant-food." 



"But these weeds," Slid the Deacon, "are not removed from 

 the farm. They rot on the land ; nothing is lost." 



" True," .said I, " but they, nevertheless, rob the growing crops 

 of available plant-food. The annual supi)ly of i)lant-food, instead 

 of being used to grow useful i. hints, is usvd t j grow weeds." 



"I understand that," siid the Deacon, "but if the weeds are 

 left on the land, and the useful plants are sold, the farmer who 

 keeps his land clean would e.vhiust his land faster than the care- 

 less farmer who lets his land lie until it is overrun with thistles, 

 briars, and pig-weed. You agricultural writers, who are con- 

 stantly urging us to farm better and grow larger crops, seem to 

 overlook this point. As you know, I do not tiike much stock in 

 chemical theories as applied to agriculture, but as you do, here is 

 a little extract I cut from an agricultural paper, that seems to 

 prove that the better you work your land, and the larger crops 

 you rai-;e, the sooner you exhaust your land." 



The Deacon put on his spectacles, drew his chair nearer the 

 lamp on the table, and read the following : 



" There is, on an average, about one-fourth of a pound of potash 

 to every one hundred pounds of soil, and about one eighth of a 

 pound of phosphoric acid, and one-sixteenth of a pound of sul- 

 phuric acid. If the potatoes and the tops are continually removed 

 from the soil, it will soon exhaust the potash. If the wdieat and 

 straw are removed, it will soon exhaust the phosphate of lime ; 

 if corn and tlie stalks, it will soon exhaust the sulphuric acid. 

 Unless there is a rotation, or the material the plant requires is 

 supplied from abroad, your crops will soon run out, though the 

 soil will continue rich for other plants." 



" That extract," said I, " carries one back twenty-five years. 

 We used to have article after article in this strain. We were told 

 that ' always taking meal out of the tub soon comes to the bot- 

 tom,' and always taking potash and phosjihoric acid from the .soil 

 will soon exhaust the supply. But, prdrticdly, there is really little 

 danger of our exhausting the land. It do s not pay. The farm- 

 er's resources will be exhausted long before he can exhaust his 

 farm." 



