168 TALKS ON MANUKKS. 



spread on iiortions of the land sown, or to be sown, with wheat. 

 Kven so i^ooil a fanner and wheat-grower as Jolin Johnston, 

 rarely used manure, (except lime, and latterly, a little guano), 

 directly for wheat. Clover and sumnier-fallowin;^ were for many 

 years the dependence of the ^Vestern New York wheat-growers. 



"One of the oldest and most experienced millers of Western New 

 Yori<," remarked the Doctor, "once told me that 'ever smce our 

 farmers began to manure their land, the wheat-crop had deterio- 

 rated, not only in the yield per acre, but in the quality and quantity 

 of the flour obtained from it.' It seemed a strange renuirk to make ; 

 but when he explained that the farmers had given up summer- 

 fallowing and plowing in clover, :.nd now sow spring crops, to 

 lie followed by winter wheat with an occasional dressing of poor 

 manure, it is e;isy to see how it may be true." 



" Yes," said I, " it is not the iivtnurc that hurts the wheat, but 

 tiic growth of spring crops anil weeds that rob the soil of far more 

 plant-food than the poor, strawy manure can supply. "We do not 

 now, really, furnish the wlieat-crop as much manure or jilant-food 

 as we formerly did when little or no manure was used, antl whea 

 we depcniled on summer-fallowing and |»lowingin clover." 



We must cither give up the practice of sowing a spring crop, 

 before wheat, or we must make more and richer manure, or we must 

 j)low in more clover. The rotation, which many of us now adopt 

 — corn, barley, wheat— is profilal>le, provided we can make our 

 land rich enough to produce 75 l)ushels of shelled corn, 50 Dushels 

 of barley, anvl 85 bushels of wheat, per acre, in three years. 



This can be done, but we shall eitlier require a number of acres 

 of rich low land, or irrigated meadow, the produce f)f which will 

 make manure for the upland, or we shall have to purchase oil- 

 cake, bran, malt-combs, or refuse beans, to feed out with our straw 

 and clover-hay, or we must purchase artificial manures. Unless 

 this is done, we must summer fallow more, on the heavier clay 

 soils, sow less oats and barley; or wc must, on the lighter soils, 

 raise and plow under more clover, or feed it out on the tarm, being 

 careful to save and ajiply the manure. 



" Better do both," said tlie Doctor." 



"IIow?" asked the Deacon. 



"You had iK'tter make all llie manure you can," continued the 

 Doctor, " and buy artificial manures besides." 



" The Doctor is right," said I, " and in point of fact, our best 

 farmers are doing this very thing. They are making more manure 

 and buying more manure than ever before; or, to slate the m.-^.tter 

 correctly, they are buying artificial manures ; and these increase the 



