200 TALKS OK MANURES. 



The plot continuously unmauurcd, gives about 16 bushels of 

 wheat per acre. 



The i^lot with barn-yard manure, nearly 30 bushels per acre. 



4UU lbs. of ammonia-salts a on*, on plot 9</, 31^ bushels; on 96, 

 29 Injshcls ; on 10</ and 106, nearly 29 bushels cacli. This is remark- 

 r\ble uniformity. 



400 lbs. ammnnia-salts and a large quantity of mineral manures 

 in addition, on twelve different plots, average not quite 32 bushels 

 per acre. 



"The superpliosphate and minerals," said the Deacon, "do not 

 Bcera to do much good, that i.s a fact." 



You will notice that 3;]0 lbs. of common salt was sown on plot 

 16a. It does not ecem to have done the sligiitest good. Where the 

 salt was used, there is 2 lbs. less grain and 98 lbs. less straw than 

 on the adjoining plot 16A, where no salt was used, but otlierwise 

 manured alike. It wouM seem, however, thai the quality of the 

 grain was slightly improved by the salt. The salt was sown in 

 March a.s a top-dressing. 



" It would have been l)etter," said the Deacon. " lO have sown it 

 in autumn witli the other manures." 



" The Deacon is right," said I, " but it so happens that the next 

 fear and the year after, the salt tens applied at the same time as 

 the otlier manures. It gave an incn-ase of 94 Uks. of grain and 61 

 lbs. of straw in IBol, but the following year the same quantity of 

 salt used on the s;uiie plot I'id more harm than good." 



Before we leave the results of this year, it should be observed 

 that on 8/, 5,000 lbs. of cut straw and chaff were used per acre. I 

 do not recollect seein'.j anything in regard to it. And yet the 

 result was very remarkable — so mucli so indeed, that it Is a matter 

 of regret that the experiment was not repoated. 



This 5,000 11)S. of straw and chaff gave an increase of more th.in 

 10 bushels per acre over the continuously unmanured plot. 



"Good," said the Deacon,"! have always told you that you 

 under-estimated the value of straw, especially in regard to its 

 merhiiniciil action." 



I did not reply to this remark of the good Deacon. I have never 

 doubted the good effects of anything that li:rhtens up a clay soil 

 and renders it wnrnvT and more porous. I suppo.se the great benefit 

 derived from this applirati<in of straw must be attributecl to its 

 ameliorating action on the soil. The 5.000 lbs. of straw and ehalT 

 produced a crop within nearly 3 bushels per acre of the jtlot ma- 

 nured every )'ear with 14 tons of barn-yard manure. 



"I am surprised," said the Dot tor, " that salt did no good. I 



