16 Experiments imtJi Nitrate of Soda, Guano, Sfc. 



In November, 1851, I set apart five half-acres of wheat; the 

 previous crop had been beans manured with 5 cwt. of rape-cake 

 per acre. The soil is a stiff gravelly, or rather flinty, clay, good 

 wheat land where well used, and, though the dung-cart had not 

 visited the field for six years, it was kept in good heart by alter- 

 nate cropping and the use of guano and superphosphate of lime, 

 or fish. 



No. 1 — Had no manure. 



No. 2 — ^ cwt. of nitrate of soda, ] Top dressed in February, 



i cwt. of common salt, f 1852. 

 No. 3 — 1 cwt. of guano at seed-time, harrowed in with the 

 seed. 



li bushels of gypsum, top dressed in February. 

 No. 4 — 1 cwt. of guano, at seed-time, 



10 bushels of soot, top dressed in February. 

 No. 5 — 1 cwt. of guano, at seed-time. 



10 bushels of soot, ]rn ^^ 1 • -n 1 



11 1 1 r ' J-lop dressed m rebruary. 

 1 bushel oi gypsum,) ^ 



The following Table shows the result at harvest-time ; but, in 

 consequence of the wet and showery Aveather, I was not able to 

 thresh the wheat in the field, and had to take it into the barn : 

 the results, therefore, of all the experiments are not so great as 

 they otherwise would have been : — 



H S Yield Weight Increase Weight 



"sl Manure Used. Co^t^et of Corn Increase of Straw of of Wheat 



. S i Acre. per Half over Iso. 1. per ^ Acre Straw per 



^ ^ Acre. in lbs. in lbs. Bushel. 



s. (Z. bush. gal. bush. gal. lbs. 

 1 Without any . , .. 17 4 .. 1796 .. 56|- 



i lr:c"nsau} ^ 22 2 4 6 2096 300 57 



. ( 1 cwt. of guano . . ) 



M 10 bushels of soot .} 15 0 21 6 4 2 2392 596 59 



!1 cwt. of guano • . ] 

 10 bushels of soot . i 15 9 22 4 5 0 2465 669 59 

 1 bushel of gypsum . J 



I was induced to try the gypsum, because, having been in the 

 habit of using 2 bushels of gypsum with 2 cwt. of guano, as a 

 dressing for wheat where clover was sown, I fancied that the 

 wheat benefited more where the gypsum was used than without 

 it. These experiments prove I was right. Soot and guano I 

 have used for some time, and always with the most paying suc- 

 cess, having in the harvest of 1851 increased my wheat crop by 

 11 bushels an acre, at the cost of 305. 



With regard to the profit of these experiments, I set the 

 wheat at 4^. per bushel, and the straw at 6c?. per truss of 36 lbs. 



