The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-12-11 00:00:00

THE FARMERS' CLUB.

At the last meeting of the Club for the present year,
which was held in London on Monday evening, at the
Salisbury Hotel, Fleet-street, Dr. Voelcker presiding,
Mr. J. J. Mechi introduced the subject fixed for con-
sideration, viz,, "The Treasures of the Air, the Soil,
and the Subsoil." Notwithstanding the severity of the
weather, there was a large attendance.

Mr. Mechi, who was received with applause, com-
menced his very long paper by saying that until the
times of Davy and Liebig agriculture had no theory‘or
scientific basis, but was a mere empirical or experi-
mental art—effects were ascertained, but causes were
unknown. He proceeded to speak of the aid given by
the chemical analysis and the philosophical sagacity,
of such men as Liebig, and of himself he said : Be-
fore I became agricultural I had very little knowledge
of chemistry, but I then desired to know more about it,
and have devoted some time to the study of the works
of those modern lights in agricultural chemistry who
have conferred lasting benefits on mankind. We are
passing from the time when book farming in agriculture
was ridiculed and despised, and are now willing to be-
lieve that correct theory can never be opposed to
sound practice. I agree with Liebig that theory
should precede practice in agriculture as it does in other
arts and professions." He gave a warm support to
Liebig's "mineral theory," pointing to the great use
which had been made of mineral manures, as estab-
lishing the truth of that theory. Under the heading of
"The air and the soil," Mr. Mechi said, "Our loaves
of bread and rounds of beef are dependent on an
alliance between the elements of plant food in
the air and in the soil, aided by sunshine
and water. If they were not brought together by
some means, there could be no food. Nature
does this without the aid of man. Witnesa the
enorm°us forests, the vast plains of rich pasture, the
varied and abundant fruits and other natural produc-
tions. But Nature is just, for that which is grown
upon the land is restored to it by decay or by the ani-
mals and birds which consume it. It is man, alone, who
robs and impoverishes the laud, by neglecting to return
to it its incombustible elements. Liebig says truly,
"large towns, like bottomless pits, gradually swallow
up the conditions of fertility of the greatest countries.'
What a rebuff to us for not utilizing our sewage." He
urged that sub-soil should be manured as well as the
upper soil, in order to give the plants throngh the roots
the carbonic acid and ammonia. He also advocated
the double plough, the one under and following the
other and warmly urged draining. He largely quoted
Liebig on the point of the "treasures of the air," and,
he stated, "The fallow, root, and green crops are
especially fitted by their abundant foliage for abstract-
ing the aerial treasures, while their deeply-descending,
powerful, and abundant roots appropriate the good
things of the soil and subsoil. The ample cultivation
of the soil, both before and during their growth, per-
mits the earth also to abstract from the atmosphere its
fertilizing elements. Well may the alternation of green
and root crops with cereal crops be esteemed as good
and improved agriculture." He discussed the various
soils and their qualities, and the actions of various
manures; but he warned the agriculturists against
unprofitable experiments and practice, advising young
farming friends on taking a farm to put down as one
requisite an agricultural library, advising that a certain
society's journals should be among the volumes. Mr.
Mechi dealt with what he termed the "wheat growing
difficulty," in that there are in the soil the inorganic
materials for 74 full wheat crops, and yet one full crop
was not produced. After dilating on the subject at
length, he urged the need of town sewage being used
on the soil, saying that the national folly of wasting it
would some day be remedied by public common sense.
In conclusion he bade the club adieu, for in his 74th
year he considered his agricultural career as virtually
terminated, and he also thanked those journalists who
had kindly forwarded his views by publishing them.
Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., said Mr. Mechi had been
very interesting, and in his paper had praised up very
loudly and very persistently what was termed the
"mineral system "of Baron Liebig. . Mr. Read, for his
part, thought that no one had made so many mistakes in
agriculture as Liebig—great and glorious man though
he was—and any one who tried practically the Baron's
"mineral theory" once would never try it again, for
in practice it proved a disastrous failure. The speaker
also mentioned Mr. Medal's view about manuring the
subsoil, and with regard to Peruvian guano he held
that the sale of this manure, in the circumstances of
the unequal nature of cargoes and the price paid for
it, was being very much diminished in this country.
With regard' to the library Mr. Mechi had advised
the young farmers to buy, Mr. Read said that he had
subscribed for the journals to which Mr. Mechi had
referred, and any young farmer need not go above a
small amount for the complete set.
Mr. T. C. Scott, of Knaphill Farm, Surrey, spoke
at length upon various points in the paper, and urged
the value of scientific research ; but, be said, this
research was valueless to many farmers, as they were
so tied up to ancient usages by the conditions under
which they held their farms that it was impossible for
them to develope their views.
Mr. Neild also .urged that what was wanted was
"freedom in farming."
Mr. Cable and other members spoke, and the chair-
man having summed up the discussion, a vote of thanks
was given to Mr. Mechi and to the chairman. .