Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-07-04
AGRICULTU RAL.
We spoke in our last number of the N.

We spoke in our last number Of the N.
E. Farmer of the great importance of ma
nure to the farmer; and incidentally Of
the means of obtaining and increasing it.
There is no subject Of greater import
ance in the agricultural community; and
we should not deem it necessary to offer
any apology to our readers, if in every
paper the subject were to be brought up ;
and pressed in all its forms, with an ur-
gency proportioned to its importance.
The philosophy of vegetation, like the
philosophy of every thing else is very i'm
perfectly understood; it is not compara-
tively understood at all its secrets are
not approached; and beyond a certain
point conjecture. if not presumptious, is
idle. For man to undertake to penetrate
the profound depths of nature is like un-
dertaking to reach the bottom of the ocean
with a thread. or to span the orbit of a
planet with his hand. The Creator wraps
himself in deep obscurity. Results are
all that come under our cognizance; the
modes of his operation are insoluble. Yet
are we able to see the connexion between
means and ends. Certain effects as ex-
perience demonstrates, result from the ap-
pIication af certain means, and ale not to
be expected without such application and
when man faithfully performs his part he
may confidently look for success to that
ever-active and watchful Providence by
whose power and guardianship all things
are upheld and controlled.
Vegetables, as EIuch as animals require
! food and food adapted to their particular
condition and constitution. 1t is the prov
ince of the judiclous husbandman to sup
ply this food, and to supply it in such
quantities and forms, at such times and
under such circumstances as observation
and experience teach US, is desired. This
vegetable food, call it by what name you
please, is often found Astounding in the
soil itself: but the constituent elements Of
the soil or earth do not themselves supply
it. The plants gather it from the earth
the water, the air; and cultivation and
vegetation exhaust it. 1t consists of veg.
etable matter, which is capable of being
dissolved and so minutel y divided that i
may be taken up by the plants. Wha
gypsum, (which is only one of he forms
or combinations of lime, } salt, &c. are not
as is understood, the food of plants: bu
only means of evolving that food, and rem
dering it soluble, and suitable for the pur
; poses of vegetable life and growth. Il
the curious and wonderful scheme of di
vine Providence, vegetable matter in tn
endless circle of reproduction, is constant
" being returned to the earth in a stat
of decay, to enter into new combinations
! and to furnish subsistence to new growth
The theory of vegetation is thus ia
simple enough for all practical purposes
= and the great object Of the farmer shoul
IL be to collect, wherever they may be found
the means of increasing his manure heap
> and to provide food for his vegetables a
much as food for his animals. Manur
e has been properly denominated the sir
y ews of his strength, and to neglect to prC
& vide and furnish it, is like neglecting t
re provide food for his live stock or to thin
81 to profit by them by keeping them in
% lean and half starved condition. In new
n ly cleared countries, in the untouched an
H. virgin soils Of the West, the food of We!
IS etable life has been accumulating fc
years and centuries. The enriching
u the soil in such places therefore by an
" artificial process is not required. So lik,
II wise in our own new lands, when clea
'e ance is first made large amount of We!
~ etable food is to be found from the acct
oi mutation of decayed vegetable matte
OF which is continually going on in the 70
'n est; though great deal o: this is inevi
j. ably destroyed by the action of fire, tt
1e usual mode of clearance adopted anon
rs US. But in our old cultivated lands it
D. otherwise; crops one after another ha,
N been successfully taken from the lane
"a and vegetable food must be in some We
n returned to the soil in order to meet tn
De deficiency. The amount of mineral sal
H. or alkaline ear:hs found in vegetables
oI comparativel y small yet certain qua
tlty be 1t more or less is undoubtedly wal
u ing to the perfection of vegetable growtI
~ but what is mainly wanting in our e
'e- hausted soils is vegetable matter whit
x may either be furnished after it has pas
q ed through the animal machine and
some unknown process been render
ED more active and concentrated; or it M;
TO be presented in more crude state, but
his either case it must be dissolved, disint
ch grated, and reduced to a form infinite
t bS too minute for human inspection before
no can be taken up as nourIshment by the e
of Of quisitely fine vessels of the plants.
ere There is reason to believe that nothil
or in the material creation is ever annihiI
Of ed or extinguished; and could the veg
ISL able matter produced upon any Civ
Csc piece of land be entirely returned to tt
of same land and equally diffused upon it,
ata =: