The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-11-09
Vhe Il "a n ma G n l..
rro,u The .Neao YORK. Post.

:$kM phoon 90, Fourier paper publisheG at "a
S2 ~ s,b novel discovery is described (which
'I,. u,N work great change in an important
NV. ,nsn, q sriculural lab or. tbs communicat
Sl w., p,d, print, by Charles Pollard, and M
"' rho date their letter at Brest, August,
%, n,DOears, that while they and some of
y. a,Od.. who farm their own estate, were en-
", IN conversation on the subject Of agriculture,
-, Observed by one Of !hem, that that branch
S uaerug more from the want of capital and
~ .,utse than any other, and that nothing was to
,# Am. without manure, which was every day be
2M min, more scarce and expensive. This remark
W A 70 an inquiry into the properties of manure, and
,ocoory as to what provision nature had made
,,bose uncuivated regions, where there seems
"a ,Es vigorous aud uxurient growth, without ar
M GfCia assistance
~ an Observing nature unasisted, or unthwarted,
# s,bgby the hand # man, in vegetable reproduc-
81 h il is found that when the seed is ripe it falls
y mon the ground, and then the plant which has pro
sheds its leaves, or falls itself upon it, in
n ry. and covers and protects it from the wealth
B a. until generation has commenced and the young
N ,snt is able to grow up in health and strength land
&aldereopement,t 10 recommence the same routine
Andng and reproduction.
y From this it follows that, in nature, every plant
+ produces its own soil or humus, and that the earth
: ay serves to bear the plant, and moi to aid or
+ tmsh ii in vegetation The nourishment OF
q giants thus supposed to be derived from air and
rar heat and light, or electricity in different pro
ynims adapted to the different varieties OF veg.
n NBAmare."
IN Gnhhis general notion in their minds, and con
q alHng wheat to be, in present circumstances ,one
dhe most important vegetable substances, they a
4 geei to try experiments, and in October last
Undertook The following operations
n In afeld which had been sown with rye because
RNNaa @eO deemed to poor for wheat, plot of ~
~ square yNa, ,NNtiIed and left without manure was
" carefully srewed over with the grains of wheat,
\ Ind wheaton straw laid upon it closely and a
bout one inch in thickness. In a garden, also,
4 which had been neglected several years, few
FTare yards were trodden over, and the surface be
ng made close and hard, some grams Of wheat
were scattered on this hardened surface, and lay
straw one inch in depth was carefully laid o.
chance without Interior attention. And, in order
nnake doubt impossible concerning the nero Sec
Mday functions Of m neral earth in vegetable re-
Pduclon, twenty grains of wheat were, sown up.
@he surface OF a pane of glass and covered with
zone straw alone, as in the other case.
The termination of the seed was soon apparent,
and most healthy in development. "The winter
has hpun g.
Ns part Of the country and the earth has some
Tines been frozen in one solid mass TO depth ci
SIX inches in the garden where the wheat was sown
and this has happened several times during the
winter, TO the great injury of many plants and even
Inc Cnro destruction of some, while the spots pro-
Nled by the straw were never thoroughly CONCEAL
@,nor were the gains of wheat, though lying IN
Tue surface under the straw, at all affected by the
"a During the spring excessive droughts pro-
"0ged, and several times repeated, have prevented
vegetation on the common plan from fourishing
III Aeahy progress, while our little spots of wheat
"a'e hardly felt the Inconvenience of excessive
O'y"ess' Tor the earth protected by the straw nas
never Ncen deprived entirely of moisture, and our
''aues '' corn were hourshing, when all around
wa, o'ooPng and uncertain To conclude, then,
nave thoroughly succeeded in our practical ex-
s'", ana the wheat produced is of the finest
lI"'v Inc straw was more than six feet high,
nr wv ears were SO, 60 and even 80 grains of
r ''' u iuli developemenl, the admiration Of all
"n0 "a" them, and particularly those which grew
t fl Tue pane OF glass, and which were quite as
.-'"s ana as large as those which grew upon the
""H''n earth. 1t must be observed also that there
Il. nut the smallest particle of earth upon the
,h.s ' ana that the plan,s were left entirely to
'~'e'Ves, without being watered or attended to
H. S way whatever from the time of sowing to
"' lime Ofreaping.
srn,1' cause OF this success, they think, may be
''"eu IN the following manner:
-. Straw being bad conductor of heat. and a
Tho nouo'or OF electricity, maintains the root OF
fl. p'aa'ln medium temperature, and prevents
Tb. 'a'n from being deprived entirely of moisture
in, ''0'e OF the earth, or the substratum, be-
,bso.s '"ual' facilitates the gradual and constant
in. puon o. carbonic acid gass from the surround
cbjsr W., sphere, and hydrogen and carbon, the
Tim, 'nehts of nourlshment to vegetables, are
ara ,os 'u0m'zed in regular supplies where they
with a.y required, and pass in combination
branoh.sen from the roots up to the stems and
'''' Oh the plants in which they are assimi