Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1841-05-15

F. msf aa- as business IS. .- BOOK leaning, here
p b 90 ara Ia regard % ebIg5 yauefy % suosi.
-uge is mure essentially Important g1au Co l1a
art d agriculture. The eHeai Of information o..
eessal 10 bt.ag i 10 any thug Ike PERFECTION, Is
hardly 10 be credited. ] preserve lie ieruhl,
Of he sod--to tree Il from supsrf1ous moisture
10 cultivate IT to the greatest adgautage--to raise
~ productions at the least expeuse-to procure
Ine best instruments Of husbandry-i to select the
stock likely to be the NEST prOftabe-lo iced them
"a the most advantageous manner, and to bring
D them to the most advantageous markets--to Sc,
cure the hafvsI even % the most unpropitious sea.
sons-and an endless variety Of other particulars,
require degree OF know ledge, l. DO them trsh.
Of no common description
But to leave these general Consultations, and
10 descend to particulars. hat departments Of
human kuowIrdge are there which admit Of an
immediate and PRACTICAL application to The busl.
ness OF the iarmeH Answering thus question, the
afst which claims attention IS ChemISirB, OF thai
ot7nch OF physical science which investigates the
composition and intimate nature OF bodies. Thu,
claims attention FIRST On account of the manner as
vel as the variety OF the applications OF whIcA II
admits.
II IS certain that there are great differences a.
u'ohs SOUS IN Their adaptation 10 agricultural pur'
poses In one soil. 1t IS only necessary to bury
Inc seed, aud almost without attention, II springs
up, and N due season yields an abundant harvest;
whist IA another, 1t Is with the utmost difficulty
We eau Obtain even scanty return for our labo.s.
ihete are great differences among soils IN Their
Illness tor the cultivation Of different crops.
/ SOL winch VIII yield abundant harvest when
cultivated ~ one crop, will not repay the expense
Of planting IN aHoher---Ihat these difference
arse san1sl entirely iron. differences IN the com.
! position ot SOILS, suppose, no one doubts.
80" may De rendered unit Tor the cultivation Of
cet'an crop, either by deficiency IN some eI q.
ueht necessary lof ITS growth, OF by contatnu .
! some element which Is positively injurious. In
"fdef lhdl farmer may 20 10 work IulelhoealI,
to remove The difficulty thus presented. he must
hfSl Know whether he ey IN question consist, IN
he presence oil some noXluus substance, or IN Tho
absence Of some necessary one, and then he
must del tmne the precise nature of the substance
10 be removed Or supplied. This he can seldom |
:" never DO by mere inspection, for the simple |
reason, that me elements OF soils are so intimate.
y lhleTmxed that ~ impossible to distinguish
them by the senses.
but LEI US suppose that the nature Of the evil Is
known and that It consists in the presence Of some
"oAlons substance is he then any better off II
'S'h VAIN he thinks OF any mechanical means for
IT'S removal, Tor so ntlmaley is It lnterulxed with
vac "thtF constituents Of The soil, that resort IA
any such means must result IN entire ailme. In
such circumstances a knowledge Of chemical
principles may he OF the highest yaue.--slnre
from them, and from them alone, can we learn
no" 'he ev is TO lie removed In Davy's gtl.
cultural Chemistry, there is an instance mentlon.
ed winch will fully illustrate this point, "A so,l
u good apparent texture, iiom Lincolnshire, was
'Gi INTO my hands by SIR Joseph Banks, a. re, I
narkabe tor steruy Ga examining II, | found
adl II contained suiphae OF the OK de OF IRON. and
'llered tae obvious remedy Of a top.dre>aDu I
'lh lime, which converts the suphae nto "A ma. {
'ure'' In this case there are several ,hlnos +
worthy OF remark. Ftsl: the so vas to all M. c
'earance, good one, the cause Of all lis ,ter,l,r, /
'ehg 50 Intimately ttelmXed with he other con.
''uehts OF The soil, as 10 be perfectly undfuiu
uShabIe by the senses. sSocond, the suIphate /
4 lhe oxide OF iron was substance OF such a. ma
1Ie and existed m such form, as 10 render #
NoSetner impossible to remove it by any other !
IAN chemical means; as IT was so intimately in. a
'fmIxed with the other elements of the soil IN ;
. uho'S''hsniNhabie by the eye, any attempt TO a
lcR IL OUT would be entirely out of the question.
h'rd; by the application of chemical principles. "
'avy was enabled not only to detect the nature f
"'o cE''' ou' 10 convert It INTO positive beue.
t. by the action Of the lime spread upon the ,
ma the sulphate OF the oxide of iron va. decom =
oSeo; lie oxide oil IRON, perfectly inert sub. 4
ahee so tar as vegetation was concerned betny :,
II III 'he SOL, whilst Ihe sulphurc acid combned h
''h the llme' thus forming phate of lime or a
dSIer, most excellent manure Fourth. The 8.
''ufe OF the wi, aud the remedy TO be applied ia
ere exceedingly simple. All that was necessa. :.
7, was to take small portion of the soil and ba. 4
ng placed II IN glass, 20 pour some water over =
, and then, after II had stood for few minnie. 81
add a 10" drops OF an infusion of NUT. CALLS :,
hen thus treated the sui phate of the oxide of oI
on would discover itself by the deap black color i
men 1t would give to the liquid. In such case te
MS lhe advantages resulting from knowl- =,
lge OF Chemistry must be apparent to every e.
ne. ~
The most common objection which is made W
neh the CLAIMS OF Chemistry upon the PRACTICAL be
are urged, IS based upon the COM he
eXhy OF chemical operations aud he difficulty DIR
performing chemical analysis In answer to tn
u.s. viii say. that whilst IT must be admitted fit
At the accurate analysis of soils and minerals i vi
work OF great difficulty, and such as none but pr
accomplished Chemist, with well furnished
'nIgfy al command, can hope to perform. We,
d'ihcuIlg IS an imaginary and not real one.
Tar as the matter Is concerned These arcu.
e 'hemca analyses are seldom wanted for 70.
otutaI purposes; whist such rough analyses 4. D
nfnllI ~. ] "