The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-11-04
RUR.sE ECO.sV.nY:
From the NeY York Erening Post.
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN AGRf.
CULTURE.


IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN AGRf.
CULTURE.
In the Phalange, Fourier paper pub
lished al PARIS, September s.li, novel dis.
coyery is described, which, ii true, will
work grea, change IN ao important dc.
partmeni Of agricultural labor. Ii IS COM
lnuaica,ed to the Paris print by Chas. Pol
lard and NJ. Bernard, who date their let
Ter OF Bres,, August, lS4l. IL appears
that while they and some Of their friends,
who farm their own estates, were engaged
10 conversation on the subject OF agricul'
ture, il was observed by one Of them that
Iha: branch Of industry was suffering more
from the wnnt of capital and enterprise than
any other, aud tina, nothing was 10 be done
without manure, which was every day be
coming mora scarce and expensive. This
remark led to an inquiry into the proper
ties Of manure, aud particularly as TO what
provision nature made IN those uncuiIva'ed
regions where there seems to DO vigorous
and luxuriant growth, viIhou. artificial as
sstence.
." In observing nature unasslsted, or I'M
,hwaried rather, by the hand of man, 10
vegetable reproduction, It is found that
when the seed is ripe it falls upon the
ground, aud then tho plaD; which has pro
duced i, sheds lis leaves, or falls Itself upon
il in decay, and covers and protects !. from
the weather until generation has commeac
ed, and the young plan, is able 10 grow up
| 10 health and strength and full development,
TO recommence the same routine OF seeding
and OF production.
From this i! follows that, in nature, eve
nv plan, produces IFS own soil oshrmaS, and
I that the earth only serves 10 bear the plant,
ard not 10 aid or Dourish II IN vege,a.Ion.-
/ The nourshment OF plants IS thus supposed
10 be derived from air and Tater, heat end
Hcht, or electricity, in difioren, proportions,
adapted to the ditlerenl varieties OF yege.
table uature,"
1 With this general notion in their minds,
and considering wheat to be, inpresoni cir,
cuG,s.auees, one of the most important veg
o.abls substances, they agreed to try exper
imeuts, and IN October last undertook the
fol,oSlag operations:
In field which had been sown with rye,
because the land was deemed too poor Tor
wheat. plo, of twelve spare yards, untitled
and left without MANURE, YES carefully
streaed over with the grains Of wheat, and
Shealen straw was lad upon it closely, and
abou, one inch IN thickness. In garden,
also, which had been neglected several
wears, few square yards Of earth were
,rodden over, and the surface being made
close and hard, some grains of wheat were
scattered on this hardened surface, and o
layer Of stray one loeb 10 depth was care
fully laid over il, and left, as in the former
/ case, to take IFS chance without uilerior al
teniion. Add in order to make doubt i'm.
possible concerning the mere secondary
/ functions of mineral earth IN vegetable 70
production, twenty gralos Of whea, were
sown upon the surface Of pane CT glass,
ard covered with some stray alone, as in
the other case.
Tue germinalion Of the seed was soor
) sppareni and mos, healthy IN develop
neut. aThe winter has been rlgosou',
say these correspondents, :" for this part o
country, and the earth has sometimes
been ffozan 10 one solid mass to dept!
Of SIX inches in the garden where TIT
wheat vas sown, and thus hes happened
several times during the winter, 10 th'
great injury Of many plants and even th
entire destruction Of some while the spot
protected BY the straw were never thor
ourhly congealed, nor were the grains Q
wheat though lying on the surface nnde
the straw, at all affected by tho cold. Dur
ing the spring excessive droughss, proloug
ed and several times repeated, have pFeven
: ted vegetation on the common plan fron
fourshing 10 healthy progress, while gu
. little spots Of wheat have hardly leii the IN
+ convenlence Of excessive dfyness, for ,h
n earth, projected BY the straw, has neye
: been deprived entirely OF moisture, and ou
! blades Of corn we're furnishing when a
i around was dropping and uncertain. !
conclude, then. We have thoroughly succee
ded IN our practical experiment, and lh
wheat produced rs Of the fines quality. Tn
sEFaG W9s more tlldi bth tEEt HfHtif Na'N .
the ears we're 80, 60, and even so grains c
wheat Of fell development, The admiration
OF all who saw them, and particularly thos
c which grew upon the pane Of glass, ant
which were quite as healthy and Gs larg
as those which grew upon the commo
earth. Ii must be observed also thgt Their
: was not the smallest particle Of earth upo
lie glass, and that the plants were tef. en-
iireIy TO themselves, without being watere
or attended to in any way whatever fror
) the time Of sowing to the time Of reaplng.
J. The cause Of this success they thin
J. may be explained IN the following manner
"Siraw being a bad conductor Of heal
' ard good conductor Of electricity, main
, tains the roo, Of the plant in medium TEN
! perature, and prevents the earth from beiu
: deprived entirely OF moisture. The mols
II tu5a Of the earth, or the substraiuD,, bein
5. continual, facilitates the gradual and con
d slant absorption Of csrbonic acid gas frot
: The surrounding atmosphere, and hydroge
j and carbon, he chief elements OF poursh