New-York tribune., 1841-10-22
An Emportan, Di.covery in Agriculture


In La Pnalange, FoWrier puper published al
Paris, Sept. 9Th, IL novel discovery is described,
which, If true, will work great change in an i'm
portant department. of agricultural IaEor Ills com
municaied TO me Paris print by Charles P9iilard
and VI. pernaIu, 1nu ar- trcir IctIer ut Drest,
August, l84l. Ii appears that while they and
some of their friends, who farm their own estates
were engaged in conversation on tn" subject OF
Agriculture it was observed by of thein that
that branch OF Industry suffering more for the
want of capital and enterprise than any Other, and
tAut nothing was TO be done wi hout manure, VIII Oh
was every day becoming more scarce aud expensive
This remark led inquiry into the properties OF
manure, and particularly as To what provision Ma
trt had made in those unculIivatr, regions where
there seems To be IA vigorous and luNusiant growth
without artificial assistance
&" la observing Nature unasssled. lmhwar,ed,
rather, by the hand oil man, in vegetable repro
duction, it is found that when the seed Is ripe
1t fails upon the ground, ann then the plant which
has produced IL sheds its leaves tails itself upon
it, in dec,y, ana covers aud protects !; from the
weather until generation has commenced, and me
yourg plant is able To grow ny i'll health and
strength and full development. To recomaience The
same routine of seeding and of reproduction.
From IL $ i follows liza in nature every plli I
oluces its own soil q. Aunlts nnd ihut thu earth
,ny serves TO bear the plant, and not to aid -
nourish it in vegetation. The rOurl>hment 0i
plants Is thas supposed be derived from ar and
icQt.r. heat and ight OF electricity, in dfcrent
proportions, adapted the different varieties OF
vegetable nature.
With this general notion in their minds, and con
sdeing whe ut to be- in present CIRCUMSTANCES. 2nc
at the most Important vegetable substances, thy
agreed 10 ny experiments, AMI m October last
undertook the following operations:
In field which had been sown with rye. be-
cause the land wa. deemed loo poor ior wheat, a
plot oil twelve square yards. unified aud lett with
on, mature. wa, carefully sirewed over with the
gains of wheat and wheaton straw was laid upo"
ii closely aud ubout one inch in thickness. In
garden also which had been neglected several
wears. a few square yards OF earth were troaden
over, and the surface being made close and hard,
Grain, oi wheat were scattered ou this hardened
surface and LAYER ot straw one inch IN depth
was carefully lad over it and left a. in the former
case to tale It's chance without ulericr attention
And in or,rr to make doubt impossible concernifg
/ the rserc secondary functions OF mineral earth IN
vegetable reproduction, twenty grains OF wheat
we're sown upon the surface OF II pane OF glass and
covered with some straw alone, H. III the ohercase
The termination OF the seed soon apparent
and mos; healthy in lrvelopement. ." The winter
has been rigorous" say these correspondents, Tor
7 inns part 81 tUe County, ai'4 t!Ic cH''i' 80
times been frozen in solid mss, 10 The depth OF
SIN inches IN the garden where the wheat was
,own. and this HAS happened several TIME, dua"g
the winter 10 the great injury o: many plants and
even the entire destruction OF some ws!e the spots
protected by the straw were never thoroughly CON
ssulcd nor were the grains OF whsat. though lying
on the surface under the straw all affected by
( the cold During spring excessive froughis pro
lonsed, and several times repeated. have prevented
vegetation on the common plan from houri-hng IN
healthy progtess, while our little spots ot wheat
have l,ardly felt the inconvenience OF excessive dry
ness inr the earth protected by the straw has never
zen deprived entirely OF moisture, and our blades
of corn wer,. Nourshing, when all around wa-
iroopins and uncertain. To conclude Then, we
have thoroughly succeeded in our practical eN-
pertinent. and the wheat produced is OF the hnes'
ousG;v The straw was mare than ,iN ieet high
and in the ears were 80, 60 and even so grams OF
wheat OF full deyeopcment the admiration oil al
" no saw them. and particularly those when gre"
upon the pane OF glass, and which were qo'te a
healthy aud as large a those which grew uloH 't'c
common earth. 1t must D. observed also t"a'
yhere not the smale, particle OF EARN upon
The glass, and that the plants were LETT entirety "a
themselves, without being wateIed or attended Is
IN aRy way whatever from the time oil sowing Ii
the time OF reaPing'
The cause Of this success, they think, may be
explained in the following manner:
Straw being bad conductor OF heat and
e.