Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1841-11-05
From the N Y. Evening Post.
DISCOVERY IN AG-
RlCULTURE.

In The Phdlange, Fourier paper pub
Iished at Paris, September SIh, novel
discovery is described, which, if true,
will work a great change in an lmPor-
tant department of agricultural labor.
1t is communicated to the Paris print by
Charles Pollard and NJ. Bernard, who
date their letter at Brest. August, lS4i.
1t appears that while they and some OF
their friends, who farm their own es
tales, we're engaged in conversation on
the subject Of agriculture, 1t was obstrv
ed by one of them that that branch nl
industry was suffering more from the
want OF capital and enterprise than any
other. and that nothing was TO be done
without manure, which was every day
becoming more scarce and expensive
This remark led to an inquiry into the
properties Of manure, and particularly
as to what provision nature had made in
those uncultiVated regions where there
seems TO be vigorous and IuXurant
growth, without artificial assistance
"In observing nature unasssted, or
unthwarled rather, by the hand oI man,
in vegetable production, it IS found that
when the seed is ripe it falls upon the
ground, and then the plant which has
produced it sheds its leaves, or falls it,
SO { upon it in decay, and covers and
protects it from the weather until gene
ration has commenced, and The young
plant is Oble TO grow up in health and
strength and foil deVelopement, to re-
commence the same routine Of seeding
and reproduction.
From this it follows that, in nature,
every plant produces its own soil or
hUmuS. and that the earth only serves 10
bear the plant, and not to aid or nourish
it in vegetation The nourishmsnl OI
plants is thus supposed to be derived
from air and pGter, heat and light or
electricity, in different proportions, a.
dapted to the different varieties Of vege.
table nature"
With this general notion in their
minds, and considering wheat TO be, in
present circumstances, one OF the most
important vegetable substances, they
agreed 10 Try experiments, and in OcIO.
Der last undertook the following opera
tions:
10 field which had been sown with
rye, because the land was deemed too
poor for wheat, plot OF twelve square
yards, untitled and left without manure,
was carefully slrewed over with the
grains of wheat, and wheaen straw was
laid upon it closely, and about one inch
in thickness. In garden, also, which
had been neglected several years, few
square Yards of earth we're troden over,
and the surface being made close and
hard, some grains Of wheat were scat
tered on this hardened surface, and a
layer Of straw an inch IN depth was care
fully laid over it, and lett, as in the for
mer case, to take its chance without
ulterior attention And in order to make
doubt impossible concerning the me re
secondary functions Of mineral earth II
vegetable reproduction, twenty grains
of wheat were sown upon tho surface O
a pane Of glass, and covered with som'
straw alone, as in the other case.
The germination of tho seed was sooV
apparent and most healthy in deveIope
: ment "The winter has been rigorous,
say these correspondents, "for this Por
of the country, ana the earth has some
times been frozen in one solid mass 10
depth OF six inches in tho garden wher
| the wheat was sown, and this hnPpene
. several times during the winter, to tn
great injury Of many plants and eve
{ the entire destruction Of some; Will
{ the spots protected by the straw "er
E never thoroughly concealed, nor wer
0 the grains ol wheat though lying on tn
I surface under the straw, at all aHec'e
by the cold During the spring exces
sive droOghs, prolonged and sewers
. times repeated, have prevented vege'a
i lion on The common plan from flourish
h ing in healthy progress, while our It'll