Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-04

AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN AGRICuI-
TURE.

AN AhFOh 1 AM DlSCOVERI IN AGRICUL-
TURE.
In the Phalange and Fourier paper pub
Ilshed at Paris, Sept. 9th, novel discovery
is described, which, if true. will work great
change in an important department Of ag-
ricuItural labor. 1t was communicated to
the Paris print by Chas. Pollard & Mr..
Bernard. who date their letter at Bres,, An
gust, 1871. 1t appears that while some Of
their friends, who farm their own estates.
were engaged in conversation on the subject
ofagriculture, it was observed BY one of
them, that that branch OF industry was suf
tering more from the want of capital and en-
terprlse than any other, and nothing was to
be done without manure. which was every
day becoming more scarce and expensive.
This remark led to an inquiry into the pro.
pertles OF manure. and particularly as to
what provision nature had made in those
uncultivated regions where there seems to
be vigorous and luxurious growth, without
artificial assistance.
SIN observing nature unassisted, or IN
thwarted rather, by the hand of man. in
vegetable reproduction i, is found that when
the seed is r pc, it falls to the ground, and
then the plant which has produced it sheds
Its leaves, or falls upon il in decay, and GOV.
ers and protects it from the weather, until
generation has commenced, and the young
plant is able to grow upin health & strength
and full development, to recommence the
same routine Of seeding and of reproduc.
ton.
"From this, it follows that, in nature, ev-
cry plant produces its own soil humuS, and
that the earth onl y serves to bear the plant,
and not to aid or nourish il in vegetation.-
The nourlshment of plants is thus supposed
to be derived from air and water. heat and
light, or electricity in different proportions,
adapted to the different varieties Of vegeia-
BILE nature"
With this general notion in their minds,
and considering what to be, in present cir
cumstances, one of the most important veg
etable substances, they agreed to try expe-
riments, and in October last undertook the
following operations:
In field which had been sown with rye.
because the land was deemed too poor for
wheat, plot of twelve square rods, untitled
and left without manure, was carefully.
strewed over with grains of wheat. and
wheaton 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 were trod-
den over, and the surface being made close
and hard, some grains of wheat were scat.
tered on this hardened surface. and layer
of straw one inch in de p,h was carefully
laid over 1t, and left, as in the former case,
to take its chance with Interior attention
And, in order to make doubt impossible con-
corning the mere secondary functions of
mineral earth in vegetable reproduction 90
grains OF wheat were sown upon the surface
OF pane OF glass, and covered with some
straw alone, as in the other case.
The termination of the seed was soon
apparent. & most healthy in development.
THE winter has been rigorous" say these
correspondents, ''for this part of the coun.
try. and the earth has been frozen in one
solid mass depth of six inches in the gar
den where the wheat was sown. and this
has happened several times during the win
ter, to the great injury Of many plants and
even the entire destruction Of some. while |
the spots protected by the straw were ne
yer thoroughly CONCEALED. nor were the
grains of wheat, though lying on the surface
under the straw, at all affected by the cold.
During the spring. excessive draughts pro,
longed and several times repeated, have
vegetation on the common plan
from tlourshng in health and progress,
while our little spots of wheat have hardly
felt the Inconvenience OtexceSsive drvness, |
for the earth protected by the straw has ne
yer been deprived entirely from moisture,
and our blades Of corn were tourlshng,
when all around was dropping and uncer-
tain. To conclude. then, we have thor
oughy succeeded IN our practical expert
ment, and the wheat produced is Of the fin
est quality. The straw was more than six
feet high, and in the ears were so, 60, or
even 80 grains of wheat Of full develope-
ment, the admiration of all who saw them,
and particularly those that grew upon the
pane of glass, and which was quite as heal
thy as those which grew upon the common
earth. 1t must be observed also that there
was not the smallest particle of earth upon
the glass, and that the plants were left en-
lire y to themselves, without being watered