Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-11-16
F,om the New York Post.
AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY In
AGRICULTURE.

Ftom the New York Post.
AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN
AGRICULTURE. T
In the Phalange, Fourier paper, pub
lishsd at Paris, Sept. 9Th, novel discov-
cry is described, which if true, will work
a great change in an important depart.
ment Of agricultural labor. 1t is comniu.
nicatsd TO the Paris print, by Charles
Pollard, aud NJ. Bernard, who date their
letter at Brest, August, 1871. 1t appears
that while they and some of their ftiends,
who farm their own estates, were engaged
in conversation on the subject Of agricul-
ture, II was observed by one Of them, that
that brunch Of industry was suffering
more from the want Of capital and enter
prise 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 inqui.
ry into the properties of manure, and
particularly as to what provision nature
had made in thosS uncultivated regions,
where there seems to be vigorous and
luxuriant growth, without artificial assist
anee.
''In observing nature unassisted, or un-
tbwaTtsd, rather by the hand Of man, in
vegetable reproduction, it is found that
when the sssd is ripe it falls upen the
ground, and tbon the plant which has pro.
duced it sheds It's leaves, or fails itself
upon it, in decay, and covers and protects
it from the weather, until generation has
commenced, and the young plant is able
TO grow up in health and strength, and
full deveIopement, TO rGcommence the
same routine of seeding and rcproduc.
| ton.
"From this it follows that, in nature,
every plant produces its own soil or hu.
mus, and that the earth only serves TO
bear the plant, and not to aid or nourish
it in vegetation. The nourishment of
plants s thus supposed TO be derived from
air and wdter, heat aud light, or electric
lty, IN different proportions, adapted 10
the different varieties Of vegetable na-
ture."
With this general notion in their minds.
and considering wheat to be, in present
circumstances, one Of the most important
vegetable substances, they ogreed to Try
experiments, and in Ociobsr last, under
took 'ho following operations
In field which had been sown with
rye because the land was deemed toa
poor for wheat, a plot OF twelve square
yards, untitled and left without manure,
was carefully strowed over with the grains
Of wheat, and wheato1 straw was laid IN.
on il closely and about ono inch in thick
ness. In a garden, also, which had
been neglected several years few square
yards OEearth we're trOdden over, and tho
surface being made close and hard, some
grains Of wheat were scattered on this
hardened surface, and layer of straw,
one inch in depth was carefully laid over
it and left, as in the former case, to take
its chance without ulterior attention.
And in order TO make doubt impossible
concerning the mere secondary functions
OF mineral earth in vegetable reproduc.
ton, twenty grains Of wheat were sown
upon the surface Of pane of glass and
covered with some straw alone, as in the
other case.
"Thc termination Of the seed was soon
apparent, and most healthy in deyelops-
ment. "The winter has been rigorous"
say thsso correspondents, "for this part
"t the country, and the earth has been fro.
zen in ono solid mass to depth of six
inches in the garden whers the wheat
was sown, and this happened several times
during the winter, 10 the great iniurv of
many plants, and even the entire dsstTuc.
non OF some, while the spots protected
by lhe silaW were never thoroughly con.
gealed, nor were the grains Of wheat, tho
lying on the surface under the straw, at
all atiNctcd by the cold, During the
spring excessive dIoughts prolonged. and
several tunes repeated, have prevented
vegetation on tho common plan from
in healthy progress, while our
IIttle spots of wheat have hardly felt the
inconvenience of excessive dryness, for
he earth protected by the straw, has
never been deprived entirely Of moisture,
nd our blades Of corn were Aourishing
whom all around was dropping and uncer.
uhh' 10 conclude, then, we have tho
ongbIy succeeded in our practical oxper.
neni, and the wheat produced is of the
nest quality. The straw was more than :
* feet high, and in the ears were so a
}, and even so grains Of wheat, of full q
'velopement, the admiration of all who p
Nv 'hem' and particularly those which
ere quite as healthy g. as large as those
hIchgrew upon the pane of g,ass& which
ew upon the common earth. II must II
observed also that there was not the 81 81
'alles' particle fearth upon the glass. III
d that The plants we're left entirely to m
without being watered or at, og
lded to IN any way, from the time of 10
wing to the time of reaping.n
The cause Of this success. thew think
y be explained in the following man. =
+:
Straw being bad conductor Of heat 4
good conductor of electricity. main Il
rs the root ofthe plant in a medium To-. snt