Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-04-14
CROPS WITHOUT MANURE.

AS the season for planting and digging is now
approaching, i. e. us ihe regular time Tor such
ings 10 now at hand, though we do nj see any
likelihood Of practical operations commencing
very speedily, II may not be anliss 10 such oi our
readers as cultivate len feel square and upwards,
10 inform them that German, MIR. Bickes, has
discovered process by which lie raises the very
finest crops on poor, shelly Soils The mode OF
operation is profound secret but the ruth OF the
tact ia very strongly auested. The argument Of
the most scientific Of modern writers upon the
subject is that the great sllinulaLt OF The grown
of plants is ammonia.
Mr.. Bckes's method is TO prepare the seed. The
secret consists in the mode vi SO doing. IL was
suggested at recent agricultural meeting III Bos-
ton, that it was probably prepared by being coated
with guuno, which, from the astonishing results
| attending lis operation, has recently excited SO
much attention. This was advanced by DIR. jack
son, who ut subsequent meeting produced some
seeds thus coated in proof OF the Pracllcabity Of
| the plan. The expense OF preparing them was,
however, very great. Another gentleman assert
ed thai a tea spoon full OF guano applied to new
y struck rose cutting had produced the following
| spting bush six leei high We copy from the
Boston Transcript, 10 winch we are indebted Tor
! the above facts, the following stalement.--NOrh
.4mericdn
.uiiheiiung uder die E.fndung den Boden Ohns
Dilnger anzubauen. Communication on the
Art OF cultyailug the Ground without Manure.)
By L. Ii. Blckes, Frankfort on the Maine, lo9@,
PIP. 81.
| WONDERS WILL NEVER CEASE! While our ng-
riculuriss are eagerly discussing the comparative
advantages OF particular solls, ana studying tue
theory OF Inunures, propounded by Sprengel
and Licbig, Il cuun;ryman OF these distinguished
professors comes forward TO proclaim that thslr la
burs ure vain for, IL We are 10 believe HIM, lie
has discovered the ART OF growing luXurlunt crops
on The poorest land aud without any manure What
sueyer aud the cost Of the process Is 50 IrIfiihg
that Tor the acre of wheat or maize, II does moi
exceed five pence sterling; aud Tor rape, cabbage
&C. amounts 10 only about half that sum. Al hrsI
we were disposed 10 consider such extraordinary
uretensions US All eifusiOn OF quackery, ana emit
LIED 10 little or no credit but our hcreduliy has
lbeen somewhat shaken by the numerous altesa-
lions which the author has appended TO his pam
phlet, and which Tend 10 prove lhat his method
has beeu practlsed with success, during The las
twelve wears, in various paris OF Germany and
Holland. Thus the certificates from Vlena, dated
in. 1929 and $780, declare that MIR. Bickes'S pro-
cess which would seem 10 consist IN some ptepa'
ration OF the seed renders all dunging unneces-
sary is applicable 10 the poorest SOILS ana 10 al
sorts OF. pants and lmparIs 10 them "ohderlu
degree OF vegetation ana luhess ! and ihey gave
the results OF the experiment IN The Imperial Gar
den of the Chateau, from which II appears mat
wheat raised from seed sown by Mr. Is. had larger
ears ape mote grains than that produced rom I'm
pre- pared seed that the barley showed ears w'.l
Tour rows aud Ia larger number Of grams, WINE
lhnt from unprepared seed had only Two rows anC
smaller proportion Of grains On each stock and
the Indian corn exhibited larger number OF much
stronger and thicker heads.
Al Budingen again, some plants of The sunnow
err, treated according 10 Mr. BIS method, grew Il
the height OF ten 10 eleven feet, with woody stem
of eight and half 10 nine inches in .chcumler
ence. Ten or twelve potato plants, o. large yel
low sort. called Marburger, yielded each, ON TN
!. average, lhiny good sized lubers, with stem an,
branches seven feet longs and maize, which grew