The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-09-21
From the Baltimore .9nerican
AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.

The number Of new works which have appeared
within few years, on the application Of chemical
knowledge and principles TO agriculture, indicates
increasing interest in this most important suit. The
writings of Leibg and of Professor Johnston, recent
y published, of great value to the practical agri
culturist 1t is stated in foreign paper, that
Der of farmers in tie Lothaps of Scotland lately
formed themselves into society for the purpose Of
endeavoring TO apply the discoveries Of modern che
mistry to the science of agriculture For this pur-
pose, subscriptions were made TO amount winch
enabled the socetys committee to engage agrlcul
tural chemist; and Professor Johnston has been
ployed accordingly at salary OF $500 a year, Sc
cured to him for five years. The duties of the pro-
fessor will be to anayze soils and also manures to
ascertain what element has been taken from the soil
by the previous crop, and the manure which ought
to be applied in the circumstances, and according to
the nature of the plant to be grown From the dis
coveres of Leibig, and the experiments of Doctor
Johnson himself, much good expected in Scotland
from the appointment of an agricultural chemist and
the result of his labors a large scale.
From article in Taits Magazine, Nhc- we find
in Liteil's very valuable Museum of Foreign Ltera-
ture, we learn that work. entitled Smiths Pro-
ductive Farming has met with much favor among
the British agricultursts. Ii is not much an orr
ginal work a familiar digest Of the recent discove-
lies OF Lebig, Davy and other celebrated writers
vegetable chemistry. The following extract from
Mr.. Smiths work will be of interest TO our Mary
land farmers and planters. II relates to the follow
ing system:
:" The exhaustion of alkalies in o soil by success
sive crops, is the trLe why practical farmers
suppose themselves compelled to suffer land lie
iaow. II Is the greatest possible mistake To think
that the temporary dimuuton Of fertility in field -
chiefly owing 10 The loss of the decayng vegetable
matter it previously contained il is principally the
consequence OF the exhaustion Of the potash and
da, which are restored by the slow process Of the
complete dislntegralion Of the materials Of the
soil 1t is evident that the careful ting OF fal.ow
land must accelerate and increase this further break
ing up of It's mineral ingredients. Nor this repose
Of the soil always necessary. A field, which has be-
come unified for a certain kind OF produce may not
on that account be unsuitable for another; and on
this observation aud from this observation system
of agriculture has been gradually formed the princi
pal object OF which is TO obtain the greatest pos Bile
produce IN succession of years with the least out
lay for manure. Because plants require for their
growth different constituents Of soil, ch ngng the
crop from year TO year will maintain the fertility Of
that soil (proyccd II be done with udgmen,) quite
as well as leavI..g IT al rest fallow. In this
but initiate nature The oak, after thriving for long
generations on particular spot gradually sickens
It's entire race DIES OUT other trees and shrubs
coed IT, till at length the surface becomes so charged
with an excess OF dead vegetable matter that the
forest becomes pcat-mo,s, q surface uton which
no large trees will grow. Generally, long before
this can occur, the operation OF natural has
gradually removed from the soil substances essential
TO the growth OF oak leaving Others favorable and
cessary TO the growth OF beech and pine. So, IN
practical iarming-one crop, IN artificial rotation
with others, extracts from the soil certain quantity
OF inorganic matter; second carries of, in prefer
ence, those which the former had left, and neither
could nor would take up