Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-02-26
Agricultural,


rIoss.-A great deal has been said and
written lauerly, both in this country and
ia Europe, particularly in Germany, re
spec,iue concentrated manures. Poudre:te
and Guano-he one made among our
selves, the other imported from great
distance-are claiming the close attention
Of The agricultural community. which we
believe is ever ready TO embrace enterpri.
ses which hold out reasonable promises OF
advantages.
In some parts of the continent the start.
ling doctrine has been held, and lenaciously
insisted upon, that all seeds may be SO
treated as TO grow most luxurianlly, with
GU, any manuring Of the soil in which they
are to be sown.
The article given below in reference to
this curious subject, we take from late
number Of The " Transactions Of the High
land and Agricultural Society of Scot
land" Believing it 10 be Of great inter-
EST to The farmer, TO be acquainted with
every process by which his garuers may
be flled-and 10 the political economist,
10 provide for the daily sustcnance of the
millions whose daily wants are without a
holiday, we present it 10 our readers
Farmers Cabinet.
There was perhaps no object in the ex.
hibi,ioa Of plants in,he Socety's Show at
Dundee, 10 August, l843i. which attracted
such general attention as the remarkably
strong and vigorous oats growing in soil
exhibited by Mr.. James Campbell, Of the
Educational Semiuaries of that town.
The soil in which they grew possessed no
peculiar property, except that it bad not
been mauured for eleven years. The igor
Of the plants, according TO MIR. Campbell,
was entirely ascribed to their seeds having
been subjected TO process By which they
were soaked in certain chemical solutions.
Mr.. Campbell has, since the show in the
most liberal aud disinterested manner,
placed the particulars Of bis process in the
hands OF the Society, for the benefit of ag-
ricuituralists generally. and to further his
good intentions, the Society has thought it
proper to publish his own explanation Of
the method of conducting the process of
preparing the seed, as i, is given in letters
addressed at various times 10 the Secretary,
The following is extracted from the first
letter:
81 bog leave to inform you that some
wears ago, became proprietor Of abou, one
hundred and forty acres Of land, some of
which stood much in need ofimprovement.
My attention has accordingly been, Tor
considerable time past, directed to agri
cul,uralimprovcmen in various ways, and
l conceive this may be held as an excuse
for the liberty which now take in writ
ing you. :,
ten on the subjecto Of exlraneous and other
manures, anl a great many nostrums have
been pulIed OIL and applied with various
success. Many composts have been form
ed whose tendency is to yield abundant
crops on certain soils, but il must still be
confessed that no manure or other aPplica-
tioa Of much permanency of effect, or ap-
proach to anything like universal aptitude
10 soil, has yet been produced ; and, in all
circumstances. the expense Of manure is
still great.
1.-The discovery, therefore, Of a process
by which tho cerea and other gramineous
seed might be obtained in extraordinary
abundance, without the use of manures, is
certainly a grea. desidera.um. Now the
desiGeratum, however strange it may ap-
pear, have good grounds for concluding
have attained.
"I is now a.cnnsiderabe time since l
began 10 imagine that ifthe ultimate prin'
ciples of which The proximate consIltu-
cnts of most of the granineous seeds are
composed, could, by aay possibility, be
made so to enter the substance OF the seed,
and at the same time NOT 10 iOjure its VI
tality, as thoroughly to imbue its texture
with an excess Of these principles, the end
would be accomplished; and it is by do.
ing this, to certain extent, that l am
convinced have succeeded.
"In the spring of last year (lS42) / be-
gan some experiments with oats; which
were going on well. when, towards the
end of July, l left them unprotected, and
on returning, four or FIVE weeks after,
found, to my great regret, that my labor
was los, by the depreda'Iens OF poultry
and sparrows.. The stems were aisfrod'
den down, and not grain left. BShave
this season, however, taken proper pre-
cautions, The whole being 80 secured that
mo- bird or fowl can get access.
/" The soil in which my seeds were
Gown h as had no manure of any kind, to
INV cer,a;u knowledge for the last eleven
wears. have cornin The natural state, as
we'll az others that have undergone the
nrocees which I use, go that comparison
Of The resul, can easily be instituted. The
resul, of such a comparison will be found
altogether surprising.
II may only further mention thar the
greater number of the stems Of the oats
IRE thick as small canes, aud the leaves