Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-07-17
IMPROVEMENTS IN. AGRICULTURE.

The great truth that animal manures are moth
ing else than the ashes OF the food produced from
our fields, consumed oil burned in the bodies of men
and animals, has given the chief direction to all
molcrn improvements IN agriculture" Liebig.
The above remark deserves the profound consil-
Grafton Of every practical farmer. After an animal
has attained his maturity, and adds nothing to his
weight IN the course of gear, it is obvious that the
matter which escapes from the body must be the
same IN quantity as that which enters it. A very
notable portion Of the food OF all warm booded an
inals passes cut Of the luags in the form Of air
and vapor, during their ccaseess respiration night
AMI day, just. us wood passes out of chimney
when burnt IN fire place The combustion Of
grass, hay and grain in the system of the cow,
horse, or sheep, is not complete as that of fire
applied TO the same substance in the open air. In
the latter case, nearly all the combustble ingredl.
cn's-- carbon and hydrogen united with oxygen
and nitrogen-are expelled into the atmosohere-
In animal combustion, larger portion of carbon
hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen remain with the
ashes contained in the food taken into the stomach
and voded with the solid and liquid excremcns.
That portion of cultivated plants which escapes
into the air through the lungs of man and his do
mestic animals, growing plants regain by their
roots and leaves, and thus reorganiZe into animal
food. But the case is different with the ashes or
earthly portion of all plants. If these minerals are
taken from the soil IN crops and not faithfully re-
stored, by replacing on our cultivated fields all the
salts contained in the eXcreons of the human fam
lily and Of domestic animals, the injury will be
great
Nearly one third of all the wheat grown on the
globe, is raised by the Chinese. For thousands Of
years this wonderful people have cultivated most
successfully this bread-forning plant. For long
! period their wheat-helds have been lerized al
most exclusively with the ingredients of wheat, de-
r> ed from lis combustion in the human syslea IL
other words, they manure their fields with nigh soil
alone.
The manufacture of corn, wheat barley, oats
hay potatoes, pork, beef butter, cheese, WOOL can
be reduced to an exact science. The laws OF
chemical affinity, of vegetable and animal vitality
are uniform and easy 10 be understood, so far as
successful agriculture is concerned. One Of these
laws Is, that no man nor vegetable can possibly
make anything out Of nothing. Another is, tina
one simple substance, like carbon, cannot be trans
formed into another simple clement like nitrogen
Clay cannot supply the place Of sand, nor sand o
clay.
Suppose you have the materials to produce fifty
good crops in your now fertile soil: when those
materials worked up and sent to distant parts
where will the largely increased population of the
State 90 for food and clothing? Do you say to the
West? But what right has The present generation
to consume and destroy the natural fertility o.
Gods bountifu earh to the serious injury of those
who are to succeed them?
By every principle of common justice and phi
lanthropy, we should augment the natural produc
tivenesS Of the soil at least per cent per annum
or double lis fruits IN IS years,-Dr. Lee IN Gen
neSee Farmer.