Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-03-13

salts. which,if exposed 10 the rain, are in exact
" the same condition, as under similar cond.
tons. a heap Of SAIL They dissolve in water
and are removed. Some months Of rain would
deprive those countries Of all their riches. The
rema inder would have lost the greater part of
its fer,lizinp mower. Such effects, however,
take place upon the guano with which our fields
are MANFRED. Only small portion Of its of.
cacious elements produce the beneficial effect
they are capable Of doing.,he greater part being
carried off by the rain The stable dung lie, in
this respect, in the Same condition as guano;-
indeed, it's principal elements are already in
dissolved state, and, therefore, are carried Oft
more easily than those Of guano.
A covering for those places in which stable
dung is preserved, in order to shelter il from
the effects of she rain, has beeIr--sgaraed in
Germany as essential for preserving its manu-.
ring power. In consequence of the experience
that the soluble elements of stable dung are the
most efficacious, it has, in some cases, been
drawn out with water, and it has been found
advantageous to carry only This fluid to the fields.
need only refer 10 the foregoing analysis Of
the urine of animals in order to see upon which
elements of i, this effect depends
The reason whv, in certain years, tho influ.
ence of the best and most plentiful manurng is
scarcely perceptible is, that during the moist
| and rainy springs and summers, the phosphdteS
and other salts Duh dlkilne bases, as also the
soluble ammoniacai salts, are entirely or partly
removed. A great amount Of rain and moist
IRE removes in, the greatest quantity, the very
substances which are most indispensable to the
plants at the time they begin to form and ma
ture seeds. The system of draining. which of
late, has been SO extensively followed in Eng
land, which brings the land into the state OF a
great filter, through which the soluble alkaes
are drawn off, in consequence of the preco' alton
of rain and it must therefore become more de.
fcient in its soluble efficaco ,as,,ss6s neh's.
Attentive farmers must have rtSsHrvel that
after certain time the quality Of the grain on
land laid dry according to this principle, deleri.
crates that the produce Of grain bears no due
proportion to the produce of straw.
What is more evident, sir, alter these remarks,
than that intelligent farmers must strive TO give
to the soil the manuring substances in such a
state as 10 render possible their acting favoraby
on the plants during the whole time Of then
growth. Art must find out the means of rcdu
cling The solubty OF the manuring substances &c
a certain limit, in word, of bringing them into
the same state, in which they exist in most fer.
tile virgin soil, and in which they can DO 5es
assmllated by the plants.
The whole attention Of chemists should BIO di'
rected to the attainment OF this end. am my
self occupied with series Of experiments which
lead me to hope that this problem can and will be
solved. II it succeeds, as have no doubt it will
in combining the eficacious elements Of manure
in such way as that they will not be WASHED
away-their efficacy VIII be doubled il in TIM
manner the injurious consequences OF the pres
ent system of draining be removed, agriculture
will be based upon as certain PRINCIPLES as wei
arranged manufactures. Manufacturers OF ma
nure will be established, in which the farmer cal
obtain the most efiicacious manure for all varie
ties of soils and plants. Then no artificial ma
.nure will be sold, whose exact amount of efiica
cious elements is not known, and this amour
wi be the s;ale for determ ming its value. II
the application of such nationally compounds
manures, the good will of The farmers must he
bring them 10 perfection. II, then, by the unite
, Efforts of the manufacturer and the farmer, TIT
best proportions are ascer'aned, new era vii
arrive IN practical farming. Instead OF the un
certainty Of mere empyricism, all tbs operation
Of agriculture will be carried on with certainty
and instead Of waiting the results Of our labor
with anxiety and doubt, our minds will be file
f with patience and confidence.
am, sir, yonr obedlen, servant,
DR.. JUSTUS LlEBlG.
GiEssEN, lS45.