Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-03-25
RG, THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH III, 1917.
THE CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES or TIE RO
T\Tio\ OF CROPS

In purchasing farm We do not merely ann To- gain pos
session OF snpertces which plants may bs set the
object is To Obtain such natural compost, Of mineral and
organic matters may afford nuriment 10 plants. in the
must perfect manner and for the longest time. IT, par
hcnarocaly There he hut two remuneratlng crops
object IN 10 n soil which will hes, feed these.
The ailinos ot plants have been already set forth.
whereof judgement, may be formed OF the fitness al the
farm In converting the minerals the earth into crops
must adopt such a system exhaust II
pdy IN one respect, without drawing any resources from
another part. II in situation where every crop
keiile We adopt series which takes from the earth
ly plusphore acid do ourselves injustice by turning
to no advantage the purchase OF azte lime, potash aud
sulphur IN the soil.
Bya well digescd succession Of crops we ccononize
each body oi the soil. converting il money without
loss or mprovldencc. As have paid for every kind
OF plant food in the earth incur less by allowing any
part TO remain nnappropraod. Instead VI culllsang
one CROP and going abroad for in year two.
10y cautious economy, we obtain that manure al hume.
HE soil presents us with magazine oi saline
matters or plant tod Tor the most part IN insolnhc
condition. Annually, The dews Of evening aud showers
act on The insolnhc materials. and dissolve portion: by
the llllage and udIcous management Is rendered
available. II the crops do appropriate all the parts
rendered soluble, percolae in the soil and
ed Tho exposure "i The EARTH and crops rapidly
deprive II Of organic matter and becomes unfit for the
growth of many, and diminished IN fertility tr all anis,
by caressnes much waste thus brought about and this
rs but condensed rtlc soil, it merely the sand
and clay which are for the parts mechanical compo-
nens OF lands, aud contains The saline and TIED mat
ers constituting the plant food. Guano represents the
soil as but the fcrtlzng ingredients here extreme
" condensed.
When good E. nm OF stable manure or guano is pur-
chased, we Obtain aAotked matter phosploric acid. sails
oi ne oi potash, o soda and compound 81 sulphur. all
ot which will be lost 10 the surface tlagc by yoatz
ton or pereoalion IN solution. II nogcc ed all Of
which may be eapcd IN harscsis II nieo,sly managed.
This end is TO be accomplished only by suitable rotation,
which Is. therefore. have heretofore INSERTED,
cconomi, al oNpedcnt only
As we engaged in discussing general principles,
Is part oiiEe sujcc consider the case uf parcu
lar soils and manurcs but may be remarked with regtrd
10 these. that If the soil he peculiar cacaeous, green
sand, et' OF the acccfsie nanures gypsum, mari,
refuse fish, he not perfect composs the rotation must be
adapted TO the case aud does not require the elaborate
system necessary for more complex solls and manurcs
We must either give such land the complex character
OF the most fertile soils. expensive process, adapt
the crops 10 meet lis effects. But opinion net 10 be
hastily formed Of the nature of Of any so may
readily ascertain clay sand pedomnate II II he rich
IN organic matter lime. but before an accurate concu
sion can he reached must be certain that it does not
contain alkaline sillcaes phosIhorc snlphnc acid.
and these not readily detected even the richest
soils.
W hen the land or manure contains every kind Of
plant-iood IN legitimate proportion, with great excess
OF any las the case in god soils. the problem 10 he s"v
ed Is the system Of rotation which shall oconom7e all
these ingredients. As 10 the question Of market 10
cal; nor do We consider whether grazing be adopted
The crops directly sod This no way intecres with
the principles IN hand. If we sell oXen sheep wool
edprvc The soil oi certain Of saline and organic
ters and the rotation must lie filled up mol to waste
such ms are not sold in this form If we employ complex
mannrs true economy does moi alter the rotation, each
crop Is enlarged. but the Substances removed from the
land OF lost viii be- similar. IT may he well TO consider
one poi, more fully. II short rotation he adopted
Improve the sol, a time will arrive when the improve
meni being effected. class of more exhausting
plans may be inroduccd, but these in all
duced according 10 the principles There nothing
gained after the soil has reached certain filth in conn-
Iinung the improving system the object is now reap
our rewnid; but To do this in such that the end
Of the rotation the soil shall have fallen below Ger
tain Standard is then 10 he refreshed either BY manure
meadow grasses. lucern other suitable means now
under consideration but belonging the topic Of mpro
wing the soil. and not that Of rotations.
The farm having reached its high point Of lilage, by
suitable means now 10 be cropped for profit and reu
ced thereby toa certain practical standard-what
The general prlnc pies which this cropping is tie be
conducted? Obvlous by system Of rotation, during
which every saline and azutzcd matter that becomes
lnbe is removed, and no part is wasted This can be
accomplished ONLY by introducing such crops have sew
orally an affinity for Il various kinds Of plant nurmen
aud adapting them To The proportion off food present in
the soil Phosphorlc is the ingredient of soils
aud nlanuroS excepting guano and bones the former OF
which contain IL and the latter 25 per Of this body
Next after this is the azoilzed matter which forms small
per ceniage Of vegetable mould (05 10 80 per cent? and
Is THERETO to be removed cautiously. Sulphurc acid
present tc extent in all soils Astounding most an
ceHt marls and gypseous formations. The supplies of
lime and alkaes are very much greater than any Of the
preceding bodies the former obtaining 10 and the latter
to D per cent. III rich auvia lands The extent to
which we may remove those IN rotation is the proba
bic amount III the soil, which may lie taken in general
terms after The following rates per cent. in perfect au
wal soil. Phosphoric acid 020-aztzed matters 0.25
sulphurc acid O.l0-akalies 200--lime ond magncsia
3oo In esIlmnt'ng the consumption we must know the
amount and kind u bodies removed with each crp he
difference OF average crops in tbs spec remarkably
striking. and the subject has been fully detailed in my
lectures in the University 1t may be proper, here. 10
alduce by way of illustration a few cases. crop Of
wheat Of IS bushels with 1913 lbs oinor
ganlc matters, consisting olabout IL lbs Of phosphorc
acid. 30 lbs. Of silica, Is lbs Of Alkaline salts. crop
OF ucerh Of two tons 425 lbs. Of mineral bods
OF which ABOUT 300 lbs. lime 20 lbs phurlc acid
Eight hundTe bushels Of beeis about go lbs. Of
ashes, Of which 80 lbs. are alkaline salts
II would be tedious and ont Of place read here the
tables upon which these calculations made it may be
enough 10 state that they have been made and that they
form one Of the necessary items Of KIN Jwlcge in
structing perfect rotation. In addition to this every
expedlent used by practical the introduction Of
cleaning crops green ows, depasturng fall crops, the
employment Of roots, etc, 10 be attended in carry
Ing out the design of the rofaons-the economy of the
mineral and organic ailments Of the soil. These
pedents d not, however, constitute principles 10 be
Incorporated in the system. but only practical ad
juncis to be usodor otherwise according to local circn