The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-11-17
! agricultural.
AMMONIA.

AMMONIA.
"Ammonia, Licbig maintains, is a DO
DIV not indebted to organism forlts being;
Tint il is to be classcd with ice and potash,
soda and oxygen, whose quantity 'S'ln'',
the organism Of plants and animals, ana
without, is in general terms, constant. lie
holds that when required physical proper
ties have been given to soil; and the nc
ccssary inorganic ingredients, in suitable
solubilisy the ammonia and carbontc ac'a,
with healthy falls Of rain will provide
themselves PROF. Horsfora.
The plain English Of the above theory
is, that the organized carbon and nitrogen
in manurcs, Of vegetable and animal ori-
gin, are of little or no account III the
growth of good crops Of grain, grass or
roots. Rains and dcws will yield to c,ll-
tivuted plants all tho ammonia and carbo-
mic acid that they need; leaving the far
mcr 10 greater task than TO pulveriZc his
soil, and give it 'ihc required physical pro-
pertics, and necessary Inorganic ingrctl-.
icnts.' We arc not prepared to assert
that this view Of the growth and nourish-
ment of vegetables is not true; but we can
say that its soundncss lacks evidence TO
un extent which should make one hesitate
before he adoprs the theory for the Fur-
pose Of making ii the basis Of 4 system OF,
practical agriculture.
Docs Prof IIorsfor,l find abundant cvi-
dcncc that Ammonia exists i'll the atmos-
phcrc independent of the quantity given it
by dccaying organized bodies which am
monn falls in rain snow, and dew to the
earth in Mrger quantity than plants and
animals furnish to the nir!-ls this cX-
cess Of available nzorc nitrogcn] ado
i. quate not merely to feed all vegetables
growing spontaneously on the earth, but
to supply The much larger demands OF II
wheat crop equal to GO bushels per acre?
Unless every acre on Il whole continent
possesses this excess Of ammonia, equal to
two or three times the quantity furnished
by forests and natural mcudows, and re-
quired by them in their organization how
can once receive Il larger supply, except
by human agency?
1t is much to be regretted that our State
Agricultural Society does not use small
portion Of the thousand Of dollars it an
nually receives from the public, to deter
mine the, practical value of Ammonia,
both without the addition ofthc phosphatcs,
suphntcs and chloridcs found in the ashes
oIwheat and other crops. For the last
thousand dollars paid in premiums for
corn crops, in this State by its several So
cietics, We cannot sec wherein one new
fact of the best value has been brought to
light. Snch would not be tho case if
premiums were Offered TO gain ~intorma-
ton in the little explored fields Of the or
ganism of cultivated plants and domestic
animals. Not single dollar has ever
been given to encourage Investigations i'll
vegetable and phylology. Men that de-
vote their money to the importation Of cX-
pcnsive apparatus, and their time to max
ing researches into these subjects, must
work for nothing and find themselves, if
they live in the State. Is this wise? Is il
iust?---Pure science, unminglcd with pri-
vate spccu!aton-sclcn that looks only
to the public good can find neither land
nor buildings in the Empire State which
it can occupy without paying Il rumous
rent.
One word more on the subject Of nm-
monia. Before Mr.. Horsiord went TO Eu-
rope, if we mistake not, he was present
at an Agricultural Meeting in the Gcolog,
dal Rooms Of the old State Hall, Albany,
at which MIR. Humphrey, then Mayor Of
The city stated that, on two acres Of the
naturally sterile sand plains near that
city, he had raised 100 bushels of shcllcd
corn simply by putting bandfu! ofscrap-
ings Of horns obtained at a comb factory,
in each hill at planting. On another acre
hard by Of equnl quality on which no horn
shavings we're applied, the yield was then
Is bushels. Did the large amount Of
ammonia, furnished OH the decay of this
highly nitrogcnous substance, do no good
in the way Of augmcnting tho crop four
forld2 We should like to hear something
farther on this important subject, from our
friend Prof H.----Gcncsec Farmer.
AS bird cannot fly with ono wing, so
smart girl cannot enact tho colncttc with on