The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-08-11
AGRICULTURAL.
New lna.e..lsa. N Axriealsare.

BIT DE- Z. I. BALDWIN,, OF ~lScHEsrKR, VA
Msssrs. Editors Of he PioHgh, LG0R and dHUii:
Inc indications have GIawn iIOm the pIacIl-
cal facts when have passed under my personal
0bseTy alton, SINCE my attention has been dlI1et-
ed 10 the SUBJECT OF agncul-nIe, dileEs so male
ually iIom The received opinions VI tbs pTCseRt
day, that l have been induced 10 submlI lien
OT your consideration; under The hope and ex-
PecIalIon that you or some one equally quaihed,
EIl eouect them n they should Prove 10 be eI-
loneous- I'M thisvs~~s skau state them IN
Instinct, substantive propositions.
Isl. IL Is not true that any plant which the
farmer is interested IN culuvaung, derives us
PnncIpal nutrIment fIom the eaIb0nic aeit gas
Of the atmosphere. Although air Is iadispensa-
bic to vegetable well as TO animal life, Il IS
equally True that no animal can live without
lOod, and no plant exist IN an impoverished soI
without manure at the loot
2d. That the only food Of plants known to the
practical tanner Is manure, or the residue OF pU-
lrelaction. Neither water, oil, carton, phlosIs-
toll, nor the snlphates, nlIIates, m0Ilates, car
bOna.es, sllicates, Phosphates OF ammonia, lime,
magnesla, nor ACIDS, nor alkalIeS, have ever been
proved to be the aliment OF plants, unconnected
/ with the purified substances which may contain
them.
81. 1t Is not true that different vegetable mat
tens, durng their growth, extract different ieHII-
lnng salts from the earth. For lands exhausted
by continued cultivation IN one KIND Of gram
viii not produce a more TemaneIatye cop Of
any other kind.
4th. Ii Is not true that lands under cultivation
cannot be made TO preserve then natural fertility
without manure; ON the contrary, lands natural
y poor, may be made exceedingly fertile with
out the addition CT manure, Of any Kind What
. ever.
9Th. There is no natural disintegration Of the
soil IN a state Of Iepose, and q formation OF al
kales, unless its snrlace be covered with some
substances or other. Exhausted lands, which
remain uncovered, never improve IN fertility by
rest.
9th. The residue Of the decomposition Of veg
elable substances, OF the FASH "A plants" u
not manure. Nor can manure be made OF any
substance, without the aid Of the puireiaelive
process.
9TH. That the ANALYTICAL Investigations OF
learned chemists, totally dlSTegaralng The vital
pnnciple Of HE, have not promoted the interest
Of agriculture. On the contrary, diverung the
. attention Of agncultunsts frum CAREFUL obssTva-
, tons Of the operations Of nature, and the Undue
!, tive reasonIngs drawn theIelrom, have been de-
y cideily injurious to its best Interests
Sth- That shade Is the great lertlinng agent;
! the putrefactive fermentation cannot be pro
m duced without it, and consequently no manuIes
: can be made, and NO feulhly impaired 10 The
!, earth, in any manner, independent Of its int.u-
ence.
IS 9th. That the earth itselfis capable OF bein.
converted into the best manure; 10 effect this, !
e. Is onfy nsCSssaEy taat u should bs de1Sely saa
le ded. That Is, 1t SHOULD be located lavOrably 10
n. the generation of the putrefaetive fermentation
!, 10Th Thatthe fertility impaired 10 the soil /
more permanent, when Produccd By shade, thai
"a from the application 81 any manure whatever
y 18th. That every particle Of earth, as il /
BY naturally constituted, contains portion Of IN
L he
"mould !" Is ferthzed earth itself cansed BY shad
and not the residue Of vegetable decomposition
18th The differences in the fertility OF the soi
p in our native forest lands aTlses solely from N
err circumstance OF the surface soil beng mole {
ch less densely shaded. Pine, which have no leave
q, and white and red oak, which part with then
lie 50 reluctantly, never leaves the surface fer
as those trees which drop thar leaves with u
first frosts.
sh 18th. Many plants do impart more fertility
IN the soil than they extract fromit during the
ere growth.-n0t In exclsments, but by their shad
ery 18th The natural pfoyision OF the renovaiiC
ofworn out lands appears 10 be this:-Thst soa
plants, like some ANIMALS, require butlittle foo
these thrive best on the poosest soils. Eve
T practical farmer knows. thai AZ additional feat
'ly' Ity be gwen % the soil, they disappear alm'
TO- magically.
lid. Ism. Howevor industrious and energetic
M. farmer may be, he cannot continue to cultIya
- a farm exceeding one hundred acres, and p
INC serve ia natural fertility by manuTes made
me the farm. He attempts an impossibnity q
ned must fail 81 ~ 70 l,-r1a
! be i6lh. Throssh the. agency q shade, eve
ark farmer may fertllxe every acre d land which
Is able 70 cultivAls- In this, consists the psIf
a. tion Of agriculture. es--tisi
I most sincerely believe afthsss proposals
o. may be- abandantiy sustained BIZ facts, PM
ersi nenty before the Observation d even An al