The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-02

Profit ON three acres ........ 100 90"
The evidence which premium was awarded
was such should satisfy any one that three hun
bred and seventy four bushels were grown on
three acres of land, and at cost not exceeding
SI7 10, delivered in the crib. This is producing
corn at less than five cents bushel
Whether the statement be true to the letter or
not it shows conclusivey The great value OF rich
soil for making cheap corn The Board OF Agrlcul-
ture estimate the crop of Ohio last year at 7Ooooooo
of bushels. Taking the United States as whole
probably the crop oil corn was never better than IN
the wear 1919 One that has rich land needs only
to plough it deep and WELL plant in season. and
cultivate the earth properly with the plough or cnl'
tivator, to secure the growth OF generous crop.
On poor soils the is very different.
To raise Il good crop OF corn on poor land, and ~
the least possible expense, requires some science
and much skill in the art Of ullage Take the
same field to operate IN, and one iaruler VIII grow
ono hundred bushels OF corn at hall the cost per
Bushel that another will expend in labor, which -
money. II unfortunately happens that very skill
tul farmers few in number, IN comparison win
those who have failed to study and pracse all at
sainablc improvements. Men who can grow maze
on common soil place the crop In crlD, at from
six to ten cents "a bushe, and pay fair price Tor
the labor need not go to- school to learn the pracii-
cal part of corn culture. There are, however, I'VE
OF six States in the Union in which this IL done.
Mr. Lukons of Ohio, has told how they do 1t in that
State; and the practice Is very similar elsewhere
70 produce cheap poor land, one needs
clear understanding of what elements OF the crop,
air and water, will furnish, and what they cannot
supply. II should be remembered that the atmo
sphere ia precisely the same over ground which
yields one hundred bushels of per acre that IT
Is over that which produces only five bushels per
acre Now, the whole matter which forms the
stems leaves, roots, cobs, and seeds OF corn, where
the crop is one hundred bushels per acre, Is not
part and parcel of the soil. harvest equal TO nifty
bushels per can be obtained without consum-
ing over ten per cent OF earth, as compared with
the weight OF the crop. No plant can imbibe more
Of the substance of the soil in which it grows than
is dissolved in water rendered gaseous by the de-
composition Of mould.
The quantity of matter dissolved, whether or
eanic or inor ganic, during the few weeks in which
corn plants organize the bulk of their solids, Is
small From SO to 81 parts in 100 Of the dry mat
ter in mature, perfect plant, including us seeds
cob, stems, leaves and roots, are carbon (charcoa)
and the elements of water. Ii Is not only an I'M
portant but exceedingly instructive fact, that
the most effective fertilizers known IN agriculture
are those that least abound in the elements OF water
aud carbon. The unleached, dry excrcments oil
dunghill fowls aud pigeons have nve Tunes inc
fertilizng power all cereal plants that the dry
dung OF grass-ied COW has, although the a,'e'
has five times more carbon, oxygen and hydro
gems per 100 pounds, than the former Although
II is desirable to apply TO the soil in which corn Is
10 grow much of organized carbon and water as
one conveniently can; yet where fertilizers have
90 be transported many miles, 1T Is important 10
know that SO much ofthe manure as wouldform coal,
ncarefully burnt, can best be spared The same
il true Of those elements in manure which form
the ground.
Csrbonic acid and nascent hydrogen evolved in
roting stable manure are truly valuable lood Tor
plants, and perform important chemical oinces IN
fhe soil; but they are, nevertheless, not 10 Indls
peusable 10 the economical production OF crops. az
apaLabie nitrogen, potash, silica, ndgnfsa, sulphur
and phosphorus. These elements of plants beng
less abundant Ia nature, and quite indispensable
IN forming corn, cotton and every other product
Of the soil, their artificial supply IN guano, night
sol aud other highly conc cntratcd fertilizers, adds
glv IN h. h.r nUh
small weight of matter. IL n fnoiety OF the Gle
mcnts Of bread and meat, milk, fruit, and garden
vegetables annually consumed by the twenty two
millions OF people of the United States, and theh
thnwn away were judiciously applied to the pro-
duce of grain crops, the yearly profits accruing
would be many millions In all sections where
corn is worth thirty cents and bushcl, great
benefits may be realized by the skful manufacture
and use of poudretto. This article IL an inodorOus
compound Of the most valuable constituents OF hu-
man food and clothing. u is the raw material oil
crops. 80 .,
ID is not necessary TO restore TO corn field all
the matter removed in the crop TO maintain it's fer
tility. \ part OF each seed, however, ought to be
carried back and replaced ~ the soil, 10 make good
ate los by the harvest.
In every barrel Of meal or flour cent 10 market
fIg6 pounds) there not far from lSO pounds OF
carbon (coo) and the elements OF water. When
bird eats wheat or corn, have reason o beiicVc.
from several experiments that over 50 per cent oil
the food csoapcs into the air through IT. caPaciOus
lungs in The process al respiration; and yet Tue
wheat or corn ns was consumed. Imported guano
which has bccn exposed Ia the weather iOr ages,
often gives increase In the crop OF wheat equal
20 three pounds of seed to of fertilizer; while It
has given gain OF seven to one oi corn, ana my
20 one Of green turnips.
Chemists have ascertaincd that the air expelled
from the lungs of man and his domestic animals IN
breathing, contains 100 times more carbonlc acid
than it po-sessed when IL entered the organs OF res
pirstiOn.
While carbon or coal in bread. meat, potatoes,
grass. hay. aud straw, consumed by warm blOodcd
animals, constantly passing out OF the system as
rarbonic acid gas, the elements OF wafer Oxygen
aud bydrogen) are also escaping from the lungsi Ia
the form OF vapor' which IN cold weather - ouen
visible Over 50 per cent OF the solids consumed
aby usn and beast u thus thrown into the atmo-
sphcrn By u slow, continuous combustion, which
1,nsrates snimal heat These elements of the lar
ucr's crops fall upon his cultivated helds IN ram
and dew Hence when a pig, or any other ami
NAL eats 90 pounds of corn, and vods by the bow
81. aod kidney 40 pounds OF the matter consumed
these 40 pounds will reproduce and generaiy n'oto
than reproduce, 100 pounds OF corn again Even
tins 40 Der cent of the elements OF corn may DC re-
duced one half by skilful fermentation, by winch
carbon and the elements OF water are snil iurtne'
removed, and then reproduce an amount oi gram
.-usl to the or gina The art and science oil Iced
ing cultivated plants being discussed az ienglh ~
another place. the subject will not be pursued ~
tbis conpeSion.
Lam indebted to the valuable work Of Professor
rinmons. published in two qusrto volumes, emit
tIed Agriculture Of New York." foo the following
and many other analyses contained IN this report
IN. researches into the chemical composition oil
maize were performed by Mr.. J. N. Salisbury, IN
,be laboratory OF Professor aud were 80 thorough
and extensive az ca induce the New FORK STATE Az
,iruitural Society to award premium OF y 300 IL
MIR : Ills Investigations 6ll two hundred pages
in the OF that society foe the year sts
A corn pIant fifteen days after the seed wac
,lantcd cut on the 3D. juno, close TO the ground
gave, Of water. 'o o .
Dry matter. ..........'' ''.''fff''''vv
AHh ........ss......s.sfs.' 's' ''''ff 2oss
Ash calculated dry,..... ...'''..'''lSVo
Nv the above figures twill be seen that nearly
o,l DER cent Of the young plant l. water and thai
,artiou lo the dry matter. the ainountoi earuy
,ipcrsis ,-hich remain. as ash, when the plant Is
burnt. !. large Thi. excess OF water continues 'o'
Eoxvren aud hydrogen form water or are l''