The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-10
Total. ....... .99.9s "a lbs. 4-IOoz.
Analysis Of straw with its proportion of chaf;
l6O lbr. l b-2Ooz.
Total. so. 9s

II we substract the Ill pounds OF silica from the
go OF minerals in the straw and chaH, the difference
between what left and those in wheat is not
great. As the stems and leaves Of wheat plants grow
before their seeds IL all the pbosporic acid, potash
and lime available in the soil is consumed before
the organization Of the seed begins, from what
source IL nature 10 draw her supply Of these ngrc-
diens 10 form good crop Of wheat II the farmer
could reverse the order OF nature, and grow good
supply Of seeds fret, and make straw afterwards,
then many one would harvest more wheat and
less straw But the cultivator must grow the stems,
roots and leaves Of wheat corn, and cotton be fore
nature will begin 10 form the seeds Of bcso several
plants; and everyone should know that the atoms
in the soil which consumed in organizing the
bodies Of cultivated plants, arc, the main, idcn
tcal in kind with those required 70 Ike their seeds
The proportions, however, differ very considerably.
Thus, while 100 parts Of the sh Of wheat contain
average Of IS parts Of phosphoric acid, 100 ofth
ash Of wheat straw contain an average Of only
parts. The difference is as TO l. In msgnesia
the disparity is only little lcss striking.
In what are called the organic elements Of wheat,
(the combustibc psrt,) there is tmcs more
nitrogen, in 100 pounds, than in like weight Of
straw. Hence, IL the farmer converts straw into
manure or compost, with the view, ultimately, Of
Transforming IL into wheat, IL will take seven
pounds Of straw 10 yield nitrogen enough 10 form
one pound Of wheat. Few aware how much
labor and money is annually lost by the feeding Of
plsnts on food not strictly adapted TO tho peculiar
wants Of nature, in organizing the came. II is
true, that most farmers depend the natural fer
tty of the soil to nourish their crops with per.
hsps the aid Of little stable and barnysrd manure
given TO part Of them. As the natural resources
of the land begin TO fail the supply must be drawn
from other quarters than exhausted field, or it's
cultivator will receive poor return for the labor
bestowed.
In Great Britain. where the necessity for liberal
harvests and artificial fertiliZing ar greater
in this country the yield Of wheat 10 said To be gov
erned, in good degree, by the amount of am.
rnonia available as food for growing plants This
opinion IL founded not at all theory, bu, alto
gether on the teachings Of experience. But in
England, lining and msnuring 90 much mat
ters OF constant practice, that few coils are inn
poverisbed az many are in the United States.
With land az naked and sterile as 10 much that
can be found in the old thirteen colonies between
Maine and Alsbems, English farmers could hardly
pay their uthes and poor-rstes, 10 say nothing Of
other taxes rent, and the cos, Of producing annual
crops.
The first step towards making farming perms-
nontly profitable in all the older States Is TO sccu-
mulatc in cheap and skilful manner the raw una
tcrisl for good hsrvest- in the soil Over territory
80 extensive ss the United States, II is extremely
difficult 10 lay down any rule that will be spplics
bic even TO moiety Of the Republic. There are,
however, many beds Of mari, green sand. gypsum,
limestone, saline, and vegetable deposits available
In addition TO these, there exaneous resources
The ocean, with its fab, is shells, its seewceds its
fertizing salts and guano, will yield an incalcula
bic amount Of the richest elements OF bread and
meat. In the suhsoi ID in the atmosphere, every
sgriculturiSt has resources which arc not duly sp
procsted by one in thousand
Asa general thing, the soil must I've deepsnsa he
fore il can be permanently improved. One acre OF
soil twelve incl he. deep is worth more 10 make mo-
ney by cultivsnng IL than four acres six inches in
depth. Thus adult that soil six inches deep will
produce fourteen bushels OF wheat, and that twelve