New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-20
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE, JULY 20.

enough; but to say what part OF the elements OF
the iood consumed is never restored TO any nm
proved land is impossible. II ia below the uutn
10 the ;r:51smert Of the writer 10 say that one
third G: =. the manure vOided by the norses
mules Cattle sheep and swine IN the ohIcH
States. IL waited. II 50, the annual loss n'le
than eaual to the production OF two basnes o. 30
70 each animal or the aggregate ezceen %vVVOO''
600 bushels. I'll
we have now to estimate the annual loss iHci-
dent 10 tie production Of the great staples OF COT
ton tobacco, sugarcane, hemp AID max no. 70
name smaller crops Not far from ten millions VI
are annually planted 10 cotton, cane, tobacco
snd hemo. Its a serious misfortune that me cen
sus of 1870 will throw no light whatever on either
Of these crops 30 far as the area planted - ~
cerned Judging from our knowledge OF ,ne suo-
;ec, ve sbopId prefer to have field produce 20
bushels OF corn per acre. and part With al the gram
retaining the stalks blades, cobs weeds ana
10 renoyste the land b. having II cultvete1 IN cU'
ton tobacco or hemp, In the usual way OF gums
these crops. The damage done 70 the ten mllioI
Of acres devoted 10 the culture OF these staples Is
equal TO the growth and expectation OF 2Oo,VO0UvO
bnsbel. of corn a year While we have sad MOTH
ing Of the breadsiufs and provisions actually sent
out Of the country, and have conceded that Two
thirds Of all the liquid and solid excretons oil Al 90
M stis animals are saved and turned 10 2rohtaoie
.coount-a abatement which few farmers familiar
with the husbandry Of many States will endorse
vet the aggregate loss is equal to the PROD %
one thousand million bushels OF corn, or oil nan 'na'
quantity of wheat.
/, NAV be said that this prOdigious annual waste
Of the rsw material for making human iooa anu
raiment is q matter Of no practical consequence
and that each cubic foot OF soil contains an unlm
tied amount Of the precise things which nature con-
sumes in forming cotton, wheat, corn, tooacco su
gar cane and other GUILTY. ated plants THIS Is the
popular opinion, and the practice oil American ag
riculture is based on this mistaken theory. Those
farmers who do most 10 impoverish their cultivated
fields are the greatestk theorists in the country IT'S
so much easier to adopt ready made theory,
handed down from ones father and grandiatner
than 10 study the several substances IN a SOL re-
quired 20 give generous harvest, that ninety nine
in hundred adopt the former course. How lew
agriculturalists have any other knowledge the
q1sntity OF any essential element OF wheat or corn
available to the growing plant, which any given
amount Of his soil contains The atoms that form
the crop. whether in the earth, or IN the atmo
sphere, are rarely studded by practice farmers
Every cultivated plant contains an appreciate
amount Of potash and phosphorus-not 70 name
other minerals drawn from the soil Without some
alkali and phosphoric acid, no one has ever sue
ceeded in producing the seed Of any cereal plant
Nor can cotton potato, or tobacco plant be gro sn
to maturity without those soluble earthly salts
which appear as ashes when such plants are care
fully burnt II farmer were 10 ask the price oil
phosphorus at any shop that deals IN the article,
be would find that il is worth from two 10 three
dollars a pound The phosphorus OF commerce Is
mostly obtained from the bones Of domestic animals
The high market price OF this substance proves
its scarcity There are few soils which contaln, In
en- available form, much as one part Of phospho-
rc acid, or one Of potash in the thousand; aud yet
in the plentude OF our national folly, we annually
throw way in cities, villages, and on our farms
enough of potash and phosphorus u make 100000.
600 bushels Of wheat, or twice that quantity OF
corn Let the agriculturists who are troubled 70
raise good crops Of wheat, remember that not far
fom 50 per cent. Of the incombustlble earthly mat
ter consumed by nature in forming the seeds oil tins
plant, are potash and ptosphOrtc dcid
When will Congress or some State Legislature
appropriate the small sum OF 81 900, needed 70 de-
monstrate in practical way the cost Of making
ntU soii equal in potash, soda, msgnesla, Hme'
chlorine soluble silica, Osphorus, sulphur, nitro
gen. and carbon in the condition Of mould 10 a fair
virgin earth, before the work of exhaustion begins
Statistics OF this kind would be invaluable to the
Whole country. OF course, the renovation OF land
can be effected much cheaper In some localities
the in others but the critical study OF the subject
with reliable weig hts and measures both OF raw ma.
terisl consumed and product, at one place, would
throw much light on OF the most important pro-
blems in the art and science OF agriculture.
How much the earthly elements OF crops can
an acre Of tiled land part with every year, aud not
diminish in fertility This is question OF TACT
not one OF theory; and who among the tnree inl
lion, of farmers IN the United States can answerh
So soon as the American people can be persua
ded to study Agricultural Statistics as science
the surplus Of the elements Of bread and meat
wool and cotton, which really exists in some SOILS
will be carefully husbended, and applied inthe most
economical manner to such as lack in that regard.
In this way every acre having climate congena
al - - iaid hqla M cotton
a wear, or 60 bushels Of corn, or % Of wheat.
No department Of husbandry is more interesting
e. the thoughtful farmer, OF more promising OF aus
picous results than the careful study Of fertilizers
Bot are sorry 10 say that no state In the Unlon
has regarded statistics on this subject as worth the
trouble OF collecting. In several OF the planting
States cot on seed is much used as manure, aud
It'll very desirable to know how many additional
bushels of wheat or corn 1000 bushels OF cotton
seed ought 70 give the skillful agicalturist We
have reason 10 believe that one planter realizes
twice the benefit from this exceedingly valuable
fertilizer that is obtained by smother Similar re-
marks will apply 10 the manure derived from the
consumption Of 100 or 1000 bushels Of corn, where
the whole matter voided is carefully preservedtrom
loss
The essential facts pertaining TO the feeding
both Of plants and animals, are permitted to re-
main in lamentabe obscurity. Why should a
farmer, who has a quantity OF stable or yard man
ure to haul to a dstaRt field, be compelled to carry
out eighty FIVE loads Of simple water IN every one
hundred Of this valuable fertilizer 1t is rare In
deed that barnyard manure contains lie" than
eighty per cent Of water, and it often has eighty
eight per cent. Is there no way to avoid this oo.
yious loss Of labor As one hundred pounds Of
guano THE dung Of sea BIRDS frequently produce
i've hundred OF corn, or three hundred OF wheat
why may not similar elements Of crops In the ex-
erection Of all domestic animals, be alike concen,
trated. and drilled in with the seed, or scattered
broadcast over the land Why throw away more
solid, bard work on 1OOOOO,oOO acres, than all the
mechanics and manufacturers in the country per
form, in an attempt as foolish as to carry freight IN
kpapsacks, and travel on foot in competition win
modern railroads. II one hundred pounds OF the