Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-04-02
The Farmer.
AnalYaiS 0f Soils.

kinds Of materials One kind is called or
ynnic material, which is derived from some
plant or animal that has had life, and that
life been sustained while it lived by certain
apparatus, or organs, which nude up its
structure. The other kind is called inor-
ganic material, and is made up Of mineral
matters. These have never been possessed
of what may be called life, or had any ap-
paratus or organ to sustain life.
Every farmer knows, or should know,
that every crop which grows upon his soil
is made up by taking more or less of these
materials ,and combining them into the par
ticular crop grown, whether it be grass, or
wheat, or corn, or roots, or pumpkins, or
fruit; and that, in process Of time, any
particular crop will take and continue to
take the material from the soil necessary to
make it, until it has taken the whole, and
there is no more left to form a crop of,
and it fails to grow. The soil is then said
to have become poor or exhausted. Every
farmer should knoso, but very few farmers do
knor, what particular material each crop
requires to take from the soil, or whether
the soil has enough, Or any, of these mate
rials in it to make crop. How should
they know it? 1t is the business of the
chemist to ascertain this, and the farmers,
especially the old ones, have never had any
opportunities of learning this, either theo-
retically or practically. Chemistry has
been sealed book to them, although there
is no class of persons on earth whose daily
business is so dependent on its laws. The
farmer is practical chemist on large
scale, though it may not be in particular
branch. He is constantly performing che
mical experiments, though he may know it
not, and can not explain why this or that
result follows his operations.
The taking soil and separating the ma
terials of which it is made, into separate
parts by themselves, so that they can be
weighed, and the proportion they consti-
tute actually known, is called analysis. 1t
is chemical operation which must be done
in the laboratory by the means of chem
ical apparatus, used with chemical knowl-
edge. As We before said, the cider farmers
have never had an opportunity to become
either theoretical or practical chemists,
and it can not therefore be expected that
they should be able to analyze soils.
Are the younger ones-are the rising
generation, any better provided with the
means of becoming acquainted with chem
istry and the particular branches Of
philosophy applicable to theis calling?
In many respects they are; but we grieve
to say, not half nor quarter so well pro-
vided with such facilities as they should be.
There ought to be practical schools Of che
mistry in every town-real bona 6de work.
shops, where boys, aud girls too, should 60
and perform the analysis themselves
sweating at the furnace, and blackening
their hands with the charcoal and dust in act
ual chemical labor, and work out the result
by their own skill, instead Of sitting quietly
and demurely and seeing their teacher do
it. One experiment Of the kind, thus ac-
tually done by the hands and thoughts Of
the boy himself, will fix the facts stronger
and clearer in his mind and memory than
a thousand merely looked at, as he sits end
watches his instructor.
In the absence of such schools, we know
of no better plan than for young man to
endeayor to teach himself 1t would re-
quire some outlay forapparatus, acids, &C.,
&c. In order to assist any such, we pro-
pose to select from such sources as can be
relied upon, such directions for analysis of
soils as we may fnd-sometimes modified
by such hints as our limited experience
may dictate.
Mr.. Dana, several years ago, laid down
some very simple rules for this kind Of an
alysis, which were subsequently adopted
BY Prof. Hitchcock while engaged in the
geological survey of Massachusetts,.
This mode of analysis may not lead to
quite so accurate results as some others
adopted, but it will be very nearly correct,
and lead to very correct knowledge Of
the ingredients of the soils operated upon.
1t does not require so expensive apparatus
as some other modes.
You want a delicate and accurate balance
with grain weights,a few crucibles-fyou
can get some platina crucibles they will be
Of great service, tho they are expensive
and you can get along with what are called
Hessian crucibles- bottles,pure acids,
&c.
The following are the rules referred to:
l. Sift the soil through . fine sieve.
Take the fine part, bake it just up to the
Of paper.
2. Boil 100 grains Of the baked soil