Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-03-31

to the State from deficient production Of
crops, and the far greater loss in the services
OF the best and most industrious Of her
working population, her honor, her defence,
her PRIDE, who are obliged 10 leave their
homes, and seek elsewhere that support
which The soil Of their childhood denies to
them.
Does not this explain how for the first
few years of virgin soil fine crops are pro-
duced, these become so small at las, as not
to renunerate for their cultivation; crop
requiring less strength in the land is next
substituted, and so on, until scarcely any
crop at all will be produced. When those
soils are 10 be improved, shall their owners
apply manures in the dark, and walk weari-
y along the path of experiment, or shall
they be furnished with those lights which
will at once give them strength, energy and
activity, because certainty and knowledge !:
Here follows a table giving the COM
position OF the ash Of twenty-six different
specimens of the grain Of wheat. The re-
port then says ::
There will be found in the foregoing table
all of the mineral substances which | have
enumerated they will be found too in DIFF
ferent proportions, but still ever and always
present. Phosphoric acid forms abou, As
per cent. Of the ash sulphuric acid about
l-3 per cent; lime is about 170 per cent;
magnesia about l2 per cent. of the inorganic
constituents, "a fact which shall hereafter
advert to,) and potash about 81 per cent.
Going now to the straw of wheat, we find
The greatest per centage of inorganic matter
to be 4.20 per cent; departing from i, to
the chaf, we there find about 91-2 per cent.
The great amount of ash in these is depen-
dent upon the greater amount of silica re-
quired TO give strength 10 the straw, and
frmness 10 the husk.
Here follows table showing the quan-
lily of mineral matter removed by a ton of
straw and of chaf, and one of Grain. The
report then goes on -
This table shows that whilst ton of
straw and of chaf removes little more than
hall the quantity of phosphoric acid that
,t1o srur., does, II nevertheless takes away
twice as much potash. If then field which
produces straw is deficient in grain, add the
phosphales, if the grains be large, with a
weak straw, add potash, or lime it, that
which can eliminate or extract potash from
the soil, If present, should be employed.
scarcely deem it worth the time to men,
tion further proofs of the necessity of lhoro'
chemical examination preliminary to the
manuring of land, nor of the value Of the
substances enumerated by me, and given in
the above table. The uniUersalis consensus
hominum, the general experience Of mankind
in every age, bears involuntary testimony
to their truth, in the application Of manures.
Lime and substances containing lime, have
been applied for centuries. Ashes have
proved their general utility by the concur
renee Of thousands of experiments; that
general utility depends on the fact that they
contain all Of the mineral substances neces-
sary o.crops; whilst the fertility of land,
from its organic matter and the changes
which it induces, were familiar to Homer,
many centuries before the Christian era.
Within the last few years Baron Liebig.
master genius-one Of those great, vast
and comprehensive minds whose ideas be-
come facts for mank Misunderstanding The ex-
perence of those who had preceded him,
and exploring with indomitable energy and
skill the composition of The earth, causing
its produce to speak-giving to each tee,
plant and shrub tongue to utter words of
eternal tru,h-to disclose their composition,
and to show their necessities, has explained
the law for the production of vegetable life,
in simple and plain, yet thorough and ir-
refu,able manner. Though at first these
explanations may bear the imperlec,ion in
eden,al TO all human productions, yet the
pathway is clearly marked out, the goal of
truth designated, and light abundantly furn-
ished to lead those who sincerely y seek TO
attain it.
1t was not to be expected that opposition
to long conceded notions would not be re-
sisted, or that the promulgation Of new
views would not be attacked by some who
had entertained different opinions hallowed
by long association; aud hence we find here
some sneerlng at that which they have not
the knowledge to understand nor the indus
try to learn, whilst in other places the doc
trne of the .mineral theory" has been at
tackled with 1igor, industry and learning
But who does not remember how all great
discoveries have been resisted !? how vac
cination was hooted a, and how eleclrci-
ly and gas were placed with one of the great
est humbugs Of the day? Yet no one feels
safe now without vaccination. Gas for the
purposes OF light has become as common
in our large cities as candles, and by The
aid of electricity, time and space have be-
come almost annihilaed. None have ever
been able yet successfully 10 disprove the
leading points of the doctrine nor TO show
either by experiment, or prove by argumcn,
founded on them, that when deficient or ab-
sen, they must not be supplied; nor does