The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1852-05-19

4
lan From The fsrmers Journal.
The importance Of d Knowledge of
Soils and Manures. - ~
The system Of guilty alton in our
State has heretofore been of that kind
which hssgreally deprecated the value
Of those lands which have been under
tilIage for any length Of time. Those
under whose management they have
been. have pursued the plan Of taking
from the field. not only the crop. but
the stalks and vines besides. Nature
has so constituted the various soils
as to render them. in their primitive
state. adapted to the growth Of the
various plants which are necessary for
the sustenance Of man and animals.
1t is an established fact. that like
causes produce like effects; and upon
this principle il is that the soil must
cantain the constituents Of the plant to
be grown upon it. BY pursuing the
course Of deprising the land Of every
thing raised upon il. and leaving moth
ing to be returned to the soil for the
reproduction of the succeeding crop,
our lands. which have been cultivated
for any length of time, have become ex-
hausted.
The object which should engage the
mind of the farmer at this time, Is the
discovery and use Of those fertilizers
which will, in the most efficient and
least expensive way, supply those con-
stituents which enter into the plant he
may wish TO cultivate, and which are
wanting in the soil which he designs
for ITS growth. Here arises at once
the question, how can this be done |!
What is the first step to be taken ?
The answer is this Let the soil
be analysed, and ascertain at once
what is wanting in the soil which
the plant requires for its growth. This
is highly Important, for the reason
that without this knowledge, the farmer
may go to work and gather, at a great
deal Of unnecessary trouble and ex-
pense. a large quantity ofmanure. which,
when accumulated, may not contain to
sufficient extent those elements which
are wanting in the soil. Those farmers
who are uneducated, aud who have not
seen practical illustrations of this fact,
may be disposed not to attach that
weight to the subject which it deserves.
They may say that they can, with the
common barn yard manure, make their
land highly fertile; but why is this the
case! For the plain reason that this
manure contains all the constituents
required for the growth Of plants.
But this barn-yard manure is, strict
lily speaking. the very crops them
selves, which, after loosing to great
degree their strength in the nourish-
ment of animals, are then to be used
TOR the reproduction OF the same crops
during the succeeding year. We are
a strong advocated for the use Of barn
yard manure. but in many instances a
man may be lifetime in supplying
his soil with that or these constituents
which may be wanting by its use, when,
with an analysis Of his soil, he might ac.
complish his end at perhaps third Of
: the expense.
4 The perfect soil consists of fourteen
: elements, part of which are morgan.
ic or mineral, and a part organic Or We.
getable. Those minerals which entel
most largely into the formation of soils
are, lime, slick or sand, alumina OF
|, clay. Slick and alumina are rather thu
: bases Of sand and clay than the miner
0 ais themselves. Lime, of all other mi
nerals, Is most required in the soil t
9 produce vegetables to any degree o
: perfection, and is most sought for b.
: the practical agriculturist. 1t is, il
!. truth, " the basis Of all good husban
d dry" and the foundation Of all perna
= nent improvement. When properly ap
Piled, it rarely fails to meet the expec
:, tations of the farmer but when misar
,e piled, it only produces disappoint
ment.
N If the soil upon which we purpose
in use lime is already highly calcareou'
y y it would be evident to the practical tai
e :. mer that its use would only serve as
poison to plants, and if there does M
exist much vegetable matter in the SO
for its action, it should be used only
- small quantity. Lime supplies.
i /. kind of inorganic food for plants, wh'c
We appears to be necessary for their hea
thy growth. 1t neutraIizes acid sui
: stances, which are naturally formed
!. the soil, and decomposes or rende
y harmless othernoxious componds whlc
are not unfrequcntly within the reat
Of the roots of plants. 1t causes, !