Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-02-18


you make silk purse out of sow's ear"
These old and title sayings are not more true
than that you cannot raise wheat, corn, po-
tatoes or any other Of The vegetable tribe,
upon land which does not contain the in
gradients that enter into, and form cons.itu-
ent parts of, those vegetables respectively.
Now, propose to consider, as fat as may
be necessary, the geological formation Of this
peninsula, and particularly of this county
the different characters of our soils and
wherein they dfer-.heir several de6cien-
cies in the production Of the cereal grains
and some Of the principles as TO the different
manures and (er,lizing agents to be used in
their restoration.
| ! am not vain enough 10 suppose that
can impart much information upon either Of
those subjects. pretend to no learning
either in Geology or Agricultural Chenis-
try. have read some nigh, say much
and have observed perhaps more. But
have learned enough now to know that the
duration Of mans life is too shor. to enable
him to compass one half the range in any
one science. How inadequate it must then be
to the requirement Of perfect knowledge
! in any one branch when the attention has
been diverted to, and divided between the
whole mass of natural, exact, moral and po-
| lilical sciences. But as ] do not write for
fame, but solely to be as useful as | may in
my day and generation, give you my crude
reflections upon the subjec. with this injunc-
ton. Isl quid nouisH rectius istis candi-
dus imperti," &c.
The principle of reproduction, and that
like produces like, is exemplifed in the We
geable as we'll as the animal kingdom, and
controls every species of plant and tree
and flower, affecting their organization and
growth and degree Of perfection TO which
they can attain. The forest bears it's pecu-
liar trees-lhe fen its s!unted herbage, and
production and reproduction 60 on accord
ing TO the fixed laws Of nature, each drawing
suslenance from the earth suited 10 their re-
spectve wants, and if analysed will be found
10 contain in just proportions the mineral
and other ingredients which are the compo-
neni parts of the soils in which they grew.
What becomes of the large amount Of leaves
tumn? Nature has made wise disposition
Of them. They are decomposed by the &C.
ton of the oxygen and hydrogen Of the al
mosphere and the rains, forming ammonis,
carbon and potash, which are absorbed by the
roots and 60 to the growth Of the trees and
the reproduction of leaves in the succeed
ing spring. The mould formed by the de-
composition Of plants and Of leaves no
doubt differs in character and ingredients
according to the tree and the species which
produced them, and entering into the great
laboratory Of the earth, are compounded in
to such materials as are bes. fitted for the
purposes of nature, the reproduction Of new
generations Of similar plants, and Of like foIi-
age.
If this be an invariable law Of nature, that
nothing original can be produced by human
efforts, and that reproduction is controlled
in the vegetable as in the animal kingdom,
by the same principles, then it becomes Of
the first importance to ascertain the charac-
ter, capacity and component parts of the
soil as we'll as the plants which are intend
ed to be grown upon them, that any ingre-
dient necessary to the existence and growth
of the plant, in which the soil may be def
cien,, may be supplied by epplying ,ha. kind
Of manure which IS required in the organiza-
.ion of the plant.
That which may be necessary for the
growth Of tobacco is not required in SO great
a degree for the production of wheat, or OF
corn, or the other cereal grains, and con-
versely, soils may be highly adapted 10 the
growth of wheat and ye. incapable of pro-
ducing heavy crops Of tobacco. The rea-
son is evident. This branch of the subject
will be treated more in detail hereafter.
! ] will endeavor in the next number 10
treat of the Geological Structure and Charac-
ter Of this Peninsula, and assign to i, the
period Of its formation, according to the re-
ceived and established laws Of Geology.
A CHARLES COUNTY FARMER.
Punch says-Of all kindness it must be
} confessed that lending books is the one
| r,aafs NTH Ia loaai xa1uxn