Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-02-18
Food for Crops.

FOOD l0r crops.
This ia the "grand question" anon
s.rmers at the present day. In new coul
tries, where the land has not been cultiv;
ted much, little is thought about givin
the crop any food, in order to make it il
to food for ourselves, but after the frcs
soil has become exhausted by constar
eropping-aftcr the neic" is of, or ra,t
er out, the farmer finds, that to make foo
f.r himself, be must give food to the plant
he wishes 10 raise.
Well what mist it be? To answer
with perfect accuracy, you should frs
know what the soil is made Of, and thel
what the plant is mado of-or, in othel
words, both should be analysed, and the
ingredients ascertained, both as to .heil
quality and quantity. But this require.
n greater knowledge Of practical chemistry
than the majority of the people as yet pos
cess, and also more expense than most
farmers are able to meet.
What is the next best thing to be done
Fortunately the remains of organic bodies,
(by which we mean those bodies both of
animal and vegetable origin, that have had
life and set Of organs forming their bod
les, } possess most of the Ingredients requi-
red for this purpose. Although some Of
these ingredients which make up the mass
ef organic manures may not be needed in
this crop, they will not be lost, and will
come in play for some future one.
We are aware that there is much said
about specific manures, and this article and
that article is loudly recommended as the
very thing, and the only thing needed
We do not undervalue them, and at the
came time We would caution our readers
not to orerraiue them. Watch all expert
ments-use every thing of the specific kind,
such as plaster, super-phosphate of lime,
sulphate Of ammonia, guano, &C., &c, as
you Anow will be beneficial, but at the
same time don't give up your manure
heap.
As general rule, the remains, or man
ure made from the remains of organic
bodies the nearest related, that is the near
est in kind and quality to those which you
wish to raise, will make the best manure
for them. Return to the soil again as
much Of the same crop as you can, IN or
der to make another one
Nature gives you this advice. How is
it that yonder forest has kept up for so
many years such heavy crop of wood ?
How is it, that for as long as you can re-
member, there has not only been heavy
burthen Of wood on that soil, but it has
been constantly increasing in growth? 1t
is manured every fall, as sure as the fall
comes, by thick deposit Of leaves, and
twigs, and small branches, which the frosts,
aud the winds, and snow break off and
spread around their roots. These leaves
and twigs arc made up of material, in part
drawn from the soil, and in part drawn
from the air, and of the same kind as the
rest of the wood, and so they decay aud
upply food for the standing, growing
rood.
The vine growers in some parts of France
ind the clippings and pruuings of their
inc. to be valuable dressing for their
Vineyards. The cotton growers of the
outh begin to find that the cotton seeds
md refuse cotton is a valuable dressing
or cotton plants.
Many of cur farmers begin to think that
he stalks and husks of Indian corn, plough
d under, make valuable manure for the
orn crop, and that the prunings of the or
bard, Clipped up and applied to the trees
ON which they were taken, make a valu- J
ole dressing for the orcLard.-.Naine Far
Ter. 5