Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1853-11-04


Batln answering oor frat question -uwhy
should dlferent crops be grown In rotation7'
Science has thrown open a Wide field ofprof.
table Inquiry. We have seen that dva good
lcrops OF Indian Corn cannot be grown oil
the same ground FOR Eve successive years,
unless by virtue Of proIuse aud expensive
naauring; because each crop haa absorbed
an under proportion Of oeftaia elements OF
properties essential 10 Corn, leaving others,
less vital 10 Maize, but more necessary 10
Wheat. Clover, 60, undislurbed la the soii.
We now know, therefore, that any average
soil, regarded with reference TO any particu.
lar plant, possesses certain elements Ia exces.
while II 10 deficient In others, aud We demand
OF Science that she tell US Just how we may
most cheaply and easily supply, not elements
OF fertility In general, but those particular
elements which are deficient, considered with
reference 10 our purpose. We desire not to
spend our time and means In filling soil on
which Wheat ID never 10 be grown with
costly elements which Wheat alone will re-
quite or take up, but TO Invest each dollar
aud day, 80 far rs We may, In enrichlng that
soil vain the elements where II IL not deficient
hut which our next crop will nevertheless
require. la other words, sluceit Is not our
practice 10 plow, plant AN cultivate our en-
tire iarms.-forests, rayines anI all, because
We purpose to harvest Indlan Corn and Wheat
from u small part OF lhem,-so we oesire TO
exercise like discrimination and practice a
like economy In the production or purchase
and application OF manures. And 10 do this,
We appeal 10 Science for an analysis Of the
different soils OF our various isids, to deter
mine whurein each Is delicirnl, each rela-
lively redundant, that we may apply various
Teri rlil'zefs accordingly. Aud this Is the basis
aud all the basis, Of Scientific Farming.
Let me linger still on this topic Of book
farming, aud pile illustrations on illustration
Of It's true character aud On Anifold advantages
You may tell me that this l. needless, but |
know beiteri since know there are tsns OF
thousands OF farmers In every quarter--nay,
right here In lndiana-some OF them, doubt
not, now here-who take no agricultural pa
per-nay, no paper at alll because they think
they can't Afford it!-that II has no other
than speculative or fancy value for their
usei that they would be the poorer for TAX i.
Ing II. Now | malntnin that no farmer or
artisan who can read eau really afford to do
without at least three weekly newspapers;
Que 10 bring him the general news, politics,
aud social movements Of his time; another
TO teach him whatever Of discovery, inyen-
tion, or Improvement may from time 10 me
be made IN his own pursuit or calling; aud
the third 10 keep him advised OF whatever Of
interest may transpire la his own locality or
county. lilo may be 80 very poor aud lneiIi-
cient that he is sJustiioi in obtaining two OF
! these by exchanges with his equally luck less
neighbors, bat three he should ut least read
every week, because he 6snnot afford TO be
without the intelligence they bflng him.
And while there ara thousands who are bring.
ing up sous Tor farmers aud daughters Tor
housewives, without taking n prriodioai or
even owning book that treats OF Iarming or
houSewivery, u ID absurd 10 say that this
stupid prejudice against book farming has
been already Sufficiently dsalt with. sInce Il
10 thlsday go potent and misehicvOua. Bear
viii, me, then, whils l attempt TO let In soa,e
daylight upon Il through tho relation OF u
few homely facts.
was visiting some old friends In Vermont
last summer. when ! observed Ia tho garden
Of one Of them the most thrifty and laxurl.
ant grape vine that ! had ever before seen
growing In 10 cold q climate. Now II ID one
advantage possessed by tho class Of ignorant
cultiyatora 10 which | belong over that sort
who not merely know nothiug bat glory IN
II, that we are notall reluctant To conisss our
ignorance when We 500 a ohance ~ thus nit.
igating II. ! Therefore, at once asked tho
lady whosa vine thi' was, 10 tell me by what
means she had lniured II such vigor aud pre-
ductivenesai aud shs replied that she had
made IL her rule, ever sinee the vine was set
there, TO throw pallfu! ofsoap.sads 1t the
close ofevery Washing day Again, In the
same garden, remrrked scar or ring around
each plum tree, Just abovs the ground, aud
on Inquiry ascsrlsined that these trees had
been gIrdlsd last spring by some malicious
scouadrel, who hal halted Que dark night.
on his why from the gutter TO the state pris'
on, 10 perpetrate this dasiafdly outrage
The owner discovered the mischief curly next
morning, aud hnying u pot Of copal varnish
la The house, speedily applied II with brush
TO the wound ON the tree, covering each with
a coat ol var nish; aud by this means every
trse was savad. When saw them In mid
summer, they were ~ green and thrifty as
any trees within miles. Now do not stand
here to maintain that soap suds will always
Insure an abundance OF tine grapes, nor that
a coating Of varnish, seasonably applied, will
always save glrulcd trees; for | do not know
such to be the fact, trust further expert
ence and Inquiry will cast light on both
POINTS, that soap suds viii be withheld from
Ia, door yards aud given TO the grape vines
ant that every tree that any powling rascal
may girdle will be promptly coated with var
nisn -untll we shalt determine under what
clrcumsls noes, and with what Limitations,
potash or soda IL beneficial to grapes aud var
nish AN antidote ior girdlng. The point
make is this, that no SANE farmer, having
heard this relation, will henceforlh throw
away his soap suds, or neglect vafnishlng
his grdled trees, unless he learns sons rsa.
son for doing otherwise; aud that, Il he would
do II on thu strength Of my mere narration, he
l...l IL.
foand these same Fee pes la AN agricultural
paper or manual where IN. cnances ars ten
10 Que that II would not have found a place
unless on tho strength OF testimony murs
reliable than niue, because founded on a
wider and more varied experience, aud sub
lected TO more rigid scrutiny,
TalSs another easel My freud Mr.. X. +.
Underhill was physiciaa la extensive pfae-
tiee some twenty years ago, when, 10 tile
prime OF life, having become heartily tired Of
gsllipols and bohe' saving, he shook oif the
dust OF our city from his feet, and resolved
henceiorth TO liye an no nest life as a grower
OF fruits. Tie went forty miles up the llud.
SOU, bought neck OF land. aud commenced
the cultivation OF tho grape, which he has
since prosecuted with scientific knowledge,
untiring energy, and at length with decided
success. lie has probably assuaged more suf-
iering with his grapes, than he ever created
by his drugs; he has grown considerably
younger by his twenty years farming. and Is
now talk Ing his place among the most brisk
aud genial Of our youth-an admirable spec-
men Of that branch Of "Young America"
which does not hate to work nor long for
opportunity TO steal.
Well: the Doctor, since the untimey death
Of the lamented Downing, stands, probably
at the head Of our frut-growers, with whom
one knotty problem OF the last few years has
been-how TO counleract the rayages Of the
Curculio, which is nearly robbing US Of plums
for which his taste is equal to ours, while in
the matter of gratifying II, he is decidedly
ahead of US. BY the lime he has taken his
quota, the plums left on tree or score OF
trees, are not worth gathering. but DR.. Un-
derhilI, by long study aud careful observation
has discovered the means Of completely out
whiting him lie has found by watching
aud noting her movements, that the female
Curculio will not deposit her eggs where
thev, when the plums containing them drop
will fall into water, her instinct teaching hei
that they will thus be drowned. Taking
advantage oi this instinct, the Doctor plant