The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-03-02
ROTATION OF CROPS.

ihN ehfJfft ~ fNt fctattoH w ft'i's W
necessarily an important one. lis ques-
li.u .of rhemisiry. or The prorrss hy
wIiieI' plants live and are nuurished. 10
understand IIlr- question requires some
know ledge of The snhsisnses composing
the sull. ihe wafer and lhe air. separate
and in contact. u. presHpposes scne
acquaintance with natural history, and ss-
perialiy hoisny. az The srience ll'si ifrai
81 plants aud ,lrir prrperi es. The Earth.
ar. and waller. are The three grand agrnis
By ~liirh the farmer works. and u shonld
be hls business l., become acquainted with
the elementary constituents al these seve-
ral objects. and The influences they exert
over The seeds when in contact. Farmers
rsreinIly amending 10 few simple expe-
Iimenis. facts. principles. and inlrf. cs'a-
blIshsd by oilsr .exprrinenislis's. would
Obtain by This me.hod so murh prariiral
Enlightenment. a. 10 we'll repay them Tor
any uiiling peeuniary outlay OF Time they
might ncu,.
These remarks occur in consequence at
reading an experiment which has taken
place by Professor Dsubeny on The roia-
liun al crops. and on Inc quantity olinor-
ganic na,lrr abslraeied from the soiI.sb
,arlnus plants .nder d'fieren, circum-
stances. This gentleman underlonk the
researches 10 il,r expectation Of verifying
the theory of De Candnlle. Who attributed
the deterioration experienced by most
crops io the deleisrious influences of the
rooi rxcreiions. Fur this purpose he sci
apart number of plots Of ground IN a
Boianic Garden. uniform as loqnalliy and
richness, pnr>hslf uf which Was planted
each year. Tor many Yeas. with the same
species of crop. aud The other half, with
the same kinds succeeding each other IN
such a mannrr llial no one plo, should
receive The same crop during the coniin-
iianre Of the experiments. The crops ex-
perimen,ed upon were spring wheat. bar.
ley. lurnips. hemp. aax. beans, lobsrco.
buck wheat, clover. oats. hee.s, mint, eE'
dive. paisley. &c. Afler careful chemical
examination of The crops. The Professor
arrives al the following eouclusions =
FIRST. That The falling off "f crop after
repetition depends. in some degree. on
lIle less ready supply II certain Of the in
organic ingredients which il requires foi
It's constitution; not hui thai two crops
equally well supplied by the coil wllh
ihese ingredients may take up dide,en'
quantities &C Them, according as their own
development is nlore or less favored by
the presence of inorganic matter in the sill
in a stale of decomposition.
Secondly That il is possible that Z
field many be unproduclive. although pos.
sessing abundance of all the ingredienis
required by the r,ops. owing 10 their mol
belng in sufficiently soluble form. and
therefore, not directly available for The
purposes of vegetation; so that in such ,
Ease the agriculluris, has his chuice o
three meihmls :--,he first, that Of impait
ing tu the soil. by the aid ola manure.
sufficient quan,iiy OF these ingredients. IL
a state To be Immediately taken up; The
second, that of waiting until The action o
,lecomposing agents dlsrngages a fresf
portion &c these ingredients of the soil
las nv letting the land remain lallow: ant
tie third, that nf acceleraiing this decom'
position by mechanical and chemIca
means
hiul'y. Ths, ], is probable 'ha, il
most disnr,s a sufficicn, supply ol phos
ptoric acid and of alkaIi. for the purpose
of agriculture. lies Tucked up within I'll,
bnwe;s of The rar,h. which nigh, be &c
al liberty. and rendered available BY tn
application of ll,e artificial means sbos,
alluded ta,
Fmrhly. That the aim of Nature
seems To be. TO bring inlo This soluble, ant
,h, reIore available. condition these inor
gauic substances by animal and vrgelsbl
decomposition, and. ihereiole, that we ar
cunleracling her beneficial efforts whe
we waste the producis ofihis derompos
,ion by want nf due rare in the preser
vaiinn of the sarinus excIementilious.m maj
lers al our disposal,
Filthy. THAI. although we cannc
deny tia, plants possess The power !,
subs i,uiing certain mineral ingredients "a
others. vel that The limits Of this facull
are sill illimprrferiy known. and the deere
in which their healthy rondiiinn is affec,
ed by The change is sill a matter for iul
lher investigation.
| lastly. Tha, the composition Of vari
Gus plants as given by various experimeI
,allsis differs very widely. and leads us
conclude tina, we are supplied with .
additional argument in favor Of the impo'
L.. n q