Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-11-08

lime or upon soils without knowledge u thcir n cal
were certainly empirical; from which no sale co"'''
be drawn. u.d the appllca.
Those striking benefits which have fo1%e. Injected on all
ton Of lime In the tidewa district may IL the re-
e r n,srso, o emnent practical III II natural
land that he had met WIN rv great degree BY cal
ssa'e, mne was u dmiosered In proper nneraIion
Experieuce he says has pro'eu value eight times or
such poor land may forty sllnes per acre OF nc r
l'GG hVe shn n Ed Quarterly jour, loil-4'' p",d or
surface Districts S esfn lime sandy soils
rpled n IF profitable cultivation after lime mas pIe h
oiten In the larger portion Of he Ata tho neces
eu.Iia sIrau and prevailing lara would lnuiG hrndont
lsuu'r o. and wherever This deficiency exists Sd
observation and experience prove tha NUS ,uri.
as the of permanent ,s omneed To state
h,nnh.raIly md to detuce conclusions from ana
Scrnee has not yet denealed these aens anu
ye IA srjl misled by isolated and conflicting h;h and
IT, sun @ f ,h;a society have assumed the h'"h ana
,ot nn;,;on of public bcneacors They have conmene
I'd the audable TASK of improving ;e s,;Gc and prac
o1 with an energy that must command tne aa
miralion and respect OF every citizen Lei s - r,nc,
society that the information shall DC ] Onr nub
oo,oicoi mans and accurate chemical Analyses. ou uO
fc achievements are penetrating the limestone
in almost every direction, preparing 10 nlnls M h
the farmer has lrafhcu upo'' "'''' ''
cannot more strongly illustrate the importance oil als
brunch of the subject, than by some res,ss ~
Jour Anr e45-'47, p. 25i, &c This association w,
d near one thousand members, composed OF the mos ~
lipen farmers and many OF the most Distinguish a,
e;.ncs Ira chief object was afford farmers aha
u cheap rac-upon The accuracy OF ~hch 'lle5 o ,ves
of soils manures and other subsances-'o curry va ~ ami
n,ona hearing on the science and general VI
r.I ~ duse information thus collected by Puohc
lectures familiar letters and conve1snton nniSo.s wc,c
TWO years Of its existence near one i ,ron wore dr.
m,d in The aboraory-se public lectures WIZ W.
v.r br Professor Johnston, in different DISTRICTS OF oeot
anJ 10 audiences composed chiefly OF farmers MANY e
vrrsational discussions were held, ana inaay ico
prpnt
teal character, which the analyses were " w s
or his observation Of the nglIuG T.; ,;s haiorv hv
assistants and in the field by many seoo
picnl sutyeys-the composition OF Inc niatiS, les mo
50. c,ons and soils determined by "haiys
ho5v of farmers gave their aid in accurate ana wen
conducted experiments; and their united e"ris leo 10 i-
porant results in the udclous improvement, VI e s"s'
and in the profitable returns Of agriculture ihcy nave ere
uasd agriculture into that position amongst the sciences IN
which rational conclusions may be draw from wen
ed experiments and such ,us will soon be the position
which The agriculture OF our own otate shu oeeur!' "
means of the efforts OF this Society :. e,:, -
Knowledge of the origin and composition oil Inc sou oi
those inorganic substances which constitute e aS.9 -.
plants and the composition OF the various manutes at
important TO success But the organic elements OF p'an.s
oxygen hydrogen carbon and nrogen-hos', aso, ca.n
a,i.n The sources from which plants derive thc oAy'
oen and hydrogen are not Of practical value 10 inc lahe
az thew constitute water and as oxygen IL supped rom So
many sources Carbon and nitrogen are ilhoiluh' ceuna
aud tile sources from Wilch pIan's ae'i'' '' ''PP' ~
be carefully considered. ,,..r -,
The carbon constitutes nearly one nan oy wels' Z" az
dry vegetable substances. lhs eanS suos'an't VI d"
plants is derived from cabonc acd III hncn me lasest
proportion from the atmosphere which surounds ten au
by assimilation through their leaves Inc roofs VI 'i@
plants may furnish questionable hui al any fa,e' ssa
nronor,ion (Somc, y,rs Physical Geography, S5 lehIS
The atmosphrie which surrounds Their leaves 70 r sI
source from which carbun is srpp'ict--fuf "hrh hc
one half in weight all cultivated crops Is derived 81
the atns contains only housandh OF is "eieh
of cabonc acid For this small supply there constant
struggle by all vegetable creation II Is necessary W 'he
growth of plants aud they will not flourish IN an a'mos
uh.a here The proporliOn is much reduced IL Is Tauy
| absorbed by forests, well as growing crops: QUICK
growing plants such as grape vines melons .so,an i m
&c. when in full growth, will absorb as IL passes nearly n
the carbonc acid from quite swift current OF arr 8" ina
only slight OF it can afterwards DC iouhu proo
Elements 81 Crops ara l0ushins when The UNI
form propur tion existing in The atmosphere Under odhay
circumstances is in that body OF air immediately SURROUND
Ing their leaves They can no more Iced upon e
acid in the air above they derive benefit from TIE
manure which has never been hauled from The farm PEN
Hence they tnrlvc better in air That is in notion ana ire
uu.nlly renewed than in cdlns B0uslneauli, ~ ine
free access carbonc their leaves promotes theif crow"
increases their yro and en.iches their feceiiohs hrn-
c,'s ncycIutn seq Whatever mPcdcs he Tree circu
tion OF the atmosphere eXausis lis caioonlc acu IN lis
progress ~ The growing crops, always p''J"uees '''u
| effects upon line cultivated plants
II has been observed in Europe mat the crops always
WELD interior produce when surrounded by hicS Pania
lions OF timber trees mol from lc elects ol shading Du
from their exhaustng power upon inc caioonc "c'o VI
air. Farmers EncyclofT fla, Cu'hocr' 'onls"n " n
The observed effect even when large proportion {" me
countr is Omen and when the density of forests does
not occur as prevails with Upon many farms mere
old field mines in The arabic fields neglected hedge rows
ditch and creek banks sometimes lew acres OF naive
forest and irregular outlines in the ceatnSs hcsc mus
be regarded merely negligent, but az pos'e'Y Ju
rot only az presenting soveuy appearance render
ing the cultivation ana enclosure OF the fields more eNeh
s,ve and aborioa hui as diminishing the products ct TIT
cultivated surface The old field pine is particularly liable
this objection the rapiy OF lis growth even hpon le pour
soils. The number of s ltnvcs $40" us eNhaus"s
powers upon the atmosphere. The farmer should rememoe
that his crop can thrive better in atmosphere deprived
of it's Curbonc acid, than in soil exhausted al lts le'y
Ii he wishes striking lliuslraon LEI MN so" a'e'
strips of clover with plaster OF wheat Win guapo u'
leave narrow strips for trial The pastGcd clover anu W
guanord wheat will overtop the Inaldeo portions eH
haus' the air Of its cabonic acid in passing ana oy It's
uxuriance actually inurc the unaided srPs me eAPe
riment will not present simply striking c"hus'- J
~ from shadng-but diminished crop, from me'c P'
| ~ TO q more luxuran growth. -;
pressed by another statement. 10 four thosano PouHn
the atmosphere only four pounds oil caroon'c ac'u W
mixed-Or rather more than one pound OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
to fuIn about pounds Of dry pine l men, we us'
the correctness Of that theory, which asserts Ie
tion of the entire carbon through the leaves ." m
near four thousand pounds Of must nave eeen ele',
deprived Of it's cubonc acid 10 form two ponnus VI VI!
still larger quantity of air partially eAIusa ~,
der such circumstances gentle current D ar
borders of the cultivated crops, alter passing
patches Of dense pines to supply mat 1000 W M 7, i
crop which is make near one.iaH Oh us WE'LL ,,
true the Inequalities OF the earths sufiacc' INC i
of mir and the known property of these gases 10 IN
teminuie and pervade each other VIII AGAIN les''t1 W
equilibrium but extensive injury may hst ensue shnni
The frs, Objects which attention OF the FARMER
be turned is the removal of all such nusanccs m ms cum
waited fields nothing bu. the necessary SHADE "'e
for urpa,nrn, or FOX protection Ia his catle. ~, ,
The next organic element of plants is h'"scn W. '
substance the cutva plants contain small anu Va'an
poporons seldom reaching as high as Tour per cent on
Mounds in the dry will generally contain aoo"
fv mounds of carbon and about two pounds OF nitrogen
The proportions used merely for ustralion ad MOI 10
snec6c information Small the relative quantity OF nj
trogen s il forms important clement In plants ant
natures constitutes the nutritious principle o, rants
that ingredient which mparfs ssl, and muscles 10 animals
An eminent author asserts The result OF analysis ana 90
nutritious powers oil plants arc IN pro
portion to qnanuly Of nitrogen they eontan-ih"iS
pault This quantity increased by the supply lnr'shc
through the soil which they grow; hence II becomes
most important subject for our examination
Whilst 1t plays prominent part In The nutritious pIn
cipe of food it time the emnenly enrlchin!
quality of all organic manures BousinganitI IT lornE
the chief feri2ng substance In The gnanos, itrales AIT
compounds Of ammonia in nct is the proportion oil miro
gen which fixes the comparative value Of different manure
l, forms four ffhs of the entire ATMOSPHERE constantly
surrounding the plants and presenting an neShansoe sup
ply-but generally unayailing in lis simple fam.
Plants receive their nitrogen through their roots some
times nraes but chiefly in The form OF ammonia
.ebs 7U the formation Of these compounds then becomes
the subject of inquiry, the cnrchng quality OF the ina
nu es depends upon the quantity they obtain. Liberal