The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-11-30

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its own twenty acres through the five years,
one will have exhausted the Lame, yet
have an abundance Of Phoshorur left; an
other will have absorbed oil the Potash In
its division. yet hardly tasted the Lime and
so on; while, had the hundred acres been
sown in rotation or succession entirely to
one and then to another of these crops, or
had the FIVE been alternated from portion to
portion with each succeeding year, they
would all have yielded abundantlv, yet left
no portion OF the soil utterly robbed of any
single element. Experience afirms that the
rotation of crops has taken far more from
the soil than the adverse system, which
Science unhesitatingly corroburates, and
adds that, while rotation has taken more
from the soil, it has nevertheless left it in
better condition to bear future haryests;
and This Experience will in due time raIify
and establish .'.
Here, then, Experience has been outstrip-
ped by Science, whose torch irradates the
Future with light drawn directly from the
Present, not reflected from the Past. Ex.
perience has shown that aparticular rotation
is preferable to the growth of the same plant
on the same SOL for succession of years;
but Science forecasts beyond this, rand af-
firms that any possible rotation mast be
preferable to incesant and unchanging rep
etiton, for reasons which lie deep in the bo-
som of Nature and are indispensable from
her very vitality. AS surely as Experience,
has demonstrated the expedieney of keep
ing cattle where they have grass and water
both, instead of shutting up parf where
they will have grass enough but no water
and the residue where they will have abun-
dance of water but no grass or other food, so
clearly does Science demonstrate the adj
vantage of growing different crops in rota-
ton s..fH ..'
But in answering our frs question, "Why
should different crops be grown in rotation?"
Science has thrown open wide field of
profitable inquiry! We have seen that five
good crops Of Indian Corn cannot be grown
off the same ground for five successive years,
unless by virtue Of profuse and expensive
manuting; because each crop has absorbed
an undue proportion of certain elements or
properties essential to Corn, leaving others,
less vital to Maize, but more necessary to
Wheat, Glover, &C., undisurbed in the soih
We now know, therefore, that any average
soil, regarded with reference to amy particu-
lar plant, possesses certain elements in ex-
cess, while il is deficient in others; and 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, con-
sidered with reference to our purpose. We
desire not to spend our time and means in
filling soil on which Wheat is never to be
grown with costly elements which Wheat
alone will require or take up, but to- invest
each dollar and day, so far as we may, in
enriching that soil with the elements where
IN it is now deficient, but which our next
crop viii nevertheless require. In other
words, since it is not our practice to piow,
plant and cultivate our entire farms, forests,
ravines and all,-because We suppose to
! harvest Indian Corn and wheat from a small
part of them, so we desire to exercise a
like discrimination and practice like COON
omy in the production or purchase and ap-
plication of Inanures. And to do this, we
appeal to science for an analysis of the diff
fercnt soils of our various fields, to determine
wherein each is deficient, each relatively re-
dundant, that we may apply various tcrtili-
zers accordingly And this is the basis, land
all the bass, of Scientific Farming. .s.
Let me llnger still on this topic of Book
farming, and pile illustration on illustration
Of its true character and manifold advanta-
ges. You may tell me that this is needless,
/ but know BETTER since [ know there are
tens of thousands offarmers in every quar-
ter-nay, right here in Iulana--some of
them, doubt not, now before me---whe
take no Agricultural paper-nay, no paper
at all!--because they lhink they can't afford
| H--that it has no other than speculative
or fancy value for their use--that they
would be The poorer for taxing it! Now |
maintain that no, farmer or artisan that can
read can really afford to do without at least
! three weekly newspapefs--one TO bring him
the general news, politics and social move
ments of his time; another to teach him
! whatever of discovery, invention or improve
ment may from time to Time be made in his
own pursuit or calling; and the third to
4 keep him advised Of whatever of interest
may trauspire in his own locality or county.
lie may be SO 0ery poor and inefficient that
he is justified in obtaining two OF these by
exchanges with his equally luckess neigh
bors; but these three he should at least
rcaal every week, because he cannot afford
to be without the intelligence they bring
him. And, while there are thousands who
are bringing up sons for farmers and daugh.
ters for housewives without taking periodi.
cal or even owning book that treats OF
Farming of Housewifery, it is absurd to say
thatthis stupid prejudice against Book-tarm
ling has been already sufficiently dealt with
since it is this day SO potent and mischiev-
Gus. Bear with me then, while | attempt
to let in some daylight upon it through the
relation of /: few homely facts 4r 11u.t
i was visiting soma old friends in Yer
mont last summer, when observed in the
garden OF one of them the most thrifty ane
luxuriant grapevine that had ever see'
growing in so cold Il climate. Now it il one
advantage possessed by the class of ignoran
cultivators to which belong over that sor
, who not merely know nothing but glory ii
it, that we are not at all llleluctaut to confes
our ignorance when we see chance of lhns
mitigating it,. i, Therefore, at once asker
the lady whose vine this WAS, to tell me b,
what means She had increased tito such vigo
{ and productiveness; and size replied 'tha
| she had made it her rule, ever since til,
) vine was set there, to, throw q pail-full' o
! ISoaDlslIls At its root at the close of ever