Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-16
CmAnLrs Cry, Jan. Sd, 1874.

CnARLrs Cirr, Jan. sd, 1854.
10 the Editors Of The lPhig:
GESrLrNrs Having noticed in tho proceeding. of IN,
House of Delegates resolution adopted nsiructur III,
Committee ON Roads and Internal Navigation to iuquir,
into tho cIpcdiency ofconstrucng road from Richmond
to some point on the James river below arrisons Bar
beg leave to offer Tow suggestions for the
Of the people Of Richmond.
Such road as Il contaminated In tho tesoluo, or ,ls
House OF Delegates has been for several years
aud il becoming object OF important and mighty CON
sderaon now that its necessity is beginning to be fell
and its merits fully oanvassed.
That great requirement Of Commerce. facility of Quite,
Tor trade Is even now sensbly felt by the merchants
Richmond and the necessity of and con,mo.
iious harbor free from such az those which
impede tho navigation of James river becomes daily more
mperious Tho true interests Of the city demand the i'm
mediate construction OF road TO point tho river
below all these distractions This could be easily accom-.
pished by the establishment OF road Wicons Wharf
in the county OF Charles City, more than
miles In length over level country scarcely requiring to
be graded, and running beyond Harrsons bar,he first
impeachment In the navigation Of James river. Up this
point, which indicated by meeting of the citizens
Charles City, few days SINCE the proper terminus Of
such road the largest vessels with ease and
harboI securely This road in conjunction with Jamea
river, would afford every commercial facility that could
be desired IL would give two daily lines Of communica
ton with Norfolk, and would my opinion be the cheap
est speedies and most convenient outlet to the Ocean
VIII the citizens Of Richmond then, ask abandon al
together their own noble stream with all its advantages
by directing their energies and the
ton OF road to York rverS What have they to gain by
thsg have heard il asserted that they would gain the
ork river trade. This is far from probable aud even
were certain, would not begin compensate fer the
loss that would be sustained by The accomplishment Of
such scheme. The people of York river have fur wears
been in the habit Of trading with Baltimore and New York
where they can get higher prices for their produce where
II Is most convenient for them trade and where il the
foad were completed It would still be most enien
But suppose that they gain this deieratum will they
not he IN danger oi losing the James river trade where
there twenty bushels of wheat raised 10 one ON York
her. fon have that trade because of the commu-
hy o eeling anu interest existing between the tide wa
ter country and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that connection
abandon u.s. aud of the tide water region mst aban.
don you Tor we eau with equal facility trade with Bati
more and New York. II you virtually abandon James
river by adopting this line York river with the south
side road complete To Norfolk the inevitable
must be that your noble river will hear TO your wharyes
little else than oyster crafts RATS of logs. can not
believe that this scheme for railroad to York river can
he sained antagonstic is to the true interests of
Let her but lend her energies and RESOURCES to the con
structon of ths road Charles City and nv word fur
IT. in less than five years her trade will DO than dou
BILE its present amount. JAMES RIVER
ERPHoSPHATE OF LIME-How 1T DIFFERS
FROM BONES DISSOLVED IN AClD-THE VALUE
OF BONES ON THE LAND-HOW TO TEST qua
NO.
10 he Editor Of Tie NeiS York Dlily Times:
TN perusng the columns Of your valuable daily public a.
ton ON the 2ls instant attention was drawn 10 what
was termed recipe for making super posphate Of lime
The difference between super. phosphate of lime and
s7oved bones by suphuc acid is WIDE indeed the for
mer being prepared by cacinaton and when applied 10
the soil is easily soluble and becomes once the most
powerful promoter oil vegetation capable OF entering the
mnntet vessels OF the young ard tender growing pant
All plants imbbe their nourshment in Il lud state and
cannot take up one particle OF suspended matter The
pores al the extremity OF the roots W they exist at ALL are
TOO minute to admit anything but what absolutely LIQUID
II IL clear then that every form of manure must become
soluble or will TO useless to the growing plant else
must lay considerable time In the earth before it, virtues
can bo e1trcaed 10 afford food for the plant and thus
disappont the expectations Of the farmer With respect
to dissolved bones though there their an
picaon on the contrary II is the most economical method
OF applying bones, STILL they require to be prepared some
time before USE else the desired effect cannot be early
realized better plan than the you published is to
boil the bones AMI take all the fatty from them
They are then easily decomposed The fat contained
IN those which have not been boiled will as a protec
ton and thus prevent the acid from acting on them But
hrst bolngthem very little trouble will be required TO
obtain perfectly dry compound, capable of being used
by the drill or hand attended with no loss.
The great difficulty To farmers ia in preparing compos,
oil dissolved bones IL is imaginary than real how
ever et the esperimcnter take five hundred pounds OF
boiled crushed bones, then with cwt of SULPHUR
&c acid saturae them throughout throwing the mass IN
IN heap and let them lay to irlment aud decompose
IL can be put through fine riddle f only the thorough
y decomposed is wanted. What will not pass through
can be placed ON side be again ddled through a,
leisure To add ghano TO il, let tank he sunk into
which all the liquid from the stables can run let il be
covered III from rain nto the tank lot powdered
charcoal be thrown and when perfectly saturated take
It out and throw II under TO dry. The excess of
moisture W any will soon eyaporate leaving fertilizer
equally az rich hs the best Peruvian guano. This added
TO the dissolved bones, will maintain the fertility of the
SOIL without much extra outlay and tho will soon
find himself amply repaid for his trouble by the
growth Of his crops.
Real Peruvian guano contains all the clements neces
sary Tor vegetation But how often does the farmer pur-
chase it in its pure stntcg
From the following simple pan which read in work
from the pen OF JoHS DONALDSON, an English writer
am able to detect for myself pure from an impure sam
pie oil Guano. Weigh 200 grains of Guano place it in
an IRON ade submit to strong read heat occasionally
stirring it, for ten minutes. When cold the ashes should
not exceed 70 grains II does you may rest assured il
cannot he genuine Peruvian Guano.
doubt not that ere long, more attention will be paid
to the liquid waste about farm, aud that bones will be
nearly the only extra outlay required about it.
An OBSERVER PASSING EvESTs
INV YORK, Wednesday, Dec. rs, 1853