Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-11-15
LETTER FROM PROF. EMMoNs
10 Ills Encslzeucy David s. Reid.
WrrrwoRFH Ger o. ISL

EHCCekCC1tCy E
WENTWORTH, Ocr IS, 1854.
SIR: There is no advantage in supplying the sou
with an excess Of fertizing matter Tins assertion
1t will be perceived is trueism uPoa aus taee Dut
In the sense wish to be understood is not true
ism i mean to be understood that there Is limit
in the use OF manures, beyond which they cease 70
be economical The Tefnarks which have already
made concerning the use OF gaan9 sSe +; tSe
application Of plaster and hme-especiaily the Tor
mer The difference In these two bodies IS due IN
partjottheir respective solubities sulphste OF lime
or gypsum being comparatively SOLUBLE eooy Wnen
compared with the carbonate subcahonate of lime
Gypsum employed only in moderate quantities De-
GENES less and less perceptible in Its effects by sue
cessive applications of it upon the same field Inns
Is undoubtedly due in part TO Its accumulation IN
the soil; though when used BY itself it operates IN
the mode have stated, that of fastening tho ex-
haHstfon of soil in one or more OF the expensive
elements. If as has been asserted above, there Is
limit in the of certain mineral fertllizers ana at
which we should stop, it becomes an important IN
ouirv with planters TO know when the quantity OF
fertilizer ceases to be economical and useful Inns
INQUIRY, which itis acknowledged is among the most
interesting and Important has not received as YET
much attention. 1t cannot in the present state OF
our knowledge receive satisfactory solution. 1t
requires in the first place toleraby exact knoWl-
edge of the composition of the soil In the second
place, a knowledge of the composition OF the plant
we wish to cultivate. Much has been done, howev-
err which will throw light upon these important ques-
tons. But the cultivated plants differ IN their rela-
tons to fertilizers Indian corn bears large quant
ties of manure; wheat would be almost ruined oy
the quantity which is often put upon corn field;
the ertzing matter being appropriated by the straw
in the of wheat, while in the case OF Indian
corn the grain apProprates it in due proportion TO
the heritage So the kiRd of fertilizers has an I'M
portant influence. Those which consist Of organic
matter mostly are appropriated by the heritage, and
we ges large and excessive growth OF straw and
leaf while the grain is poorly supplied with nutrl-
ment The fact is, each kind of husbandry has ITS
own individual questions to propose and sOlve-the
tobacco planter has his the wheat corn and cotton
growers theirs respectively for each of these plants
It is needful that the composition OF the soil be
known together with that of the plant it is designed
to cultivate These questions which appear at first
perplexing, become more simple when rotation OF
crops is contemplated. We begin, for example, with
a knowledge Of the soil-a reference to analyses OF
the crops in the determined rotation will inform US
respecting their composition. Our first crop being
weighed we NAV calculate to pound what fertiliz-
ers and what amounts of them have been removed
from the soil and what still remains Now we OBJ
serve under this state of things what our next crop
is-whether it is the crop which considering the Ia
Dor bestowed and the expenses consumed in its pro-
ducton is, upon the whole, the most profitable for
us. We test it by weight, both the grain and the
ofal, the butchers would say, and then make the
calculation The question is, is the product such as
will give the greatest profit in market My remarks
tending to two points, one to show that there Is
n limit in the amount of manure to be expended
upon field, and for given crop, and that each crop
measure, but each has its guage and its own meas
ure, and these points which it is needful to de-
termine. As general thing it is not profitable to
raise q mamoth crop of corn or wheat, or mammoth
OK or hog. In each animal there is limit beyond
which profit to be reaped But it is useful
to know what can be done and what the extreme of
production may be with our present knowledge and
present means. One hundred and fifty bushels of
Indian corn may undoubtedly be raised upon sin
gle acre but then the inquiry may well be made
will attempts to reach this amount pay the most
profit in its produc1onP De we turn our labor and
our manure to the most profit in such attempts?
What results give the most profit when labor and
money put into the balance, is the true question:
though is undoubtedly true that the determination
will show that there is tolerably wide range in the
capacity of plantation to produce, nasmuch as cir
cumstances may give planter facilities for doing
certain things which are not possessed by others.
We must make distinction in what is useful to the
community from what is profitable to ourselves in
dvidualy. 1t is useful to know the utmost capacity
of soil to produce under abundant use of fer
tlzers, but it is for each planter and farmer to de-
termine the exact limit where his abors will give
him the maximum profits.
Most respectfully your ob't serv't.
E. EMMONS.