Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-11-22

70 lis Escellenes Dapia s. ~.
WENTwoRrH, Oct. %. 1854

a y 1sfS hbcettency Odc1a -. f6te1.
WENrwoRrH, Oct %. 1854.
Sir: There is no advantage in supply
ing the soil With an excess Of fertilizing mat
ter. This assertion it win be perceived is
a truism upon its face, but in the sense l
wish to be understood, it is not truism.-
/ mean to be understood that there is
limit in the useus ulanures, beyoud which
they cease 10 Be ec5b5nical. The remarks
which hase already made concerning the
use Of gaaso. If true. illsssraie this assertion.
The same fsng is indicated in the applica-
ton Of plaster and lime-espeeialy the for
mer The difference in these twd bodies i
due in part to. their respective solublilties,
sulphate of lime or gypsum being comPara-
lively soluble body when compared with
the carbonate or subcaFbonate of line
Gypsum employed only in moderate quaint =
ties becomes less and less percephble IN Its
effects by successive applications Of i upon
the same field. This is undoubtedly due n
part to its accumulation in the soil; though
when used by itself it operates IN the mode
Ihaye stated, that of fastening the exhaus-
ton of soil in one or more of the expen-
sive elements. If, as has been asserted a.
bove, there is a limit in the use of certain
mineral fertilizers and at which we should
stop, it becomes an important inquiry with
planters to know when the quantity Of
fertilizer ceases to be economical and useful.
This INQUIRY, which it is acknowledged is
among the most interesting and important,
has not received as vet much attention. 1t
cannot in the present state of our knowledge
receive satisfactory solution. 1t requires
in the first place tolerably exact knowledge
of the composition of the soil in the second
place, knowledge of the composition Of the
plant we wish to cultivate. Much has been
done, however, which will throw light upon
these important questions. But the cultiSa-
ted plants dfferin their relations TO fertilizers.
Indian corn bears large quantities ofJmanrra.:.
wheat would be almost ruined by the guam
tity which is often put upon a corn field /;
the fertiIizing matter being appropriated by
the straw in the case of wheat, while in the
case of Indian corn the grain appropriate it
in due proportion to the herbage. So the
kind of fertilizers has an important influence
Those which consist of organic matter most
ly are appropriated by the herbage, and we
get large and excessive growth of straw
and leaf, while the grain IS poorly supplied
with nutriment. 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 a rotation Of crops is con-
templated. We begin, for example, with
knowledge of the sofia reference 10 analy-
ses Of the crops in the determined rotation
will inform US respect ing their composition.
Our first crop being weighed, we may cal
cuIate to pound what fertilizers, and what
amounts of them have been removed flom
the soil and what still remains. Now we
observe under this state fittings what our
next crop is-whether it is the crop which
considering the labor bestowed and the ex-
penses consumed in its production is, upon
the whole, the most profitable for Us. We
test it by weight, both the grain and the
offal as the butchers would say, and then
make the calculation. The question is, is
the product such as will give the greatest
profit in market. Ny remarks are tending
to two points, one to show that there is q
limit In the amount Of manure to be expend-
ed upon field, and for given crop, and
that each crop has its own limit; they are
not guaged by the same measure, but each
has its guage and its own measure, and these
are points which it is needful to determine.
As ageneral thing It is not profitable to raise
mammoth crop Of corn or wheat, or a
mammoth OK or hog. In each animal there
| is limit beyond which profit ceases 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 bush
v els Of Indian corn may undoubtedly be raised
upon single acre; but then the inquiry
n may well be made will attempts to react
Il this amount pay Us the most profit in it
n production Do we turn our labor anC
a our manure to the most profit in such at
temptsl What results give the.most prof
A. when labor and money are put into the bal
d ance, is the true question, though it is un
doubtedly true that the determination vii
,o show that there is tolerablv wide range il
to the capacity Of plantation to produce, IN
asmueh as circumstances may give onePlan'
i, ter facilities for doing certain things which
&c are not possessed by others. Wemust maxi
ot distinction in what is useful to the com
1e munity from what is profitable to ourselve
M individually. 1t is useful to know the ht
most capacity Of soil to produce unde
an abundant use of fertilizers, but it IS 70
~ ~ each planter and farmer to determine tn
exact limit where his labors will give hin
10 the maximum profits.
!: Most respectfully your ob't sery't.
a E EMMONS.