Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-11-17
From the Raleigh Standard
Letter from Professor Emmous
ROxBORo', PERsoN Co. Oct % TO-.


ROXBORO', PERSON Co., Oct. % 1sz.
To his Erceilenay, Dauid S. Reid:
1t may appear paradOxical that planter nav !.
minish his crops by the of fertilizers, still sh u
attemp to show that such a result is possible To-
reticaily the doctrine is both interesting and i'm
1t is founded upon principles which have had o"on
sion to state while speaking of manures and fortT
zers The doctrine alluded TO is based on two faot.
viz: that each plant requires certain inorganic oI'
ments for lis growth and perfection of seed and the
the most important of these elements exist in the COL
only in smaller proportions. Now plant in certa;n
respects is like animal. If young or an old sn;
NAL is supplied with large quantity of food H.
growth is promoted, or its fat accumuates Tb;s;
the case if the food contains all the elements Of ~
triton 1t is not the case, however, if one or mor.
of them are wanting; In the case of young animal
for example, the milk, which is the natural food
contains in its normal condition every element wb;L
the system requires but if the milk should be dos
clent II phosphate of lime phosphoric of acid tb
animal could not grow, or if it did grow by mpans
OF small amount of phosphorc acid phosphorco f
lime, the bones would be soft and flexible But Thu
is not the point am attempting to prove or elucdate
and the alluslon Is made merely for The purposo -;
stating the fact, that in the food of both animals ~
plants there is speciality which should be rpmom '
bered by all planters and stockgrowers Rut nIon,.
are unlike ANIMALS in certain respects their mpn,h"
for instance, are placed in magazine of food h,
this magazine may contain rich supply Of carto;n
elements of nutrition and a very scantv snnnlv nf
others but enough of all for the present to enuo
the growth OF the plant and perfection of the seeI
Ii now the planter resorts TO the use of the miner
fertilizers, plaster, the result will be for the frS
two or three years greater growth of heritage rs
we'll as greater increase of fruit or seed this
magazine of food (the soiD co. tains small uuan,;tv
only of phosphate of lime the employment of plas,
or sulphate of lime puts the plant in condition to
use and take up larger amount of phosphate of lime
! than 1t could, provided this mineral had not hApn
| MAJ cd
lme which would have lasted ten years with no fer
tzer, 1t will not last more than five with il Rv tho
use of this fertilizer the root is increased in extent
and to speak guratvely, the number of mouths form
ed to take up tood is proportionaly increased also
and hence the store house more RAPIDLY exhausted
We have arrived at the point where we can 500
the consequences which accrue from the use Of tho
fertilizers the elements of food which exists in small
quantities only become exhausted in short period
under this system of cultivation, and as every plant
must have every of the elements of nutrition for
the pert econ OF seed, the time when seed
cannot be perfected for the want of one element
| The general effect of such system of culture is
at once and yet the planter may persevere in
for he found in the beginning most gratifying re-
suits his crops may have doubled, and in order to
keep up, and perhaps attempt to increase the pro.
ducton still more supplies his favorte fertilizer in
greater quantities. though he may have seen after
the second and third year, that its employment did
not turn out favorable at first. This result
may be attributed to the season, it was too wet or
too dry too hot or too cold or to any cause bnt the
right one The neghbors say he has killed his soil
by the use of plaster, but the true philosophy is he
has exhausted prematurey and unnecessarily one Of
the essential elements of fertility. 1t is eviden,
enough he can no longer use plaster-he must find
out what has become deficient in the soil. There is
no such thing as killing soil running it; it is
simply exhausted of one or two elements What
those lacking elements are must now be found ont
and the remedy becomes simple application or res.
toration of what has been iniudiciously removed
What is true of Gypsum is equally true of Peruvian
Guano. The proportion of inorganic matter in this
variety is much smaller relatively than in the Mexi
can. 1t is highly active upon worn out soils, pro-.
ducng heavy crops of the cereals the first year. The
continued use of this kind OF Guano alone for sue.
cesson of years brings about that condition of the
soil have alluded to, according TO the expressive
phrase of planters and farmers, the soil is killed II
may be inquired here, if these the results of plas
ter and Peruvian Guano, what are they good for
answer they are the preparatves for good system
OF husbandry and are designed to save time. They
, BRING about IN one year what would require four Of
hVe by the ordinary means, the of green crops
or even stable manure The soil is brought at once
in condition 10 produce, but it is not by a reap,
pication of the same fertilizer, eUen Guano.
Now the planter may Use his straw, his clover
crop or his stable manure to keep up the fertility Of
, his soil, and why 1T is because these contain a
greater variety or number of the elements of food
,, which the plant requires. The intelligent English
farmer applies lime largely once; by this he obtains
stock in trade go on; he borrows largely for once
and by ii is enabled if he understands the principles
S Of husbandry to pay back what he has borrowed
But he would not think of paying back in lime-tha
would ruin him, but he is not prepared for the use
c the slower or more organic fertilizers combined, ant
$ by their use he may go on without killing his soil
So Guano is to be used once to save time and prepare
the way for the less active fertilizers. The vende
OF this article will tell Eerent story, for it is
perlshable article and must be sold the first season
but the intelligent planter will find that he go
If successfully by application and save his fifty
h dollars per ION for other purposes
y Most respectfully, yours, &C..
f. EMMONS, State Geoogist.
Southern Literature,