The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1854-03-29
9arHllrs, Column.
How blest the Farmers simple life
Far fromthe noise OF the City's strife.
From tho Plough, Loom ana Anvil,
I~NFERENTIAL ANALYSIS.

a careful chemical analysis. q tuf
We have also described modes in which
the general character of the soil may be
ascertained, without these expensive pro.
cesses. Thus We have referred in this
connection 10 the character of the spon.
Ianeous growth of the soil that is, the
variety Of The weeds which inlest il; and
we have explained a mode Of .asceriaining
the presence ofvarious elements by wash.
ing The soil, &c.
Reference has also been made to the
character Of the crops it has produced, as
a fact of great importance in deciding in
what elements II must now be deficient.
We purpose few additional suggestions,
with some minuleness Of detail, as 10 the
use to be made of such facts.
We must, however, in this case, as in
rnmer ones, bear constantly iu mind that
the original condition Of The soil will Of.
len, in respect 10 one or mole offs elements
essentially modify and change the result al
which we would arrive. On = "siIicious
soil )" for example, it is impossible to ex.
haus, the slick by any growth that can be
cultivated. This element forms 50 large
a portion Of the whole body of EARTH,
in many cases, that to exhaust that elemen,
would be to use up entire "solid' feet Of
earth, leaving a void obvinus TO The sight.
and changing the whole appearance Of the
field. On the other hand, clays are often,
and, indeed, usually furnished so spar.
ingly with sick, that it must be furnished
from abroad, while the alumIna is pracli-
cally ineshauslible. A mere glance at
some table like that exhibited on pages "a
and 100 Of our numbers for July and
August, vol. 5, will indicate what those ell
cmenis are in the soil in question, which
may always be presumed to be present.
1t obviously follows from these sugges-
tons, that any specific instruction as to
The probable absence of given elements.
after certain oft repeated crops are removed
from it, must be taken as applicable TO
soils that are originally alike abundant in
all required elements; and, al the same
time, ii is obvious that in fact, there is a
small number Of elements that seldom are
found in excess; and repeated groupings,
which make large demands on these ele.
mems, will leave the soil practically des.
,ituic Of them.
One further remark, by way of limila.
ZION one explanation, is Of paramount im-
portance. Any element, silex, or almost
any thing else may exist in large quaint.
Ties, but in an insolubIe form. TO dissolve
slick 10 a very limited extent, it is now
ascertained, water only is necessary; bul
to obtain il in solution, 10 the extent ofleo
required ii is necessary 10 supply some
o;her solvent.
Here, of course, there is more necessity
Of science, than in any other department
Of the subject.
We are thus prepared the better to ap.
preciite the following suggestion: II we
examine The straw of wheat, we will find
II composed Of common vegetable matter
Oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, with a
small quantity Of carbonate of lime; so, if
we examine the constituents of the grain
we find them distinguished into starch and
gluten; the elements Of III starch are the
same with those Of common vegetable
matters; but the elements Of gluten are
analogous 10 those of animals, or in add.
ion to oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, ,heret
$ also nitrogen. The production of thi.i
lirogen cannot be effected by common
vegetable matter, and manure EMPLOYED
in the production OF the straw and starch
cannot produce the gluten. That the glu-
ten ol wheat -four may always be present.
IS is necessary thai a quantity of animal
substance should exist in the manure TO be
applied 10 the wheat crop. If we pursue
nur investigation a step farther we find
that phosphate Of lime is as constant a con.
s%iituent of wheat as gluten. In barley, in.
stead Of phosphate Of lime, there is small
quantity of either nitrate of soda or nitrate
Of poIassa, ~(sallpeire) whence those salts
should be present in The soil where barley
is 10 be grown. The ashes of bean. slraw
always yield a large quantity ola carbon.
ate of potash. A considerable quantity of
%superoxalaie of lime in the pea crop has
been discovered. Clover contains a nola.
bic qua tty ofGypsum, &c., &c,
Wheat, oats, barley, and other cereals.
make large drafts on the p~hosphoralic acid
and the pn,ash, soda, and magnesia Of The
soil. Hence, il repealed crops nj either ,f
these grains are taken from il these Gle.
men's musr be suppl ell in the manure, or
the land will become barren.
The following table shows the actual
and comparative demands which certain
crops make upon lime:
20 bushels Of wheat consume 10 lbs.