The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-23

and Ompipotsnt Being displays his own superiority
70 his ere lures b. ehrouding In veil, impsnetra
Bile BY the wissss q out Ap c,ss, macy OF toe mos
common snd mporartope a IONS in ualure. Am NJ
thess are the circula IN % hWds in vegetables and
animals, the ntr dneIiJn sto them o. their parti-
e e. their ceposi hon. accumustion, &c This +.
viii admit, aud aLo tat h.a Argument against the
possibility Of nitrogen bsieg introduced l8so plants
from any other source bat the great nasn al reser
voir OF II IN atis lspheic air, and through their
leaves, IL not alrolnt.ly decisive. Even he sup
pcses that the roots hay absorb portion
OF this from the air slch .retrates the SOIL Why.
then, may not another possou enter % the way
In ths shape OF amactlaca eas min,ei with AIR ~ In
water, with which II IL most readily sgiuolei Tns
possibility of this bss nitb,to been universally be-
eved, at least By all except "a fes;n and, - tho
very gyea. ard salutsry fIsots OF Peruvian gusno
have been generally acknOwea ged, this Theory
has been received a. fully estabhshe0 by ths best
evidence which the natu Of tie case allows.
+. claims thai the phosphates are taken up by
the roots If plants from the s0l because thsir Gle
me nts found in the piants, and they cannot be
derived from the atmosb1en, as that does not con-
tain them. The phosphaies are insolnbe Ia wa;er,
Aad neither he nor | caa tell with certainty how
then they can We taken ap. We see toat 1t d0uDt
lefs - 30, and must adgat it. Primo tacie there
is stronger reason 70 sup 0se that soluble sub
stance may be imbibed by roots than an ,nsolnble
one ana innumersble and incoptestib!e proofs
from experiments attest this to be the faot WIN re-
Hpect t. ammonia.
+. quotes Liebigs rks on the fertility or tho
delta OF she Nile and the heics OF Holland, with
his conclusion supported tnsr oby, that the a.mos-
phere may afford nitrogen enough to produce largo
crops through successive ages, without the mportr
ton OF any substance cones niog nitrogen ~ minge
with the soil. Neither I.eblg nor r. tells us ZOE
results in either county OF mAuuring VIVA Peru
Wan gusno, or any otner substance cOnta'ui.g nj
frozen. II such experiment. should produces no
effect in Egypt or HUlAcd. we might say suca ma
nure was rhless az, II she crops were des
troyed, Gas +. teaches trey night te) we N ght
say that ammonia In fatal to vegetation We nave
every reason to believe that the soils Of Holland
a n1ko Ind win 1o onAo okSn
more fertile by Peruvian guanc. ~ 1900
Ammonia is compound Of two OF the simDle
substances Of prime i'm Dortaaoe In the construction
Of plants nitrogen asd hydrogen; and II Is, doubt
less, deOomposed 10 the secret abora .ory which is
established in every blade Of grass by the inscruts
bic ski Of its Maker and the parts disposed Alright
In the wonderful process Of vegeta1'n. Human
eyes can see nothing beyond the visible effects, and
these have been attest.d BY thousands of coacur-
ring witnesses a. equally strong and decisive
against oil the ether elements Of plants. Is each in
lis turn would be fatal to vegetation ann mia,
II applied in excess; for be well knows that plant
cannot live Ia carbon in oxygen In air. alone, or in
his favorite phospha Of lime. II his charge against
ammonia is just theu il i equally 90 against every
But let US 20 To facts
should oil your paper, Mr.. Editor, II / should
attempt even TO name thu witnesses who have st.
tested the practical value Of ammonia in mansres.
] will briefly cite two OF three recent writer's, re-
ferrng your readers TO almost any Of the scientific
and practical ,rks within their reach for further
l0IOrW0UO0.
The Cultipato, in October last, tpage 3oe,) eOn-
mencs TRANSLATION Of an essay Of tne &c man pro-
lessor Wolff on manures. 10 which . multitude Of
rules and cautions are givea for the formation OF
c0Dp0sts. the main object IL which ID to produce
and secure AZ large m amount e. possible OF ammo
mia. He repre- seats that above half the weight,
even Of the best ID water, whe he thinks even enc
half per cent Of ammonia is well worth I'll the pains
and expense which he eDjoins. Even sleeps ma
nure, valuable as it 10 for Us ammonia, be informs
us, contains Only one per cent.
Bailey thinks that even . far less percentage
At much expense u labor and care care for,
TO prove the advantage Of wetting ma
Lure in dry weather, TO prevent the evsp orsti Of
inc be tells Us that ?, ns;1g stable
| To- to 1000 lbs. Of manure. WHAT, then, must be
the value Of Peruvian gnano, which, according -
F., must contain, not eefourths Of pound, but
| about 900 lbs. OF ammonia
The same nnmSsr Of the CwkiUnf0r Als, Contains
directi ms from q correspondent, tor forming IA
nure ~ good as Peruvian suano, in the opinion OF
the writer, which requires great variety Of iospe
dients OF considers able cost alI aud thers
Of 20 cisgustDR naurs that 10 men, app rehend,
could be bifed to peff sm the task; and tnen his
views are 10 Dsuv pyisss 60 directly opposed to
thoee of WOln and most others, shat his plan Or
81 ers must ceI taIly fai'.
With these things in view, how natural il is for
intelligent farmers to do, - thousands a's Do~
doing IN different rar's Of tUis country and else
where, to turn from lubor,oas processes WHICH pro-
duce an uncertain and almost useless manure, -
| Peruvian guano, whose email bulk, cleanliness and
other advantages, already preps ed aud at FOR use,
| with precise rules established for is application,
and sure promise OF speedy and liberal re mlfsl
! Professor Lee, Of the Georgia University, and
editor Of the Grnesee Farmer md Southern Oulsi-
vafor, says that wnile good stable manure s worth
only one dollar ton nruvisn guapo is 70 tn fifty
dollars, and he refers US " the PArent On y re-
ports for 1851 and 50. prepared when he lad
charge Of that department." for numerous answers
to inquiries in refesA nee to tho value of guADo %
! fertilizer III
An interesting "a t may be mentioned here (Which
| probably h not unknown to F.,) thst Professor
in New Jersey, uses twenty-five per con. Of Peruvi-
an guano. TIE same practice Ia also pursued by .
manufacturing house il d,ddlesown, C,nn.
Without attempting even TO notice any OF the
| hundreds and thousands n strong and unqua lifod
testimonials which have been published in
all parts Of the Uated States ard Great
Britain, in favor Of the great superiority OF Peru
vnn mo- over sse eve as s barely
TO those who look tor practical evidence IL Afforded
BY the extraof binary incse e Of consumption in al
parts OF this country ard England where it has
been used. Farmers VINO have the first year tried
only small quantities, on account OF its supposed
dearness, in the islo ling ear have returled for
large supplies MDitiuGes nave satisfied themselves
Of its valuable fert,lIzng properties; and aE F.'s
arguments to the cocsrAy will never convince
them that Il poisons vegetation. Figures sho this
fact beyond dispute ic lS4S, ten taous md tons
Of Peruvian guano we're sufficient for the supply Of
the United States, while the present year over one
bur dred thousand toes hsvs been required. Gs
Now, wit, all these facts in view together with
the principles and arguments which we have hastily
considered, what doss the reader think Of the
question dispute between f. and myseRf
Will IL be believed that, ia ell forms, DE-
gees and circumstances. ammonia is q cor
r0sive oisor to 8uims and vegetable life," and
that 1t is never useful 70 crops? b 9TH these he
be has asserted and osdeavored to prove But
has he made out either Io1t theoriti caly or praoti
caby II so, whoa BIG how He seems to me
somewhH Xix. p-isos VINO has used a smelling
botse too boldly, sua ~ gts An overdose of ammo
Dia. He cabnot ims1,ne how . moderate Qusntity,
jndIciousy applied. en- possibly pro luce harmles
al even salu'ary and agreeable effect, while his
nerves are excited, his Mt. raucc impeded he eyes
dUnsd and al his perceptions obscursd. rae Of
'ec's. howtvss, must b. transient, and he will soon
recover the proper use Of his senses and his mind.
HIS superior 8 ientidc requirements win then co.
able bin 20 per eve the truth, and his generous