New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-04
FAR,nyG NOT BY GUESS.

OIL the INC branch OF w hts RIVER. NOV, atnOugn
Iknow that | should not trespsss your vauablo
tine still as krow your win ;uess- and desire to
beuef Il lsboring cls,see 10 venture 20 address
ycu in hopes Of receiving answers 10 few practic Il
! question:. viz: = Do you think thst it would pay
/ for Vermont farmers 10 send 20 the cities efter
usouies. IN order 70 be able 70 increase tbs quantity
o. cTarcrCEs. high az present commsnd suco GOOD
rrices' after having collected and psCs-rved for use
Ill tia; the 1oi,s Of the farm do furnish .. l. the
Poucre,f5 MANUFACTURED by the Lodi Company, NJ.
| - Courtlandi st.. advertised in TIE TRIBUNE tis
not bcrefois' ard cbes manure thst W. can obtain
frcu tire Cititsl or Is GGs-O prefer able or some
cher PREPARATION advertised in the psptrs, such az
Nap.Fs mBru'sCturel What do you think Of
ie Hop husiness ard o. the O1ier or Basket sillog
culiivsioD. 20 fsr a. money -makiog II concerned
Answers q these and ether agricultural qrestons,
would be- thankfully received, and gladly remu aerA'et,
II could. D. yOpr obsdient servant and a0mirer,
mt Hs,id -. Mach IL. 1855. FRANCIS B. PAihE.
Reply.
Mr. PAISE-It would be very easy and eco
nomicsl OF space to give ssp-dash answer, to
your questions; but as our Knowledge OF farming
is limited, snd our confidence in our judgment
propor,ionSts. IL seems preferable to csll your
attention, with that Of other farmers TO certain
elemental trnihs With which al farmers shoUli
be fsmlisr, (th0ueh many are no.,) and whi,h
should be kept constantly in mind when such
questions as yen propose are debated. Stould
we be able TO stsie these facts c)rre,t ly aud
clearly. even il cur specific answers to your
quts'irns ere wrong, you and other farmers will
have befTe you the requisite data t. eDsble you
to rfc,if cur errors and answer for yourselves
muls tuds of equally important questions which
must constantly arise il the pursuit Of your cali
ing. Abruptly, then,
]. AL organized bolies-all substances fash
Toned by the processe. known 70 us as vegetable
ard animal life-in fact sll We koOw SIS matter,
minerals excfpted-sre composed of four primary
elements, distinguished by chemisis as Oryg,H,
hydrogen, Nitregsz and CarjoH-the three for
mer gases; the lsst By itself a solid (chMcoAi)
tough THE, like the rest strongly tends TO com
bine with one or more of the others, and take on
totally different chsrscier-namely, that of
gas or yapor, az the ready and eager burning and
consequent disappearance Of charcoal abunoan,ly
sitests.
2. al plsl, ami animals consisting of infinitely
varied c. nblnstions Of these four elements, with
Gin most If not ell osses) comparatively minute
qusniiies Of Two or more minerals the farmers
art consists in placing sud keeping his land 10
such co dillon that every plan. he ma attempt to
grow shall be sbundsDsy and cheapy supplied
viii tee several Ingredients which enter into
their composition respectively In such conditions
ard VI der such circumstances as stall be best
adapted to their existing needs and capsci-
ties. Wen then:
3. The farmers Of TernOht (ss Of any other
section) need not send to Nep- York Cor elsewhere)
10 purchase OXYGEN. TIE earth we i0hsbit, so
Jar ss Labor has penetrated or Science analysed
it, is nearly half composed OF that element. Ii
forms eight-Dioths by weight Of water ('mPurl-
ties excepted about ont -filh Of the atmosphere,
about ope-haif Coy wesht) Of the rocks which
compose the earth Gust, and nearly tne sane pro-
portion OF our soils, trees, houses, plants &c.
To supply his crops bOUntifdIy with Oxygen, the
fsTmor has only TO take care that weeds are not
allowed 10 grow so as TO shade ana stihe them.
Water aid carboLi, tcid (the former contains
S-9ths CT Its weight Of oxygen, and the latter
{ lltbs are the chief sources whence plants de-
rive this gas. Animals obtain it u ,inly (by respr-
atom from the atmosphere
4. Nor does the Turner NEED to send 70 cities and
pHreha:s HYDROGEN. This gas has strong nat
ural affinity for Oxygen, untiog with the latter in
the proportion Of one 20 eight to form Water.
The minuter roots or spongioles Of plants SD.
soIb water from the sOili it rises through the
stem. end the leaves appear 20 have the pc yer
OF separating or decompospg its atoms, taking up
or assilaling the hydrogen, and rejecting or
throwing of tie oxygen into the air Plants thus
supply Themselves with hydrogen TO the extent
of Elk or eight per cent. Of their Average weight
from the water ia the earth; and what the
farmer has to 90 to insure an abuudan. supply
Of hydrogen il ell Gases IL to drain his lani
thoroughly and plox it so deeply and faithfully
that the air may constantly niogle with and filter
through the roll, depositiDg moisture as slso
Other elements Of fertility or GROWTH therein
and that the roots may strike down eagerly and
freely, meeting no obstacle nor disbursement
l. is also essential that the water from which the
roots Of plant have taken whatever they require
or can BEAUTIFULLY absorb shall move on, leaving
the roots free TO enter into new relations and al
soro new noulishment. Water in excess, or
stsgI ant, is ss prejudicisl to (mos.) growing
plants 81 none at sll. But, at all events, HYDRO
gen in abundance comes OF its own accord, where
the soil has been prepared to receive retain and
impair. il.
.. Nor need he ialenf farmer send to N,r- York
IN fuss;cfCAEBoS. OftLis element bi, soiii. often
deficient; for, while it Ia che nj sa.y asoerssined
tina, Carbon ia mainly absorbed by the growing
plant from the asnosphsra IL i. .tiI csrt.;r 49, :.