New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-21
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AMERICAN INsrITUrE-FARMER's CLUE

AAEklCAN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CLUB.
Mr.. PELL in the Chair large number /, at.
tendance.
The subject Of drainage was then taken up, and
Mr.. PILL continued bis former pspsr on drainage.
The points brought forward to-day referred chiefly
the subjects of Torn drainage in its relsou to heath
facility of building, etc. It contained some fearful
statistics Of public health, due to The generation Of
sulpharetied by drogen resulting from bad drainage
THE gas being even in dilute form, deadly poison.
Mr.. CLAP suggested the washing oat OF sewers by
flushing with water.
Mr. P,RpIE recommended the cultivation Of the
small yards in cities by sid of drainage. and the waste
of bis house. and stated that deficiency OF success
was often due to al allow cultivation snd inferior
drainage. He cited instances Of large yields Of
fruit, etc. cerivei from these yards.
GEo. T. WARIyG, Jr. objected to Mr.. Clsops idea
for tie eason that he hoped to see the ot the
City (which would be worth for msnure over SIC 900
per day.. saved for agricultural uses.
Judge MEIGs said that ii had been decided in Loa-
don that WI sewage could not be svailed Of.
Mr.. WARISG said that the Yankees would do ii vet,
and indeed the me sdows near Edinburgh have been
tty by the of the sewage. The same il success
fully adopted in Manchester and believe ia various
other foreign towns.
The subject Of msnures being then taken up,
GEo. +. WARRIsG made reply to DR.. Ws.erbury,
on the subject Of Msnures according to a request
made at the meeting at which DIR. W. read paper
on theee matters. He said that the position OF the
Doctor tina, the present drainage and waste Of fer
iilizng was necessary, entirely false The wash
ing away Of msnurial substances is an evidence of
prodig sity and ignorance, and would never be psr-
United by any people. Why Mr.. Chairman, the
gentleman actually brings up. as an instance Of the
ability OF the soil TO ma,nten its character the
fact that China supports denee population without
the importation of food; but Sir, he seems 10 over
look the fact that che slso avoids the erportson Of
any feriziug matter, except in minute Quantities In
~. ~ a~,.n. 81
ment il a crime even the faces of the people are Sd
treated that no part of their mineral constituents
be ost. Were not this the case, Sir, China would
have been depopulsted thousand years ago. They
place there peBoence the restoration OF mineral
NATTER and they illuminated by the supposition
of improvdence. There are, Mr.. Chairman, many
for the restoration Of mineral matter from the
sea Among these aye the importation OF gusno, the
use of fish as food, the application OF shells to the
soil the manufacture of fish oils snd sessslt evap
Grafton the waiting of spray to the land, &c. But
these by means sufficient for the return OF all
that is lost By the mproyident Ire stment OF msnure
and crops. The gentleman, sgsin says that land
"must manure ITSELF be believing that it is unpro6-
able 10 GUILTY. ste such fields do not regain their
lost Ingredients, (supposing that to be lost, tenn
porsrily which has entered the structure OF plant
We all know Mr.. Chairman, how few acres there are
which ere subject to such restitution. Indeed. may
say that but few soils not subject 10 irrigation ever
have their constituents returned by natural means.
OF courfe ia nature, where every tree decays on the
spot which gave it birth, its parts return to their
starting place; but Sir let the hand of art place that
tree in the form Of tmbers in the hall of ship and
let them be cast foreign shore and who, SIR,
will believe that it, inorganic atoms find their way,
by any natural process, back TO the soil from which
they were derived Now Sir, this is but an ilustra-
ton of what occurs in ordinary farming. II
we raise clover or buckwhest for green crop and
piow under we of course return to the soil all that
the crop takes from it in addition to the organic INST
ter taken from the atmosphere; whereas We rera,re
IA f.f
and although the decay of roots may have increased
its organic matter will have lost some OF its min
eIa constituents and the only way In which tins can
be replaced is by the artificial application OF manures
No land mot irrigated, or otherwise suppned by ma
ture it'll its lost parts can be profitaby cultivated.
There ia not field in the world which. from its own
resources cen sustsin thu removal OF crops without
ioss Of psrts and these parts must De returned, or
will each year become less able TO supply the require
ments Of crops. Certainly Sir, this is plato ques-
ton of addition and subtraction, and no man oil CON-
mon sense con fail to its bearing One more point
Sir ard have done. DR.. Waterbury advises us to
leave our present farms and remove TO the unexhaust
ed lands OF the wee.- Pray. Sir and for what Hss
our office become that of the locust Must we com.
nit devastation our Eastern lands, and then carry
our earth butchery to the Westi Prares are not in
exhausthbe. Let an emigration from tbs East de-
"velope their resources" for 100 years ana then we
shall find reduction of fertility which would astonsh
many Of our believers in eternal fertility Ny doc
trne Sir, is 10 cultivate carefully and thoroughly one
acre Of land before commence with the second
Let us recOllect our old principles Of masking two
blades of grass grow where but grew before, rsn
er than reduce productions from the larger to the
Lesser crop.
Dr. WATERBURY said that he did not carry the
metter 40 far as Mr.. w. had supposed but that he
stll believed that tie soil is nexhaustlbe, aud that
Inc statistics OF the country would Prove this Ths
character of plants has improved since the creation,
and is improving at the present moment.
Mr. WARISG said that the statistics of the Eastern,
Middle and Southern States were all be needed TO
refuts the argur enls made by Dr. Waterbury. They
showed in every instance decrease from the stand
ard OF % years ago. Ii is true that the character OF
plants improves where land is left to itself but the
moment that we commence removing crops without
making adequate return in manuring, that mo-
mept we arrest the advancement.
Prof MAPS answered Or. Waterbury, objections
to ansy els in most able manner. he SAID thst the
fact of the value Of analys too well established
te admit Of doubt, and no deed any man TO bring al
instance Of its failure, when its teachings had been
followed. G.. Washington Park Gusts, OF Arlington;
ard John Jones, Of Delaware wers cited as nsn
whose practice would support his assertion Tney
both acknowledged .raokly that they owed taeir
success almost entiIsiy to the assistance OF the
chemist.
Sir. LODGE advocated, in connection with the use
Of the proper uessa.ss, the thorough cultivation Of
the soil to great depth. Crops ore often cehcisnt
because their roots are not allowed 70 psnetrate tne
soil, Tie food ia often there but s kspt out OF
r,ach. The best crop of corn ever raised was made
by deep plowDg On q soil previously almost worth
worthless Pref. Mspes said that a deepening OF one
irch in the surface blowing Of orr whole country,
would add mere to its wealth than has the gold OF
California, or the importation OF gusao from the
Lobos Islands.
The next meeting Of the Club is 10 be held at the
American Institute No. 35l Broadssy,l ON the 2Itn
inst, at IL O'Clock, n. Subject: Agricultural I'm
"plements.' Free to all.