Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-06-21
Attenuation Of Crops,

The obsolete idea Of resting land wos SbSti.
lnled by Tie practice u 'HltetmatUn' oil crUES mud
This substitution constituted gTrnL step III The
progtrsS OF agriculture. This alienation OF rola.
lion OF crOps The gteaI LIebi& pfOnUdnCes IN his
ltcw work, 'fhe uHr CUhslIbIml testing still Nprm
aGrcntuEr.' 'Em single ptUbleln, he says,
'wUrVhy ri scientific agriculture ut the present
time is 10 establish, IN place Vi change vi CIUp
change OF suCceESUnUf Inanntc3 whI Ii shall Ell.
ble the iauIcr u grow Un each IT his fields That
crop whcll under tue circumstances will hG NEST
~ Jirnblr.' When tins problem Shall Le solved,
we may look Tor 0nO:her IevOutIOn in agriculture.
IN The meantime Il will not Oe aIIISS ~ revert 10
the principles on which The alternating system is
la ell, thal we may know al least, just where we
ale ut pie emit 0Hd ste TINT We make the lest use
as laid down by CAPITAL ate
|, All plants exhaust the soil,
2. Al plants do not exhaust lie soil equally.
8. Plants Of different kiluS 10 not exhaust The
soil in tile same manner.
L. AL plants DO not restore 10 The soil the same
quantity Of quality Otmonutc.
5. All plants tu not feed The soil equally.
FROM these linciprS he dlaws The following
conclusions:
/. THAT, however well prepared soil may be,
il cannot HONTlSll u long Sucet$SUn Of cIOpS with.
ont being exhausted.
2. Each harvest NHpOversheS The soil 10 cCr.
tain extent, depending upon the deRtee Of HOut'
iEbnlenl which Il FeSlOreS 10 the earth.
2. The cultivation oil spindle tools ough 10
succeed lLal VI lUnnins aHl superficial zoos.
l. II is necessary IL hvTd reIurUlmg too sOOn 10
the cultivation Of tie same OF tU analogous kinds
Of vegetables IN the same soil.
8. II is veIy Wnwlse ~ allow two kinds Of
plants which admit Oflhr ready growth VI weeds
slnUAs llItln, 10 IL IalSeI 10 succession.
@. Those plants which Iefive their principal
support from the soil should not hr SOwn, except
wien the sUil Is sufficiently provided with mum.
ute.
I. When The soil exhibits symptoms Of eShans.
lion fEOn successive lIaIvrStE, The cultivation Of
those plants that restore HOSl 10 The SUl must he
TeSUTttl 10,
The alternating system Is based upon these
principles, and is economical aud profitable IN plO.
portion nS il athletes TO them. Ii NsSlIuIrS That,
dll plants drawing more " less VI their nunESlt'
nell: from the soil, The soil must be occasionally
fepeniSled with supplies ut mafute. 4 cGttain
class Of PLANTS called tHlWifrTOus ate supposed
most rapidly 10 exhaust sUppIies-lhiS cId,s em.
bruceS wheat, rye, OalS, bailey lnlmn con-, cot.
lon, &c. They aEr particularly rNlauStmg lille
maturing their seeds 4 judiciUus system should
not allow tLtSc CIOpS Ia follow each OIltT cluSrly
OF frequently, aud The common pTncllce Of cnit'
waiting Indian corn, wheat, mud oats, in quick sue.
ceyEIOn, is only allowable on lands VI high char.
actrT, aud when the invaluable qualities Of the
clover crop are faithfully used os M inpfovef.
Another class Of plants, hgumiIOuS, eInOiace,
strictly SpeA Ing only peas, branS, unlI pnI e, but
lOf convenience ale made 10 include oil those
which uTe usually called dmeliOrJiiHg, hut mOru
properly less t1hauSting, These plants ate less
cGhanStins, because some Of them draw supplies
Of nourishment iFcIn lower stratum VI soil than
that iraversed by the roofs Of wheat, corn, &c.-
their long tap roots Turning deep into the SOili
some because THEFT btOG1 eaYts exposed 10 the
atmosphere diaw frOn il portion OF thGlt nJut.
ishment; some because they sllade tue soil, and
ALL because ordinarily they TO moi so 10 setd The
clover is ihe most ameliUratng, because it com.
hines all these qualities 10 greater leGtec Than
any other, except perhaps the field pea. These
plants requiring OlSV, The nIOSs Of THIN, deep aud
thorough. cultivation, aud their FONTS penetrating
derply, aneliOrate The soil in this manner.
The alternating system is not complete, and all.
swerS BY no means Tie rnls Of which il is capable,
without The introduction Of the cultivated glasses.
They ole cultivated nj vely little cOSt-tFry en-.
large The variety VI the plant AMI promote the
economy Of plant feeding They cover tie soil,
protecting Il IIom lHe waste Of the sun and fiOst
THEFT tools accumulate III Tue soil latsc supply
Of muli Eot future use. Aud they aTOrd much
material fOf mnnure, thus supplying at a cheap
tate sevefal important requisites VI complete Sys.
lem Of alienation. As or agriculture improves,
there is no tlVnlt II will enbtnc0 much ln9ro e1-
tended cultivation Of the gtaSSeS.
ThtfeSeaIcleS Of science ure throwing much
light upon facts familiar 10 intelligent Observers.
While ihtse latter hail obsttted that different
classes Of plants exhaust lie soil III different de.
gees, and thai wtsre The soil refused 10 glow those
Of one character, another SOFT might still be prof.
aDly cultivated the facts ATE accounted TOT IN lie
analysis Of the ashes Of these plants These analy.
SEES distinctly show The dlTvlen, iegtees IN which
different substances ate consumed by plants. Tile
gtains Of oil kinds show a very large pei centago
Of phOIph0ie add, equal TO neatly one half Of the
amount Of ASIA large per cottage Of potash and
magntSiG, and the stfuw siiei 10 a large amount.
the ash Of potatoes, turips, and plants Of that
character gives potash in much lager amount than
the otmeti phoSpkpre acid and mGpntsia In smaller
amounts, but mole lime and suipEurie ueid. Hay
gives no analysis more lime than tie oiherg, much
potash, though less than The others, and much
silica The ashes Of oil classes consin The vtti.
Gus mineral elements, viz; suIphutic acid, phos.
phoilc acid, rhotUe lime, lnaguesa, potash, soda,
silica, iron, but In taiious aud many Of them III