Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-12-09

49,
explain the cause. how the grass Assumes ricnsr
green, and all vegetation starts into new life unoer
favoring showers and genial sun. Science explains
all thisip ITS peculiar language and like all oth
sciences. those which treat of the atmosphere, OF
the nature of SOILS and the constituents of plants
must be studied to be understood. We must not
reject the experience nor ignore the discoveries OF
those who have gone before US. Many Of the artl'
clcs-tlie staples which make up commerce, have
been improved and brought to perfection by patent
study and cultivation by attention to the laws OF ma
ture, and by the of the best means for maturing
these staples Indian corn, the potato and tooacco'
are the indigenous, the native growth OF America,
but under the careful hand Of the white man 'ney
have been greatly improved. Wheat, rye oas' anu
barley have been cultivated thousands OF years YET
they were once in a wild state and have been made
what they are by the of man. The same IS true
as to the apple and many other fruits. Inc 'mpor'
lance of suableness Of climate and SOIL 10 certain
forms of vegetable life and of attention to the laws
of nature as explained by science, is forciby shown
| in the cultivation of cotton. This staple was also
| found indigenous in America, but is cultivated not
only here, but in the Indies and in Egypt. France
and England have made great and persistent ehorts
to compete with the Southern United States IN the
production of cotton, but have signally failed be-
cause the climate is against them. Cotton, which
produces staple worth gathering, must be an an.
nual and not perennial plant; and test after test
has shown that the annual plant will not stand the
extremes of drought and rain common to inter trop'
lection only in quantity and quality, in the South:
ern States where rain and sunshine alternate, ana
where labor be commanded at the proper times
20 make and saveit The theory is thai the water OF
the Mexican Gulf heated by the ray of tropical sum-
causes an immense evaporation, h'ch IN expaf sos
drifting North or towards the elevated lands east and
west of the Mississippi, is condensed by cold air al
produces frequent showers during the warm months
of spring and summer. and which is the life of the
cotton plants. similar process takes place along
the Southern Atlantic States. The evaporation from
the Gulf is condensed by the cooler air Of the ALE.
ghanes. Thus we have an immense region OF cot
ton lands, over which is established the most won
derful system of irrigation known in the world, COM
bined with the proper amount Of heat and richness
of SOIL" This the theory given by an able writer
| but whether correct or not, We OF the South are
| quite content with the results. The laws Of nature
are in our favor We have taken advantage of those
! laws-we have relied upon nature; and science
| based upon the reason of things in the material
| world, has sustained and told us why; and we
have also used the right kind of labor-save labor
and therefore Cotton is King" and tobacco and
indian corn, also natives of America, are his min
| listers.
shall not attempt. gentlemen. any thing like an
essay on agricultural chemistry geology, the nature
Of Soils the constituents and habits Of plants
Neither shall attempt to advise you to the best
his own business best You know better than do
| how to clear, ditch and drain and-how to cultivate
it. and what to cultivate and what to pasture-what
crops to put in, and the best modes Of making, ma.
tnring and gathering them. But word or two on
plants the nature Of soils and agricultural chemis-
| trv NAV not be entirely useless.
| "a knowledge Of vegetable physiology" says a
| learned writer, land of the enormous quantity Of
moisture which plants rerspire inscnsiby from their
leaves, would have wholly prevented the very com.
mon error that weeds preserved moisture in the
earth, and shade contiguous plants from the effects
Iof1 xrhi ia in Eook 10 ~
through which moisture as well nonr;shment is
rapidly drained from the soil. An acquaintance
with the principles of botany would have prevented
the prevalence Of the equally perncious notion that
| the weed so common in wheat called chess. could
ever be transmitted or changed TO wheat, which il
plant ola different genus. Were the vital importance
# the leaves to the health and perfection of the
seeds Of plants properly understood the practice OF
topping would never have been resorted to. y
The leaves of trees and plants their lungs, and
just necessary to their existence lungs are to
animal life. Again, saws this writer. I" the knowl
edge the organic constituents of plants composed OF
various combinations of the four elements Of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, may afford some
very useful suggestions in practice. By knowing,
for instance the proportions of these constituents
| we can arrive at comparative value OF different
kinds Of grain. Analysis shows that some vegeta-
BILE products contain more starch than others;
abonnd in gluten some contain large portion OF oily
matter. Now. these various ingredients are adapted
some to one object. and some to another. IT, for in
stance. in feeding animals, it is intended to fatten
th m, those grains would be point ot as best h'ch
| most largely contain oil If to make them grow IN
| flesh and muscular parts those which abound IN
gluten if the object is to make yield butter,
food containing oily matter should he given If to
yield cheese, beans peas and clover should be given
and if milk in quantity merely, succuent or juicy
food should be employed The analysis of plants
will also show what plants best to employ AZ fer
ti'izers by plouRhing them in green crop. A
considerable portion of nitrogen for example, is es
sential to the growth of wheat. Glover is found to
contain a large portion Of this element; hence a
crop of clover becomes eminently useful az a ma
nure for this grain. Wheat abstracts its nitrogen
chiefly from the soil, and is consequently exhausng;
clover obtains it most from the air, and is not ex-
hausting, but becomes in this way the provder for
the wheat" 1t has also been shown that " in addi-
ton to the usual organic elements there are about
ten organic or earthly constituents most Of which are
invariably found in the species Of plants. and
are indispensable to their healthy growth. These
sre potash soda, me magnesia alumna, silica, iron,
manganese, supher, phosphorus and chlorine: These
substances are derived by the plants from the soil
hence, fertile soil must of course contain them
Here the close relation between the constituents Of
plants and soils is at obvious. Hence, soils
which are destitute Of part of these ingredients
or contain them in small proportions, must be poor
or if they be destitute of only, the same result
must take place. if that one is an essential ingre
dent of the growing crop. And here it is that the
great benefits to be derived from an analysis or ex
animation of soils by the chemist, force themselves
upon the mind. If q soil is barren, determine it.
constituents-see what is wanting-what is in ex
cess apply at the deficient ingredient or coun
teract or neutraize the injurious, and fertility is re
stored"
have given these examples, gentlemen, to show
how fixed and immutable are the principles of natu
raj philosophy, and how the sciences which treat o
nature-of the atmosphere, of Soils and Of vegetable
life-may be relied upon by the cultivators of thu
EARTH I refer not to mere theory or to arbtrar,