New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-19

w. And here we find Ourselves face TO face with
rhe great Problem of SclEscE II FARsIsG, which
10 the central present need OF American AZ
rculture. Say if you will, that what is termed Agri-
cultural Scence-Soil Analysis, Special Fertilizer,
and all that's quackery and humbug-t that nobody
ever did or ever could tell by chemically anal yzing
soil what would produce 70 greatest profit, or what
could BE- most proftably added to render it s; more
productjve-ard shall not contradict you. The more
urgent your proofs that Science of Agriculture now
esiets the more obvious is the truth that one is
gently needed. The carpenter joiner, cabine;-naker,
who buys plank boards. joists beams, or latinng-
who orders oak, pine, hemlock, spruce or mahogany
knows Just what he is buying and what he can DO
with IT, But how many farmers in a thousand who
every year buy Lime, Plaster, Bones, Guano, or
other fertilizers, know just what tLey are, and what
they will do for them How many, even Of those who
freely buy s that substance to enrich their lands,
and who have better crops since than before such pur
chase, know how much Of the improvement is due 10
more favorable seasons or better culture how much 20
the improved composition Of the soil try TO be
improving famer-I keep my eyes open and my pre-
iudices under foot may be very ignorant but ]
know | am not unwilling TO learn-I have covered my
forty acres successivey with almost every fertilizer
could bnv and know that have greatly increased
their feriy-but how much Of this ii due 10 this in
gredent and how much to that-whether my lime, or
my plaster, or my guano, or my ground bones, or my
phosphate was the better purchase-which Of them
has proved worth than It's cost and which, if
any, was bad investment--I have scarcey an idea
Had been able 20 live my farm and constantly
watch every development, am sure ! should have
known more on this subject than now do. But so
various the original the acquired conditions OF
our soils so mutfOrn and so complex are the infuen-
Of soil and climate, rain and sunshine, season and
culture, that any mans observation even though
continued through lifetime could 90 but little way
toward establishing the great landmarks Of the science
we need. But difficulty is not impOssbty; and the
most majestic edfces slowly, tollsomely built up
stone after stone. We ought to have thousand pa
tient observers and careful recorders Of Agricultural
phenomena where we now have dozen; each school
district should have It's chemical laboratory and circle
of experiments; demonstrations should be multiplied,
sifted coated until in the crucibc of genius true
sceuce Of Agriculture should gradually be evOlved-a
science which shall Ultimately teach the farmer to buy
or combine just such fertilizers as his particular coil
needs and such forms and quantities precisely
adapted to It's needs This will be great achievement
one that may well employ busy century-but it is
so necessary and will prove widely beneicent that
it be too attempted nor too rapidly urgedt
completion.
v. Meantime however. il il requisite that the farm
ers Of this country should acquire knowledge OF
Entomology or the laws of Insect Life Our Agricu-
ture is in danger of local if not general destruction
through the multiplication and ravages Of devastators
too numerous and too disgusting contemplate to be
singly exteminated yet whose conoint attacks upon
us are more formidable and more destructive than
those of any human adversary Our grandfathers
dreaded and oahed the Hessian soldiers brought over
to subdue slaughter thcm but what were their de-
vas,aons to those of the Hessian fly The frogs Of
Egypt the clouds of locusts that often strip the south
en and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean bare of
every green leaf begin TO be paracled by the Grass
hopper pests Of remoter praries The Midge, the
Weevi the Chinch-bug the Fly, are rendering the
cultivation of great Bread staple every year more
precsrious, and its yield more and more meager Cat
erpiars and other vermn infest, njurc, and ultimately
destroy our fruit-trees Grubs and wirewonns devour
our seed in the ground bugs are equally perncious to
our melons, and is pretty well settled that the
Potato-Rot and the Dat Rust the work of minute,
bu, the less destructive, insects The improve
ment and careful use of the Microscope will doubtless
prove in time that scores mysterious and nscrutable
diseases TO which not only plants but animals fall q
prey have kindred origin. And these devastaticns
are papably increasing in extent and mischief with
each recurring year. We must arrest and repel them
CT the farmers vocation will be ruined and thousands
perish for lack of food
The vulgar error that nothing can be eTectGally
done TO stop these ravages-that insects must be al
lowed TO come when they WILL do what they Ike aud
go when they please, is the great obstacle to their
speedy determination. In fact it would not be half so
dcult to cone with worms rs with wolves if only
understood them as well Their safety, their power is
in our heedessness ignorance, our unwise despair
have no doubt that every of them could be put
out Of the way not only without grea cost but with
absolute profit apart from the advantage Of being rid
of them if We only knew what we might surely though
slowly learn with regard TO their origin, habits and
vulnerable points. do not pretend to know just how
they should be treated, but venture the prediction
that the cheap, abundant alkalis-Sst Lime, Potash,
Ntre-wil ultimately be applied to seeds and to soils
in which these pests urk in the germ in infancy,
and that they will thus be cut of by acres, leaving
none to tell the tale Of their swift and total destruction
If there be any of them impervious to alkas the acids
which are easily produced and even cheaper-w be
found efectual. What we need to know is just when
and how TO apply these caustics as to destroy the
adversary, root and branch yet not nure but rather
benefit the soil and the expected crops. Here opens
wide field of useful observation and effort simple
and easy be explored, and certain to reward the in
tellgent and patient investigator. Until il shall have
been traced out the Microscope should be always in
the house. when it is not in the hand of every leading
farmer and experiment should go hand in hand with
observation Ten years thus improved would enable Us
to save impered and hslf destroyed crops at
cost below what We now pay for threshng grain
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