Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-05-25

as a load of barn yard manure. Whenever
lm- can he had at small price and swamp
muck abnund>, the farmer has an immense
resource for enriching his land and enlarging
the crops.
Salt has been said to he specially favorable
to tine mangoll wortzel, but Of this we have
no certain knowledge. For asparagus it Is
all important, and should hc applied in the
spring, when YOU fork in the manure spread
on before the setring in of the previ,u. win
ter, at the rate If mt leatt buSllel to the
square rnd Salt in which fish or meats have
bern packed will answer well for this pur-
pose, ouly that more should be used, Us it is
not as strong.
2. SulDhatc of Soda, OF Glsubcr's salt.
This salt has been highly commended in Eng
land for clover, the grasses, and the green
crops generally. That it would have the
same or even better effect thsn salt in
strengthening the straw of the cereal., we
can readily believe as the alkaline effect of
the soda would be to dissolve the silica in
the soil, while the sulphuric acid could hardly
fail on any dry, sweet nplani, to be favorable
t, the growth Of crops. But we suppose that
the price would preclude it, use in this coun-
try or, at least, that common salt, f'r the
purpose of trengthenii,g and Frightening the
straw, Of preventing lodging and the shrink
ing of the kernel, would bc IL more economi-
cal application
3. CdrJvnatc Of iSull.-The common soda
Of the shops, used for washing; would have
similar eifrct To strengthen the straw OF tine
cereals. 1t is hardly cheap enough to be
used in field culture, but is used to produce
fine effect in strawberries in the garden.
1t should be dissolved in much water, and
applied as top dressing in fi'uiting time, or
the effect will be to produce more vines than
fruit.
In the form Of soda ash, it has been ap-
piled as destroyer Of the vine worm. 1t
may he sown with the seed, or spilled as u
top dressing, with goul effect, after the rsva-
yes Of the worm have commenced.
Nitrate NJ Syeau, Ur Nalpetre, ~ sometimes
called. Thi, is known to. greatly promote
the growth uf all young plants. giving them
dark green Color. Experiments in England
lave shown it to be uf great value f,r the
wheat crop, un sandy siis. 1t las been
shown also to be excce lingly favorable to the
growth of tile sugar CANE Might 1t not prove
equally favorable tn the corl crup, and per
haps to the sorghum As immense qranti-
ties Of it are found inpoints of South America,
along the eastern slope of the Andes, We
should not think it strange if, in the progress
of commerce with those countries it should
be obtained cheaply, and be among our val
liable imports. 1t would at least be worth
while to try ts effects on corn, on the sor-
ghum, and on the grasses, as a top dress
ing applied in the early stages of the growth
OF these plants.
1t is we'll know.to our readers that we
are not much in favor Of bringing manurc ten
thousand vr five Thousand miles, and having
the farmers pay twice as much for it as the
importers could afford to sell il for, as Las
lately been shown with relation to gnanu.
We have thought, and have said freely, bet
ter husband the home supplies, and make
them go as lar as possitle-all the manure Of
the barn, everything that can be composted
with it advanlageously, the swamp muck, al
most everything found, the greeh sand mari,
which is the cheapest fertilizer now offered
for all who can obtain it without much inland
carriage, and ST. Of every fertilizing substance
at home or near home.
But we are by no means sure but that
these immense beds of nitrate Of s,nla found
in South America may yet prove "t great
advantage to this country; and we should he
glad if trials Of its value for various crops,
especially for corn sorg ghum, and the grasses
could be made.