, 1861-05-03
Terms Of subscription:
Agricultural.


ing. and to this following Of certain fixed
routine upon all soils and in all soils and in
all situations, may be traced some of the
failures at least, which happen to farmers.
Tins for instance-Farmer A. has a soil
the situation and character of which emf
uently adapt it to the profitable growth of
wheat farmer B. has farm the soil and
location of which are directly the opposite
TO that Of farmer A. Without noting this
fact. farmer B. follows the same rotation
us farmer A., and is surprised to find that
with as deep plowing, as thorough pulveri-
Eation, as heavy manuring, and the same
period for sowing or planting, his wheat
crops are decidedly inferior to those Of his
neighbofs. He seeks for q reason, but
rarely hits upon one, and consequently his
well meant efforts to remedy the evil ore Of
no avail, because not applied in the right
direction.
Ny attention was first drawn to this sub
ject By the fact Of having, in my carly farm
ing days, fallen into this very common and
hurtful error. A few years of failure led
me to close inquiries, which, with the aid Of
some scientinc friends, resulted 10 the devel-
opment Of the mystery, aud the adoption of
system adapted to my soil We all know
that the system which operates admirably
upon warm soils and dry situations, will
prove total fnilure upon such as are cold
and wet. A direct northern exposure (the
treatment being the same) will, almost in.
ynriably prove less favorable for corn than
full southern one, yet farmers with fields
thus differing, plow and plant precisely as
though they were the same.
For these reasons every farmer should
feel the absolute necessity Of ascertaining,
beyond the peradventure of doubt, the
precise nature and quality of the soil he
cultivates This understood, it will be bis
own fault if his profits are not largely in
creased; for be will then know what kind
and what quality Of stock to keep, what
kind Of crops he can raise 10 the best ad-
vantage, and knowing these points, he will
have less difficulty in determining what
character Of manures should be applied
This will obViate very much Of the outcry
against artificial manures, which is as fire.
quently the result of a proper want Of
knowledge in their application, as in the
worthless character Of the manureS
These hnsty thoughts may possibly lead
some farmers to give attention to the sub
ject.- Correspondent of Farmer.
PERMAYExcE OF BoSE MANURE.-The
Mark Lane Express, in speaking Of bone
manure, states that Que Of the most valua-
bic qualities Of bones is the slowness with
which they decompose, and the length Of
time during which they continue to give
out the phosphates Analysis shows that
one pound Of bones contains as much phos-
phoric acid as twenty-eight pounds of wheat.
Now an acre Of wheat, Of thirty.tWo bush
els to tho acre, contains only as much phos-
phat as is found in seventy pounds Of bones.
II is clear, therefore, that II bones are put
on at the rate Of three hundred and fifty
pounds per acre, supposing them to decay
rapidly, and give out the phosphates in
proportion, q large part would be wasted.
But the following circumstances prove that
this is not the case A gentleman who
occupied large farm in Norfolk, finding
that he was likely to have a quantity OF
bone-dust left, if he distributed it at the
ordinary rate, directed his foreman to in
crease the quantity per acre. On the fol-
lowing day he found that the man had
doubled the allowance, and that at that rate
he would not have enough to finish the
field. He therefore directed him to use
about four hundred pounds per acre for the
remainder Of the field. Now mark the re-
suit. Eleven years after, the farmer, in
riding over his land with friend, came to
this field, which was for the third time Of
ter the above occurrence sown under wheat,
and requested his friend to observe If there
was any difference in the growth Of the
wheat, who suddenly stopped and exclaim-
ed: What in the world have you been
after here 7 This wheat is six inches high
er apd as stout again as the rest !" The
farmer then explained to him the facts
above stated, which prove that by the de-
liberate manner In which bones give out the
phosphates in decomposition, they possess a
more permanent value than any other kind
Of manure.
WILL PoTGToEs NIX IN THE HILL TT.
Mather, Of Montgomery county, Pennsyl-
vapia, states in the Philadelphia Gardensr,
that potatoes will mol mix in the hill,--shys
that last season cultivated twenty varieties,
side by side, and there was no mixture.
He did this for the purpose Of obtaining a
potato to supercede the mercer, which al
though an excellent variety, does not pro-
duce half the quanty of some of the new
varieties. Among many farmers it is the
impression that potatoes will mix in the
hill. We think this impossible In case
there is this appearance, We believe the
seed has been mixed.