The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1861-10-05


the grain of the Dat are contained about 96
lbs, and of the dry straw about 574 lbs. of
inorganic matter, consisting Of
- -..--rrs, :. sol Grain. Straw.
Potash, $50 lbs. $40 lbs.
Soda, 1872 " 0O2 81
Lime, 0.66 ." l52
Magnesia, = O.67 " O22
Alumina, Ola 0.06 "
Oxyd of iron, 0.40 i" 0O2 "
Oxyd of magnesia, GOO q O.O2
Silica, 1876 45.88
Sulphuric aeid,g.T- r-.1- OBS :. O.79
Phosphoric acid, 90 d" 0I2
Chlorine, 0.10 t." O.05
s4si'sI ia d. $3.50 $40
I hope I have not to inform "W. F."
that the soil of Southern Kansas did pro-
duce, in, the year 1861, as good crop of
oats as can be raised anywhere. Let us
compare the two tables above, and we find
that 1000 lbs. of wheat takes from the soil
2.45 lbs, nearly % lbs. of potash; and oats
1920, or 10 1-5 lbs. of potash; and 1000
lbs. of wheat takes from the soil 1910 lbs.
or almost 80 lbs of silica; and oats 1884,
little more than 654 lbs. From this we
learn that oats takes of potash, from the
|
five years, and oats takes of silica, from the
soil, as much in one year as wheat does in
| two years. Notwithstanding we raised an
excellent crop of oats the same year "W.
F.'s' wheat '.kinked.'' Further comment
is unnecessary.
Instead of recommending farmers to go
to the woods and procure leaf mould, I
would prefer recommending barn-yard ma
nure; because, first, there is as much pot
ash and silica in the straw as there is in the
leaves of trees; and Cd, we get considerable
amonia from the straw, which old rotten
leaves cannot impart. l confess that leaf
mould is worth allit costs on any farm
1t will keep the soil from baking, but will
not impart as much moisture as barn-yari
manure.
"The manner of putting wheat in the
ground is what practical farmers differ
about" True, and that is one of the points
the editor desires TO arrive at. That is, he
wishes to get the experience of practical
farmers on that point, as well as others.
"The writer has learned by bitter expert
ence," &c. Serves him right His chem
ical education and better judgment should
have told him so before experimenting. GAS
wheat is a surface plant it is hardly reason
able to endorse Young Farmers" &C..
"tap-root," &c. So far as tap-root is con
cerned, he and ''Young Farmer are both
in error. Whea: does not naturally form
or make what may be termed tap-root;
NEITHER has any man found it, from the fact
that it is ga surface plant and is sustain
ed by numerous fbrous roots, running in
all directions from the stem, near the sur
face of the ground. To prove this, they
have only to make two boxes about 12 in CHI
es square. and as deep as they please, fill
them both with the same kind of soil.
Plant wheat in one two inches deep and IN
the other four in depth. and before the roots
are dead, carefully wash all the soil from
the roots, taking care not to break them
serving both boxes alike. They will then
find that which growed in the box that
had wheat planted 2 inches deep did not
grow tap-root feet deep, nor inches
deep, nor inches deep; but that sowed in
the other box inches deep, will have roots
inches from the surface upon which the
stalk can be supplied, and live when the
stalk in the other box will "kink." I have
only space sufficient to barely notice ''W
F.'s'' potatoe theory. Suffice it for me to
say that he has never known the root of a
potatoe to penetrate the ground deeper than
the seed potatoe that gave it existence,
whether that was or more inches from
, the surface "Grain put J inches below
, the surface has free access to air." He
might have added, also, heat. If he will
! put his wheat inches in the ground, in
Southern Kansas soil, it will have free &C.
cess to the air and not so much TO heat.
eff the berry should be slightly shrunk it
does not matter" consider this danger
Gus doctrine for professor to advance, for
from many slightly shrunk kernels will come
up chess. Early cutting will cause the ber-
q ry to shrink. How is farmer to discrim
mate between the two kinds have never
seen the idea advanced by any writer, but
often to the contrary. Neither have heard
it expressed by any one, except A. G. Proc
ter, who had that kind of wheat to sell fol
seed. Whether it was "W. F.'s' am un.
able to say.
Patiently waiting for "W. F.'s next, in
which expect to be exceedingly enlight-
ened, remain his friend and well whiser
/ ...... CoUNTRYMAN.
OLD HICKORY TO THE. LAsr.-Jake was