American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-05-25
Tke farmers department.
Cultivation of the Soil.


bated by the doctors, and in such q
manner as to prove the great impor-
tance of the science.
At recent meeting of the Fruit
Growers Society at Norristowm, the
question of cultivation was proposed,
which was debated by Messrs. Saun-
ders, Harrison, and others on the
side of principle in cultivation,
while Messrs. Miller, Heines, and
others contended that it was impossi-
Bile to establish any principle. Nei-
ther of the parties, however, seemed
to conceive the idea in its Physiolo-
gical bearings, and the result was a
drawn question.
Now we contend that there is a
principle, founded upon Physiology
cal facts, by which soil may be culti-
waited; by which means any fruit or
crop may be successfully grown on
the same land, but this condition de-
pends upon the land receiving GER
tain clements, which are necessary
for the growth of the crop planted in
it. The mere fact of the land being
stiff or open, clayey or sandy, rich or
poor, makes but little difference in
the final result.-The result depends
entirely upon the amount OF food con
tained in, or supplied to the land.
But is this condition ascertained?
How are we to tell what the soil
needs; and how are we to know what
quantities will be sufficient? We ad-
NIT this requires observation and eX-
perience. But does not the end JUS
tify the means? Does a physician
expect to be able to know the phases
of every disease or mode of cure, un.
til he has had large experience, and
much observation and study? No
more can farmer become expert in
his business, and know how to apply
his fertilizers, until he has studied
well the character of the land with
which he has to deal; and not only
this, but by study and experience
has ascertained how the manures
act upon their patient. This we call
Agricultural Physiology; an exam
pie may more clearly illustrate our
meaning.
A farmer has bought a tract of
clayey land.-He Whistles on this to
grow every thing, and appeals to the
numerous authorities for information.
He finds there are but few crops rec
ommended for clayey soils. He be-
gins to fear he has purchased a bad
bargain, but in for a penny in for a
pound, is his rule, and he thinks ma
nme may help it, and plentifully APP
plies stable and barn-yard manure,
and plants his crops. The result is
an entire failure; the crop does not
yield sufficient to pay for the manure
put on it. He gives up in dispair,
and proclaims the world that a clay
soil is good for nothing; but he is
mistaken. He has one of the best of
unproductive soils to improve, and all
it needs is to properly understand
how to do it. We can give but a
general application; but this may
show that the thing is plausible, and
with a proper knowledge may be ap-
piled to any or all soils, no matter what
their condition. First, it is necessa-
ry to see of what a clayey soil is
composed. This will be found to be
about three fourths alumina, one
eighth silica, and one eighth. earthly
matters. The only fertilizers in
their crude state for plant life are
the earthly matters. The others
must be supplied; they are potash,
lime, ammonia, and magnesia, chlor-
inc, phosphoric and sulphuric acids,
and iron. Clayey soils are also re-
tentive of moisture, and must be thor
oughly under-drained. The failure
in the case mentioned was occasion
ed by adding retentive element to
one which was overfowing with mois-
ture, but stimulating, with an excess
Of ammonia an already exhausted
soil. To the application of our med
ieines: we supply lime with slake
lime or burnt oyster shells; potash
by wood ashes; ammonia by stable
and barn-yard manure ground bones
supply sufficient magnesia; then
comes the generalizing elements: the
lime and ammonia and potash supply
sulphuric acid, while the bones and
ammonia furnish phosphoric acid;
the iron is generated from the alumni
ma and silica.
We hardly hesitate to say that
such a compost will make any entire
ly clayey soil bloom as the rose, and
render it fit for almost anything that
may be planted in it. Other soils
can be treated in the same manner,
by studying their wants and supply
ing them. The temperaments of soils
may be classed as follows:-The san
guine is the loamy soil, the nervous
is the sandy, the bilious combina-
ton of loamy and clayey, and the
lymphatic is the clayey. With all