Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-04-13

nation on tile drainage and other subjects in
lmost interesting conversation with Prot. Nal
let,t of the University of Va. Thinking you
would like to publish it, [ offer it for your
ninth article.
Respectfully yours.
E.s VIM. A. PRATT
WALNUT GROVE,
NEAR WAYNEsBORO, AUGUSTA, Co.,
/ 5.q5 aess MARCH l5th, 1869.
Ny dear Father =
| e In a recent visit to Charlottes-
! ville had the pleasure of meeting with the
distinguished Dr. j. w. Mallet, at present oc-
cupying the chair Of Analytical and Applied
Chemistry, in the University of Va. found
him exceedingly atfable, and willing to impart
information, which he does with terseness
and perspicuity alike gratifying and instructive.
The DR.. is evidently a lover Of the science
which he makes his study, and is destined
| through his Professorship in our great Unlver-
| sity, to materially advance the science of Ag-
ricuture in Virginia and the South. In
word, Dr. Mallet is a full man. Knowing the
| interest you feel in this and kindred subjects,
| 1 have determined to give you in my poor way,
| a synopsis of the Doctors conversation, from
memory, which you may find interesting.
You are aware Prot Malet has the eutire
direction SO far as the preparation offertiizers
| goes, In the immense mills OF Flanagan u
Co., located in Charlottesville, which is guar
antee that their preparations are the result Of
| scientific experiment, and should enhance their
| value to those of our farming community who
| desire to reap the greatest results from the
| least actual outlay of capital The Doctor,
| from a careful analysis of the Use OF different
| grains and straw ascertans the constituents and
| the proportions in which they are taken up by
| the plant to secure it's full development, and
with this formula fertilizers are manipulated to
supply the necessities of the plant for each sep
arate crop-in this way the fertilizers are util-
| lied, and the soil not impoverished. The Dr.
stated to me that many farmers from a want
of correct information actually wasted ma
| nures, or else permitted through ignorance the
| fertilizing ingredients to remain dormant In the
| soil forever or until some fortultous clrcum-
stance brought them into life. Let me ex-
plain-'There is Law Of plants that the
measure Of the constituent parts necessary to
| develop them which they will appropriate, is
always in the proportion OF that which Is least
| in quantity-thus you perceive fertilizer may
| be applied which contains all SAGE one OF the
constituents Of a given crop, IN full amount,
and the deficiency in that one, will result in an
actual waste Of ali Of the other ingredients in
proportion to the excess. Now this excess may
| not be wasted, provided accident shall In the
| future supply the deficient Ingredient thus
rendering the others available as plant food
| This may account for the remarkable results
which some single fertilizers exert upon soils
which apparently are worn out.
| asked the Doctor whether he did not con-
| slider it necessary to make an analysis OF the
soil before mixing the fertilizers for the partic-
| ular crop, and was much surprised to learn that
he did not attach much importance to soa
| analysis. The ground for this expression In
volved such beautiful and wonderful expla-
nation Of the Providence of the Supreme Ru-
| ler that | shall give it to you as nearly as pos
| sible in his language Said he SOILS not
only possess the power Of arresting any fertili
| zing matter carried down into them, bat they
| seem endo we'd with discrimination and make
their selections with unerring certainty and
fautless taste, and they possess in addition the
wonderful faculty of rendering soluble sub
stances, partially insoluble, when once COM
mitted to their care. It is this last peculiarly
which interferes in the Analysis Of soils and
renders them less valuable, though not useless
| For example [ once made an analysis OF soil
and after treating it with water in apparently
sufficient quantity obtained certain results
| again treated the residue, and discovered that
| the same constituents were lndlcated-thls pro-
cess was several times repeated with like re
| suits. 1t must be remembered that the amount
| of water in the first instance was sufficient TO
have dissolved the entire bulk Of ingredients
which the repeated tests showed to exlst--thus
proving that soils possess the power OF fixing
as it We're, soluble substances in a partially IN
| soluble state, and refusing to yield them upon
| first application" The economy of this law is
| beautiful and manifests the wonderful PrOvi-
dence of God. 1t must be borne in mind that
only such substances as are soluble are OF any
value as fertilizers
There is another remarkable fact which the
| IL u,hi
| to in the above paragraph-thdt s0l}s disc11naa
nate. Experiment has fully proven this fact
Solutions containing known fertilizers and 9TH
! er substances which were comparatively value
| less were filtered through several inches OF soil
| and whilst those which were OF value were re-
tanned by the soi those which were worthless
were found by tests to be present In the resi-
dual liquid, (or filtrate) in the same quantity
as before the experiment
| found the Doctor, like yourself, warm ad-
yocate of the Tile draining and ike you he
has seen the wonderful effects of the system in
the mother country. Experiments have been
made repeatedly showing that the Tile drain
| has the effect of increasing the temperature
deepening and fertilizng the soi besides rem
dering Agriculture far more certain occupa-
ton, by making the farmer in measure lnde-
pendent Of the seasons He gave me the fol-
lowing illustration. An English farmer,
practical man, who had experienced the advan-
tage of Tiles, by the death Of relative, be-
came pOssessor Of an estate In the Barbadoes-
and at once sold his home In England and re-
moved to his inheritance. He soon found that
whilst, perhaps, no more rain fell there than In
England, yet it all came In one season and left
the land water-logged just as the crops com
menced to grow, and he resolved to drain his
plantation His neighbors ridiculed the idea.
What? said they drain your land and re-
move the water-that is just what you want
more Of drought is what We suffer from. :
| But rejoined the Tile farmer, here Is just the
difficulty. When your seed is put into the
ground the soil is saturated with water, and ex-
perjence has taught US that no plant will send
| down it's roots into wet soil, consequently the
roots spread out near the surfaee-the hot sun
scorches them because they have no depth OF
root-the soil cracks open and mutilates the
! fbrous roots and the crop becomes failure
Suffice it to say he carried out his plan and the
| drain soil allowed the roots to penetrate deep
| after moisture, beyond the influence OF the
suns rays, and whilst his nelghbors were alter
mating between good crops and entire failure,
he was independent Of the seasons. This inn
portant advantage was gained-during 10 years
previous to draining the difference III the re-
suits one year with another was at least 50 per
cent; after draining, the difference was almost
nothing.
| An experiment was made by the Earl Of
- to produce if possible the effect OF
tropical climate in England. He first caused
an excavation of quantity of land to be made
about 10 feet deep and at the bottom from