Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-04
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IMPORTANT QUERIES FROM PRACTICAL Aekr
OULTURIsr OF AN AGRICULTURAL CHEMIST
DOES 1T PAY TO BURN REFUSE vEaKTABLk
MATTRR?-Is THE DIFfKRRNoE BETWEEN
THE VALUE OF THE COMPOST AND ASHES
SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR THE TROUBLE!
Mr.. Thomas B. Coursey, a valued contri-
butor to our agricultural Department has
written letter to DIR. David Stewart, an
other Of our contributors, which the latter
sends us for publication with view to an
swering 1t publicly. We publish to-day the
letter and shall hereafter publish DIR. Stew
arts reply. Such correspondence cannot
fail TO be of interest and value to our Far
mers. Mr.. Coursey's letter. is as follows:-
spg No Mus, MAR FsEDRmcA, DsL,
Der. 18TH, 1863. }
Or. David .Nepdgf,
Dear Sir:
have long wished for an opportunity FOR
a formal introduction and personal interview
wherein we could have an interchange OF
views on agriculture In general, as well as
something special. But having no opportu-
nity for this, permit me to introduce myself
by saying that although your name is as
familiar to me as my most intimate friend,
yet am a stranger TO you and might SO
continue, but wishing To he better acquaint-
cd, and having desire to discuss some
questions connected with agriculture, pro
pose to open correspondence which l hope
you may find agreeable TO reciprocate.
The question with which want to cal
your immediate attention is the custom
among us of burning vegetable matter, ant
especially corn stalks. | have long hell
opinion that this is wasteful practice. i
IS evidently the destruction and dissipation
of all the organic elements contained theie
in, and to my mind robs the mass OF som'
of its most valuable constituents, especial,
on farms that have been run down by
long course of cropping without rest, unit
the organic matter originally in the soil ha
been exhausted Entertaining this view,
have avoided burning anything on my farm
that would discompose II REASONABLE
length of time. But this system causes
great deal of labor and expense, and
would willingly abandon it il could b
satisfied or convinced that the burning sys
TEN was more iudicious and economical
And for the better understanding Of the sui
iect, address you this note and most n
spectfully ask your attention, as matte
not merely personal, but in which ever
farmer in the State is more or less interested
the more freely write to you, knowing I
your former connection with the agrlcultul
of Maryland, and your ability to give Il
matter o scientific investigation. | will pl
the question to which would respectful
ask your attention, in the following orde
Has dry corn stalk the same amount
tertilizing material in it that the same sta
contained in green state ? What has b
come of the saccharine matter it contain'
when green II it has lost any of its fl
tilizing elements, have they gone into L
atmosphere or returned to the earth Ii
dry stalk is burned is the ashes worth
much to the land as the same stalk wor
have been decomposed either in the soil
compost heap?
Ifyou have time to do SO, know of
greater favor you could confer upon
agriculturist of this State than by giving
above scientific investigation and dem'
stration of the facts connected Herewith O
made public. / am aware that to arrive
these results it will require time and SIT
and perhaps very careful analysis,
trouble of which hut few OF us know al
thing, but this you may charge to the IL
fortune or fortune of being initiated into
mysteries of that science which enables J
to investigate the composition of mate
substances.
| think Professor Seeley, in his ca
writing on agricultural chemistry held t
the ashes OF plants contained all the ferti
ing elements Of the plants themselves, bu
his later and more mature work l do
see anything like it, Professor johnson
his familiar Lecture very plainly states t
the organic matter in most vegetable S
stances plays an important part in the
in the reproduction of plants. Hence /
fer that corn stalks although of sc
woody character are nevertheless an imp
tant element in the compost heap, and e
plowed under with their crops must ret
to the soil most of the elements extrac
for their own construction.
Hoping that you may deem this matter
sufficient Importance to give it your att
ton and the public the result of your iny
tigaton,
remain, very truly and sincerely yot
Il. b. C0rRsEY