Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-25
,farn1 \ fireside.
The Science of Manures.

Value Of Compost Manure-0rganic and
Inorganic tompOsts-Loss of Potash
SECOND LETTER FROM DIR. STEWART, TO Mr..
CoURSEY.
To Mr.. 7. B. CoURsEY, FREDERIoA, DEL:
Dear Sir In my first letter suggested
the answer to the general questions with
regard 10 burning vegetable matter on the
farm. 1t is manifestly impossible to answer
categorically, and volume would hardly
embrace the subjects involved in explaining
the economical use of such material.
The distinction between surface and ''sub-
soil" is mainly the vegetable matter that the
former contains-the best inorganic manures
are apparently worthless without it, but it
is certainly much more worthless without
due proportion of inorganic OF earthly
elements which we call sell plant t-food-such
as potash, soluble silica and phosphates,
plaster, Cor some sulphur salD including
lime and (perhaps) magnesia, soda, etc., oil
of which invariably compose the ashes of all
cereals and that of fire-wood and corn cobs.
Corn stalks, straw and hay abound in silica.
The bones of plants are on the outside and
these bones, like those of some microscopic
animals, are pure sand-more insoluble than
the hardest window glass, and utterly useless
thereafter as manure, unless the plant is
burnt. The common error that this neces-
sary element of all fertile soils is restored
when the ordinary manures of the barn-yard
are spread upon the field, should be corrected,
especially as it is frequently reiterated in
the agricultural journals. My essay on the
peculiar value of teoched ashes (Which was
extensively republlshed last winter explains
this. This error with regard to the solu-
bility of sand or silicic acid, or silica, or
quartz, or flint, Gall of which are the saine,)
is apparently endorsed by a knowledge of
the fact that more than four-ffths of all
soils is sand. and much of this is impapa-
bly, fine as clay. 1t is, however, curious
fact that an equal proportion of nitrogen, or
the elements of ammonia, exists at all times
in the atmosphere, and yet farmers pay
thirty cents per pound for all the ammonia
they ue in Peruvian guano, and much
more for it In other sources Neither the
sand in the soil nor the nitrogen of the at
mosphere are any more available to the
plant than thu oxygen, (Which constitutes so
large proportion Of water) is available to
the fish. which cannot breathe il, and mast
perish in water, unless an available supply
of this element is furnished, and the water is
constantly replenisne herewith from some
6ther source. Dry, or rather mature corn
stalks, contain more soil plant food than
when green. The sugar which is present in
the gIeeu STALK becomes converted into
either starch or woody fibre, reversing the
steps by which IL is formed in the potato, in
which the starch disappears as spring adj
vances The potato contains less starch in
February than in January, and still less in
r March; d. e. the starch is converted into
gum called dtxlrne. and then this gum is
converted into grape sugar, called glucose
BY means OF oil of vilriol we can convert
wood or starch into gum, and then resolve
the gum into sugar. Ii is thus that the gum
Of postage stamps is made, and thus the
sweet TASTE of that gum occurs, as sometimes
part of the gum is converted into sugar,
when the process is protracttd. Thus, also,
occurs the sweet taste of the potato in The
spliug, US the starch disappears under the
Influence Of u principle abnut 20 times more
potent than oil Of vitiiul, although IT is the
Hercules among the acids. This principle
is called diasla$e.
When corn stalks are saturated with ma
nure and properly composted, the rapid fer
mcntation in their organic matters excites
(by what is called ca,alysis) certain changes
III other substances with which they are
slratifcd, aud even homes are dissolved un-
Il as
digestion. is concentrated plant flood con-
tanning all the elements Of surface soil, sys-
tematically and economically developed,
every element of this is reduplicated in value
us plant food, seven fold more, not only on
account of its increased solubility, but be-
cause associated with seven other elements,
i all equally necessary TO cooperate in form
irg the perfect SOIL ii is like ''virgin soil" OF
''lcaf mould, and as the leaves of plants
abound In potash and contain larger pro,
portion of such elements of soil plant food
than other parts OF the plant, they may be
| collected in the autumn and introduced as d
| most valuable element of composts. Since
the introduction of coal as fuel, wood ashes
are not to he had as a supply of potash, and
other manures without it are much less
efficient, the application of the best super
phosphate or the best Peruvian guano, with
and labor, it is the same kind of waste that
occurs when the load of powder is increased
without corresponding proportion Of shot.
After teaching this doctrine for ten or fifteen
years, may finally succeed in obtaining its
practical application by publishing a few
extracts from Voecklers recent experiments
in England, on this subject, which are re-
garded as the greatest Improvement ano
novelty in agriculture. AS part of every
crop is sold from every farm, the meagrt
supply of potash, &c, that remains in do
nestle manures (whetlier cornstalks are
burnt or composted) must fail to replenisl
the land, especially where Superphosphates
are annually drilled with the wheat, or clovel
kinds; organic and inorganic, or vegetable
and mineral, their object is to supply by
| time and the natural reaction of cheap
crude material, those expensive artificial
fertilizers that are produced will
the aid of science and machinery
more rapidly. Organic composts restore tt
soil soluble Phosphates and Ammonia-in
organic composts, through the concentrated
and protracted influence of Lime as cduStit
Lime, eliminate Potash from cheap miner
ais with soluble Silica, soluble Phosphate
and Sulphur Salts but The economical ap
preparation of farm refuse, in these rea
tions must be deferred until another letter.
Truckers are more Interested in economi
cal arrangement Of composts, than I" firm
ers''-our State is destined TO be an enor
nous "truck- patch" for the three great EN-
poriums of commerce that embrace every
part of it in half days journey, whethe
by land or water. One half of 1t is alread
impoverished by the exclusive use of fey
bought manures, being naturally deficien
in those elements which characterize soil
based on primitive rocks, such as aboun,
in the upper portion of this State, wher
the climate presents much more impract
cable barrier.
Yours faithfully.
DAVID STEWART, M. d.
PoRT PENN, DEL, Nov. l3, 1863.
WHEAT IN MINNEsoTA.-Th progress
Minnpsota in the produciiou of wheat ia nm