The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-01-08
Agrifnttaral.
fFrom the American Stock Journal.
RURAL ECONOMY.

As fertile land Is necessary TO ali sue
cessful farming, it becomes q matter OF
the first Importance that the farmer
should be we'll acquainted with the most
economical methods of securing this con-
dition. No care, or labor in the prep
aration of the soil, will compensate for
lack of fertility in the soil itself. What
do we mean then when we speak Of a
sterile soili Simply soil that is des-
titute of those mineral elements that
constitute tho nourisbment of plants or
that does not contain them in soluble
or useable form. 1t is nova received
doctrine in physics, that whilst there
has probably not been particle of mat
ter created since the original creation of
the world, so, also, there has not been a
particle destroyed. And not only is
matter now held to be indestructible, but
the same is true also of force. Matter
and force are at the bottom of all the
phenomena of nature. An almost in
finite, and endless variety of new crea-
tons are annually taking place in the
vegetable and animal world, yet all owe
their origin, not only to matter and
force, but to the play of forces on the
same old particles Of matter that have
entered into thousand previous crea-
tons, that having filled up their allotted
place ia the history of material things,
have died, and gone to decay.
We plant seed containing the germ
of tree. The influence of heat and
moisture call into activity the vital force
that has hitherto lain dormant in the
germ, causing it to vegctate and grow.
1t sends up first pair of leaves, to be
succeeded by others. 1t sends down tibers
into the soil to draw from it certain
principles that are necessary for the
growth of the little stem, that is to be-
come the trunk of a tree. Tho plant
goes on expanding sending forth branch
es to be covered with foliage. Its
leaves absorb carbonic acid from the
air; this being deprived of its oxygen,
is deposited in the wood, in the form OF
carbon, whilst the oxygen it contained
is exhaled from, tho leaves, and thus
given back to the atmosphere. This
transformation of carbenic acid into
wood, and oxygen, tending to purity the
atmosphere, and render it salubrious.-
A tree is thus produced from matter de-
rived from the earth and from the air.
Let lis now cut this tree down, and sub
ect it to combustion, and what is the
RESULT A large part of its weight be-
ing simply water, this is first driven off
in the form of vapor and steam, and be-
comes mixed with the atmosphere, to be
condensed by cooling, and then to be re-
turned to the .earthSM the form of water.
The gaseous portions of our tree, sup
ply the material (carburted hydrogen
and hydrogen) for the flame of the fire.
These also are returned to the air, in
the form of carbonic acid and, water
Thus the hydrogen and carbon Of our
tree disappear; and finally we have
nothing left but a small residium, in the
form of ashes and when we analyze
these, we find them to consist of potassa,
lime, soda, sulphur, iron, &C., together
with a small amount of insoluble matter.
All these clements are returned to the
earth whence they were taken. Now
what has become of our tree. 1t is
true it has disappeared, and as tree
has been destroyed but yet not one
atom of the matter of which it was com
posed has been lost. All has been re-
turned to the earth and to the air,
whence they originally came and are
formed in condition to nourish and pro-
duce new tree.
Thus we see that production and de-
cay are intended to balance each ether.
No new matter is needed, all that we
have to do is to husband and control
that which bcnefcient creator made at
the beginning.
How then does soil pass from state
of fertility to state of sterility9 Sim
ply by the force of untoward circum-
stances, or by unskiIlful management.
Suppose that VIC cultivate field in
corn year after year, and carefully re-
move from it all the grain and fodder in
GLIDING stalks, that it will produce.
If it be fertile soil at the beginning,
it will produce, q good crop for a few
years in succession but the crops must
ultimately become lighter and lighter,
until finally, we cannot obtain enough
grain to pay for the cultivation. Why
is this Simply because VIC have boon
abstracting from the soil, during all
these years, the elements that are indis-
pensible to the production Of stalk Of
corn; and have given nothing back to
the soil, until finally We have distracted
from it not only all that it contains Of
these elements, but all that it contained
in asoluble form suitable for the nourish-
ment and growth of the plant.
Let us now turn the field out to COM
mons for 5 or 20 years, and we may
then break its soil, aud again derive
from it good crop of corn.
But we cannot afford to have capital
invested thus in land that produces
nothing. .-
Every field that does not yield enough
Of grain, grass, or fruit, to pay for all