Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-02-24
DIR. NICHOLS .s.vD IRIS RxPBRI-
.NE.vTS.

readers are acquainted with the Boston
Journal of Chemistry. II Is an unpretend-
ing sheet devoted to "the science of home
life, the arts, agriculture and medicine"
We say II is unpretending, yet by its care
fully prepared articles on the various SUBJ
jects of which 1t treats by its hearty ex
posture of adulteration and impostures of
all kinds by its many valuable sugges-
lions as to home life; its prompt notice Of
new discoveries in medicine and in the
new treatment of disease, and not less by
its cautious yet interesting treatment of the
subject of agriculture, it is rapidly winning
its way to public favor. Its scope is so
wide and practical, its spirit so thoroughly
honest and trustworthy, that ii deserves
place in every family. The editor of this
paper, DIR. james II. Nichols, was educated
a physician, but has of late years given his
attention TO the preparation of medicines
and other chemical agents. Some years
since, becoming interested in agriculture
and desiring to test for himself the value of
what are called special manures, he bought
a farm in Haverhill and began farming, not
however, as an exclusive business, but
rather as diversion of his mind from the
oppressive cares and responsibilities of that
in which he was already engaged. Since
then he has accumulated a mass of facts in
regard 10 the value and application of spe-
cia NATURES, which II is presumed few
farmers in the State, following agriculture
as a sole interest, have collected within the
same period. And he has been successful.
Chemist as he is, he makes his own fertil-
izers and is thus assured of their purity.
With these he has experimental and dem
onstrated that run down farms can be rem
ovated alone. His principal agents are
flour of bone and ashes mixed and subject
ed to a slight fermentation, though we be-
leve other substances are added for partic-
ular crops. His treatment of bog or peat
meadows is unique, and as successful as ii
is new. Two acres turned over and treated
with two thousand pounds of bone dust, an
equal quantity in measure of ashes, pro-
duced the first year one ton of hay to the
acre, the next one and q half, and the third
year two and halftons. The result of the
whole experiment is, that the farm from
yielding ten tons of hay, the same has been
brought to yield fifty and keeps now eight
cen cows, five horses, and eight swine.
Besides this its produce of grain and roots
is enough for home consumption. DIR.
Nichols experiments have been so salts
factory that he was invited TO give a resume
of them in a lecture before the Board of
Agricultural at its last meeting in Deem
Der, in birmingham. 1t is safe to say that
no address before the Board was listened
to with more interest, or gave greater salts
faction than his 1t was novel spectacle,
that of farmer of seven years standing
and who had given but part of his time to
the subject, relating the successive steps by
which he achieved result that any vote
ran in the business might be proud of.
Such record was suggestive as was evil
IDENTIFY the numerous questions with which
the lecturer was piled when he had finish
ed. These questions, however, related
chiefly to the details of his operations.
They did not bring out the secret of his
success which is evidently contained in one
word, viz, knowledge.
DR.. Nichols education as chemist en-
ables him to understand the nature of plant
food, and in what state ii should be applied
to the soil to be available by plants. BY
the same means he is able to ascertain by
analysis the true value of any agent he
may desire to experiment with. This is
the simple conclusion OF the matter. Hav-
ing this knowledge he goes on to his farm,
and the formula by which he works out his
problems are no doubt about as clear to
him, and quite as satisfactory to us as the
demonstrations of mathematics.
But beside this point of testing the worth
of special manures, DIR. Nichols seems TO
have had in mind the settlement of another
question, viz, whether it will pay to cult
waite Indian corn and wheat. He does not
say this in his lecture, but he does tell US
that one of the first things he did was to
treat an old field with liberal dressing of
prepared bone and ashes, and planted it TO
Indian corn. 1t is refreshing to see his
faith in this really magnificent but too
much neglected crop, a faith which has
never flltered since, and which has met
with abundant reward. He has never
failed in his seven years farming of a good
yield, and il has risen as high as one hun
dred bushels per acre. lie considers it the
best crop he can raise, experience convinc-
ing him that it can be grown at a cost Of
only forty-fi,e cents per bushel. Wheat,
too, has received its share Of his attention
and is ranked neyt on the list of reliable
and profitable crops, taking permanent
place in his rotation. His farm is now
raised to that point of fertility that lie is
able to dispense for the most part with
special manures, his own stock furnishing
his chief supply.
1t would seem that the value of such
series of experiments could hardly be over
estimated. 1t shows what can be done
with practical knowledge and Judgment
| TO apply it, and that under conditions not
the most favorable. 1t is not 'making
money" but creating wealth. There are
hundreds of farms in the State needing
Just such treatment and if they could re.
ceive it, its agricultural resources would
be vastly increased. But the instances
of such success will be comparatively
rare, until science is able to throw more
light upon agriculture. II Is too late to
smear at book learning or decry agricultur-
al colleges. The party attacks made from
time TO time upon our own, are unwise if
not illnatured. She will return the outlay
some day with interest. We believe that
when she begins to send back to the old
homesteads the young men who are now
| fitting themselves within her walls for the
| practice of an enlightened agriculture,
there will begin u new era in its history.
Every farm where these young men settle
will become, as the one at Lakeside already
is, center of light casting its rays in every
direction, until not only Massachusetts but
| New England herself shall acknowledge