The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-12-27
Gveai,rQ 5State Jn,trnaL
place for science I'm Farming.


these green coverlets Of the fields, and
within every unfolding germ of the plants.
The chemist is seeking to unriddle it in his
way, while we farmers--by grosser meth
ods-are unriddling it in ours. Checks
and hindrances meet us both both need
an intimate comparison of results for pro-
gress. If we sneer at the chemist for his
shifting theories in regard to the nitrogen
lied manures-no one of which Is suifl-
GENTLY established for the direction of a
fixed practice--the chemist may return the
sheer with interest when he sees us max
ing such application Of valuable salt as
shall lock up its solubility and utterly
annul its efficacy. Iii pretty little duel
for our intelligent observer to watch; the
chemist Illuminating his doctrines, based on
formulas and an infinity of retorts; and
we replying only with the retort-cour-
teous and practical. But always the
unfathomable mystery of growth-vegeta-
BILE and mineral-remains the chemist
seeking to explain it, and we only to pro-
mote it. If the chemist could explain by
promoting it, he would turn farmer, and if
farmers could promote it by trying to
explain it. they would all turn chemists.
Many good people, of a short range of
inquiry, and a shorter range of reflection,
imagine that when the agriculturist has by
the chemists aid, determined the elements
of his crops, and by the same aid deter
mined the merits of different bags of phos-
pilates or guanos, that nothing remains but
to match these chemical colors as he would
match colts, and the race is won. They
fancy that the new analyses and experi-
ments-so delicate and SO elaborate--are by
their revelations reducing the art of farming
to simple affair of the mechanical adjust
ment of regularly billeted chemical forces.
There could not be greater mistake made:
SO far from simplifying, the new investiga-
tons demand larger practical skill, since
the conditions under which it works are
amplified and extended. The old bases of
procedure, if faulty, were at least compact;
the experimental farmer dealt with but
few, and those clearly defined but scien-
tific investigation, by its refining processes,
has split the old bases of action into hum
bred lesser truths, each one of which must
be taken into the account. and modify our
operations.
There was time, for instance, when
science, observing that a living plant built
itself out of debris of dead plants, de-
clared for the primal necessity Of large
supply of decayed vegetable material.
This at least was simple, and the farmer, if
he had only his stock of hunnts, left the
further fulhllment of the miracle of growth
to wind and weather. In process of time,
however, science detected the rare luxuri-
ance which ammonia imparts to plant
foliage, and after refining upon the obser-
walton, declared tor nitrogen, as the great
needed element. Schedules were pre-
pared and widely published, in which the
various manures were graduated IN value
in strict accordance with their respective
admixtures of nitrogenous material. The
quiet farmer accepts the theory, and con-
siders the wonderful effects that follow the
application of the droppings from his dove
cote demonstration Of its truth.
But he has hardly nestled himself warm
ly into this belief, modified to degree by
the humus doctrine, than distinguished
chemist comes down upon us all with the
representations by large array
of fgures-that nitrogen is already present
in ample quantity in almost all soils, and
that the vital necessity in the way of fertil-
izers is the mineral element of the plant.
This splinters once again the compactness
of our purpose, and puts us upon keen
scent for the soluble phosphates, though
without destroying our faith in good
vegetable mould and strong-smelling
manures.
And not only in this direction, but also
in what relates to the feeding of animals,
the termination of seeds, the comminu-
ton of soils, the chemical effects OF air,
and light and warmth we have hundred
minute truths by which to adjust our prac-
teal management, where we had former
ly less than score Of gross ones. And in
this adiustment-modified still further by
a great many physiological and meteoro-
logical considerations think man of
tolerable parts might find enough to lay
his mind to very closely, and to encour-
age some activity of thought.
There will be disappointments as in
every sphere of life. have felt them
keenly and often. The hatmus has baffled
my expectations, and my potatoes; the nitro
genous riches have shot up in the thickets of
rank and watery luxuriance the phospho-
ric acid has oozed into some unthrifty
combinations or has remained locked up in
an unyielding nugget of sombrero. But little
disappointments count for nothing, when
las now we are reckoning the pabulum
which agricultural employments furnish
for intellectual activity. The rural adven-
turer may not only regale himself with a
considerable series Of nice chemical puzzles
at every cropping-time, but he may give his
thoughts to original investigation of the
habits of the plants themselves; the
career of Decandolle could have no finer
start-point than country farm with its
living herbaria, and its opportunities for
observation we want good monograph
of our great national crop of maize--so
soon as the man shall appear to make it.
We want, too, some Button without his
foppery) to unearth our field mice, and to
put great tribe of insect depredators to
flight.--H Marvel, in my Farm of Edge
scood."