Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-22
CORN FoR THE rlILLTON.

In 1S46, when over 100000 people died
in Ireland from famine, caused by the first
great potato blight and rot, it was, with
many, an even question whether to eat
bread made of American corn and live, or
die of starvation. With man, habit is ev-
erything; and last year, ending in August,
1872, by official returns, Great Britain i'm
ported forty-six million bushels Of corn,
thirty CT which were from the United
States For feeding meal to dairy cows,
fattening cattle, sheep and hogs, forcing the
young Of each to early maturity, and for
economical horse feed in part, Great Britain
can probably consume two hundred million
bushels of our great staple, every year, to
say nothing of what thirty million men,
women and children might eat in good
corn bread and mush. We have
the best corn climate in the world; and if
this crop were raised in the best possible
manner, with a view to improve the soil at
the same time, notwithstanding the fact
that the seeds harvested are exported, this
branch Of agriculture might be developed
TO an almost unlimited extent. The only
serious difficulty lies in the fact that farm
ers tbiuk they know already all that is
movable about restoring the raw material
thai makes tie seeds Of corn to an impov-
erished soil, after several crops have been
removed. When a man believes that be
has reached perfection in any art, trade or
profession, he locks the door of his under
standing against all improvement. BE de-
MES positively, ard in the most practical
way, that progress is possible. Human
pcf ctinn does not exist. 1t is an ideal
attraction unsupported by fact, reason or
experience.
II each 100 pounds Of corn taken from
American fields and sent to Great Britain
or elsewhere, there WAS very nearly one
pound Of incombustible earth, which is an
indispensable Ingredient in the seeds Of all
cereals Nearly one half of the mineral
elements in corn is phosphoric acid, which
is neutralzed by combining chemically,
first, more with potash than any other base;
secondly, with magnesia; and thirdly, with
lime. 4 little OF sofa, chlorine and iron
also exists.
The best way just now to keep a good
soil fertile and improve it, is to convert corn
into fat hogs, cattle, sheep and large mules
for expectation, and be careful to apply al
thsir !iquid and solid droppiDgs to the
ground that produced the corn, after the
practice of the best Enelish and American
farmers. That is to say English farmers make
ample restitution to fields whose crops
are removed, whether in grain, grass or
turnips; and to increase fruitfutness from
one de ade to another, they import oil
cakes and many seeds 10 make them, corn,
and other cattle feed very largely. They
import bones, guano, potash and lime fer
tiEzers. This advanced system Of farming
puts into the ground about twice as much
bone earth, potash and magnesia as the
crops take out. This gives the cultivatOr of
the soil cash account with his bank in his
favo7, so that ne eau confidently draw his
CHECK fr a larger income. Too many
Am, ricen farmers want to draw on their
cora AID cotton fields forever for incomes
without deposiring one dollar in the bank.
That is not The way TO d. a safe and cred
liable Business.
TIE irst lesson for a boy or girl
to learn on a farm Is the simple fact
that it always takes something to
make something. This idea once
firmly fixed in the mind, we come TO the
question WIS: things are really consumed
in forming a bushel Of corn, or wheat,
bale of cotton, hogsheai of tobacco, a fat
sheep with its wool, a fat hog with its hair,
a gallon of milk, and bushel of potatoes
How many farmers sons and daughters can
tell ,chy boiled or baked potato is better
to eat til IN a raw potato? Baking apotato
adds no hing to it, and takes nothing away.
Yet an important change in its starch has
been Effected.
In place Of assuming to know all that is
knowa' /, and all that is valuable on farm,
we farm IS and our families have yet al
most ev-rything to learn, and should thank
God e the aid Of the press in this most
import mental work.
r REATAENE OF GsRDENs.
should be frequently pl9wed,
az ally in the fall. Why? To sprout