The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-30
FREE DISCUSSION.
o the wOodlawn Farmers Club.

To tic tluDs
You will, no doubt, all agree that the
inject under discussion--that of manures
4 lies at the bottom, is emphatically the
ND rock upon which all successful attempts
" farming have their foundation-tha
'osnure is, in fact, the motive power in
Dcriculture-that without it we can do
comparatively nothing. Even with the
1 snparently almost inexhaustable river
bntttoms and prairies of the West-time
gems to demonstrate that the one essen
t;sl principle-mdmre in some of its vari-
AIS forms has to be ultimately resorted to
/ n order to maintain their pristine fertility.
In therefore, becomes necessary for the
srmer to inquire how can this all-impor-
tant result best be accomplished, to-wit:
tbe growing of remunerative crops of
various kinds, and at the same time not to
IMPAIR the productive capacity of the soil,
Inf rather to steadily increase its fertility.
This, then, is great desideratum, which,
when acquired, all things else needful will be
sasily added thereto. 1t seems to have
Ebeen settled, as far as practical results go,
that sufficient amount of stable manure
/ will furnish all the elements that are needed
/ h the soil for nearly every variety of crop,
Init is generally difficult to get enough of it
IA satisfy the wants of the thrifty farmer.
Hence the question arises how to best
supply a substitute. This all important
question we do not profess to be able to
answer, but if the few suggestions that we
mpy make will be of any benefit in stimu-
HATING to further discussion and inquiry,
then some good may be accomplished. As
the result of observation, certain concur
siOns may be arrived at. Any one having
determination to be successful in me-
chanical trade or the professions, applies
himself to the task of mastering the funda-
mental principles of the same. If man
expects to be good farmer he should have
IA knowledge of agricultural chemistry. 1t
| /, the same as in matters of religion. He
must work out bis own salvation. 1t is too
much the case noao, even in this age of i'm
Eproyement--as it was when Liebig wrote
upon the subject some thirty years ago,
when he says: "There is no profession
which can be compared in importance with
/ that of agriculture, for to it belongs the
| production of food for man and animals.
Hon it depends the welfare and development
. Of the whole human speeies-the riches of
states and all commerce. There is no 9TH
/ er profession in which the application of
correct principles is productive of more
| beneficial effects, or is of greater or more
decided influence. Hence it appears quite
unaccountable that we may vainly search
/ for one leading principle in the writings of
sgiculturists and vegetable PSYCHOLOGISTS"
There are too many of us blindly CROP
! mg in the dark in this matter watching our
/ neighbors-to see how they do-rather
than to study the subject for ourselves.
Notwithstanding the doctors disagree in
some important particulars in regard to
/ The chemical action of organic matter, yet
/ we have the experiments, the successes,
| the failures, and the results achieved by
| those who have gone before us to profit by.
Though they cannot tell us exactly where
/ the channel lies, they have placed buoys
las it were which indicate that here is a
shOal or there is a s,mken reef-beware of
Ehem.
Through the researches Of Dayy, Liebig,
Johnston and others, landmarks are provid-
! I'd for us, if wo will but make use Of them
md our own faculties for investigation.
/ We can acquaint ourselves if we will with
he constituent elements of the various
| the processes by which these are obtained
from the soil and the atmosphere. We find
| that nearly all soils contain the necessary
| bases-the alkalies--unless they have been
/ exhausted by continual cultivation in one
kind of crop. Hence a judicious rotation
Twill, in nearly every instance, restore the
Fertility Of worn out soil with occasional
dressings of the inorganic manures.
The great bulk of nutriment of most
/ plants seems to come from the atmosphere.
| This is very clearly demonstrated by the
peculiar action of gypsum. 1t is matter
| Of surprise to some not familiar with the
action of this fertilizer, how so small
Quantity of material can exercise so pow
erlul an influence upon crop of clover.
/ 1t can be accounted for in no other way
but by the hypothesis-th it enables the
/ plant to assimilate that important constit-
uent, the nitrogen of the atmosphere, in
4 the form of ammonia. Some idea of the
wonderful effect it produces may be formed
nom the fact that 100 pounds of burned
Gypsum will fix as much ammonia on the
Esoil as three tons of horses wine would
[yied to it. aa
There are many persons who have a preju-
WV against SudllUY DeCauSe ttley Say IL lIn-
/ poyerishes the soil. This is in measure
true, yet it is not the fault of the guano,
but rather of the one that uses it. The
guano supplies to the growing crops mainly
the same essential elements that are de-
rived from the atmosphere, and the plants
are stimulated to such an extent that ex-
traordinary drafts are made upon the inor-
ganic materials in the soil, and they soon
become exhausted, and if supply is not
furnished the land must cease to produce.
Lime, plaster, ashes and bone are the prin-
|clpal manures to be relied upon next to
stable manure. When and where each can
be used to the best advantage the farmer
must determine for himself, and the sooner
/ he puts himself in the position to do so in
diligently the better it will be for his inter-
ests. We are just upon the dawn of new
1 era, when agriculture. will undoubtedly
lake rank as one of the exact sciences.
Respectfully,
COMMITTEE.