Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-06-20

quire phosphatcs. Nothing can be Of more
economical importance in any particular case
than to knoi0, by carefully varied aud re-
peated experiments. just how this may be-.
If a. farm is not in first rate condition, it
will be found very slow work to make it pay
if exhaustive crops are sold off from it, un.
less for price that will allow an equal
amount Of fertiizing material to be return
ed, with profit over. Dairying, and ospe-
cially butter making, is the least exhaustive
business on new England FARMS. as cotton
growing is for the South, the reason being
that neither butter nor cotton contains any
approciable amount of mineral matter. Beet
sugar is crop that We shall be glad to see
introduced into New England, BECAUSE when
the waste is returned to the land, no mineral
matter is removed, and consequently the fer
tility of the land is unimpaired by the crop,
however great. On the other hand, the
breeding Of stock, the growing Of hay or
grain for sale, and especially the cultivation
Of tobacco, (Which contains 20 pcr cent. Of
mineral matter,) is highly exhaustive of land.
The iattening Of animals, like butter max
ing, is inexhaustive, since fat, like butter,
takes no strength from the SOIL
We shall not undertake to give any of the
details Of the work Of making and applying
special composts to special crops. 1t cannot
be useiully done without knowledge of the
circumstances in each particular case, and
especially Of the condition Of the land
at the time, OF the crops that have
been previously grown, and Of the rotation
that has been and will be practiced. If a
man is going into this kind of farming he
wants the books that contain the principles
applicable to it, and in them he will learn,
and have constantly before him for study,
that which will enable him to do the work.
What we are after now is to interest our
readers in the matter, and lead them to
see the mine of wealth that lies ready for
those who will apply themselves to its devel-
opment.
But in conclusion there are one or two
points that it is necessary we should explain,
in regard to the use and application of other
than direct mineral fertilizers to crops 1t
is true that if all the mineral elements Of
the plant found in its ashes are supplied in
proper quantity, condition and proportions,
the largest possible crops may be secured
without any other manure, provided there as
time enough, and cost as no object But
where the growing time of crops is short,
and where cost Is to be considered, (thc for
mer is the case in all non-tropical climates
and the latter cverywhere,) strict mineral
fertilization will not answer in practice
What j. meant by saying that mineral fer.
tilizers will suffice where time is not an i'm.
portant element, is simply that most plants
supplied with only mineral fertilizers grow
too slowly TO perfect crop in short sea.
sons. What is needed as an addition to the
mineral elements is AMMONIA, which, as Lie
big truly said, " is time, that is, it stimu'
lates rapid growth and maturity, enabling
the plant to take up and assimilato both it,
mineral and atmospheric food much faster
than it can without it, Ammonia is an at.
mospheric substance, gas, like the cafbonie
acid which supplies the greatest portion o
the plants bulk and weight; but unlike car
bonic acid, it is taken up by roots as well MS
by leaves, and consequently can be used AZ
an Ingredient in fertilizers. 1t is indeed on,
Of the most important Of all our fertilizers
for most crops,-thc most costly to buy, and
the most Lecessary to secure crop. With
out its use wheat could only be pro6tably
grown for few years on new land, and al
the cereal grains and grasses would fail tC
reach remunerativc degree Of productive
ness. We say ammonia" because tha
word is commonly used and understood a
standing for the heterogeneous element o
plant food. Ammonia is compound of two
gases, nitrogen and hydrogen, and it is tn,
nitrogen it contains which is servicable to tn,
plant. Nitrogen is also supplied in nitric acit
and its compounds, which often take tn,
place OF ammonia us fertilizers, aud arr
equally useful Nitric acid is composed 0
nitrogen and on gen gases, and is believed Il
be formed in the air by the electricity o
thunder storms. 1t comes down in the rains
Ammonia exists in the air at all times, an,
some plants absorb it directly, in as larg
quantities as they require through thei
leaves Glover is one of these plants and j
for that reason one tl our most valuable
crops 1t is also Of the greatest service t,
the farmer, in drawing, by means Of it
deeply penetrating roots, large quantities o
mineral plant food from the subsoil, bringin,
it to the surface and making it available Il
succeeding crops that cannot reach so far 10
? it.
The other impediment to a strictly miner
al system of manuring is its oxpensveness
In order to farm proftably we must max
the land itself furnish as much Of the min
cral matter required by crops as possible
We only want TO add in manures what tn
land cannot be made to supply Now Their
are number Of indirect ways Of maxim
the land give down, " or rather give up, it
store of mineral plant food This
one purpose of the application of some sub
f stances called indirect fertilizers, like plae
ter lime, and the blowing in of green crops
These all net upon the soil to decomposc il
making the potash and phOsphoric acid
contains soluble-unlocking them as it wer,