Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-08
FARM AND GARDEN.
MANURING WITHOUT AMMONIA


A correspondent of the Country Gentle
man, writing from Kent county, Maryland,
states how land may be fortified by the
use of phosphate of lime and clover, with
out the cost of buying ammonia or its ele-
ments in any form. In the spring of 1866
be manured twenty acres, planted in corn,
with three thousand pounds of amonistsd
phosphate, manufactured in Philadelphia.
The crop was very poor-not more than ten
or twelve bushels to the acre. The same field
was sown in oats and clover in 1866 with
two hundred pounds Of bone ashes to The
acre, entirely free from amonia or nitrogen
in any form. The season was bad for oats,
but the crop was over 800 bushels. The clover
took well and the next year yielded 20 tons
of hay and large amount of excellent
pasture. After the CT yer Gin 1869 the
field was in corn, aid The clover had so i'm
proved the soil that The yield was 40 bush
els per acre. Ia 1869 TIE field was in oats,
and seeded to timothy and clover, manured
with 200 pounds Of bone ash per acre, with
10 ammonia or ether fertilizer. The ost
crop was 642 bushels, and there was fine
stand Of Glove: and timothy. In 1870 the
clover was SO stout that much of it was
down, and h,. 4 to cut with moving ma.
chine. The crop was fed on the farm, and
quantity unknown. /. In 1871 the same field
was mown; little clover showing itself, but
enough timothy was cut and sold in Balti-
more to bring $3.50. Besides this, % head of
horses aud cattle were kept on the farm
with the help Of little fodder. He says
that seven years before "the place did not
raise provender enough to winter six heads
all tolG. In 1872 The field was mown as
good timothy and redtop meadow with no
clover. "Last fall the grass locked beauti-
full, and never so thick on the ground
every squsre inch apparently covered with
young timothy and redtop." On farm
where enc could hardly get glass of milk
in 1865 there was sold six hundred pounds
of butter in 1871, and hundreds of
gallons Of milk were fed to the hogs
Here is an old farm probably worn badly
by raising tobacco and corn, ana rarely
seeded 10 clover or grass, fully rejuvenated
by burnt bones, clover and artificial or
tame grasses. Finely ground South Caro-
lima phosphate and land plaster, which Is
another salt of lime, assisted by clover and
grass, will work wonders for Southern sg-
riculture. Land that win not now produce
over ten or fifteen bushels Of corn per acre
can be made to average from thirty to forty
bushels. Crops of wheat, cotton and good
meadow hay may be increased in the same
ratio Where six head of mean stock are
raised, twenty five head of fat, sleek ami
mails may be grown for market. When every
"square inch of ground" is full of nutri-
tious berbage that will grow on from year to
year, like timethy, red top, orchard grass
and oatgrass, with no blowing, no reseed-
ing, ard no expense, our old time farming
will change like an embryo bird in the
shell TO bird on the wing. 1t is well
known that bird in the shell must hatch
or die. Such is the precise condition OF
Southern agriculture. IL must come out
of its dead, rock-like she'll into the light
and air of expanding growth and progress,
or SOON cease 20 live. Measures must be
taken to command the needful salts OF lime
at the loves attainable price. Now, Ten
nessee farmers pay nearly twice a.
much for land plaster and phosphateS a
they ought to pay; and every farme
stands in false position. This matrels
ton to lime salts which prevents their gen
eral use, should command public attention
and lead farmers into. large associations y
supply fertilizers at the minimum cost
Every mans sense tells him that cultiva
tor cannot sell grain, tobacco, cotton o
bay from field year after year, and no
exbaustit, if no fertilizer is applied to tn
soil. Restitution is a natural necessity il
al ,iIage operations. Unless we ASSUME