Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-04-10

The manure OF farm animals is seen to be the
maiu reliance for sustaining fertility. Conner
| clal fertilizers organic and mlneral-are some
whatin usu 10 New England, especially in Maine
| and Massachusetts, including quantities OF fish
| refuse aud see weed. They are also used spar
| ingy in the Middle States; but the cheaper
minerals, lime aud plaster and still cheaper
green maDuring, monopollze large proportion
OF the Percentages credited 10 other fertlli-
GERS" The South Atlantic States from Mary
land to Georgia, Inclusive, use not only the
| largest proportion of manipulated fertilizers,
but the largest quantity in comparison with
other sectlous The cost Of such material
amounts TO millions in each OF these States
Little tertillzlug matter is applied TO the soil
from Alabama westward, with the single KEEP
ton Of such quantities of cotton-seed as are not
required for seeding and for few oil mills. In
the eastern portion of the Ohio Valley expert.
ments are tried with commercial fertilizers by u
few progressive farmers, and the Use Ut clover as
fertilizer is coosl derably practiced there by i'm
migrants from Maryland aud Pennsylvania.
Aud here We may stop. The remainder ofthe
country has heretofore pructlced the draining
of tarm-yard manures into creeks and rivers,
or the removal Of barns Irom their lncunvenle0t
accommodations; or, if they all have not literally
adopted this practice, they have DOT indicated
much faith In the necessity OF manuring. And
Yet these returns show that the lands of Iowa
and Minnesota, aud even Of illinois, are made
TO bear an Increase OF 70 to 81 per cent. by q
single ex pertinent IN green-ma0urlng. Thought
full western farmers are Seriously ponderlug tho
ecoucmy and prCft OF prairie land fertilization.
AS to commercial fertilizers, our correspondents
generally apprt cate their value for specific uses,
ack uow,edge their utility iu supplying lacking
material for plant-growth; accord TO them n
positive value in hasteUipg growth and maturity,
but persist in he opinion that there is fraud
in the mani pulation of some kinds, and that
the genuuc are held at too high price. They
know that for the regular uses Of farm tertlza-
tion they can obtain the needed elements at
cheaper rate.
"Many examples are given of the renovation
of worn and apparently worthless soils, and the
increase OF fertility ln fresh but unpromslug
lands. Fields that have been cultivated ex-
hau-tivey for twenty aud even forty years have
been restored to original productiVeness, not
by guauos and superphosphates, at $50 10 $50
per ton, but by inexpensive local resources, the
cheapest and most reliable Of which is found
10 cloveriug. lu one case in Butler county,
Pennsylvania section of thin. gravelly land,
on which it was thou ,ht DO one could secure
decent liviug came into the possession of Ger
man i'm uIl grants at nominal rates. They clear
ed off the brush, plowed, cultivated, turned
under greco crrp.; saved every fertilizing ma
terial avalIable never duplicated crop 10 FIVE
or six years rotation, and that tract is now
garden aud from worthlessness has advanced
to the value of 500 per acre, and is yearly be-
coming more productive. These owners, 10
some cases, have raised aud educated families,
Ito, Iort,Ll,, Ia ,nJ b,r
money at interest. In other instances, n
which the aid of clover has been invoked, swine
feeding 10 the clover fields has been made
valuable means Of sol-improvement 10
the South a region which many northern
writer's on agriculture assume most errone
cusly to be uusuited to grass culture, and
which Southern farmers have strangely ne
glrc ed, as meat producing section for obvious
reasuus new era is dawning, and clover and
orchard grass at: 10 many places found to be-
sources of Immediate and heavy profit, and of
greatly increased fertility 10 light lands of
more torrid temperature the COW. pea performs
quickly aud inexpensively the work Of ameIio-
ration assigned TO red clover 10 argaceous
Soils 1t is q plant literally worth millions to
the South possibly as good an ammonia
.therer as clover; perhaps equally as good for
iatteuing swlue. and grown With greater facili-
ty 10 pooer soils. This Investigation presents
prominently three. suggestive points First,
the use Of fertilizers is becoming more general
and more discriminating second few, if any,
soils 10 the Country are so rich that they eau
not be made more productive by judcious fer
tiz alton third, tarm-yard manures are the
host for general use green-maourlng is the
cheapest means OF soil renov alton, aud COM
mercial fertilizers are useful for quick results
aud for specific purposes
Patrick O'Shea was hanged at St. Louis yes.
terday for the murder of bis wife on the 18th |
Of Marnh /