, 1875-05-19

could be rendered productive At a triflng ex-
pense. But long experience has shown rhas
soil analysis fails to throw light upon the me
chanical or physical conditions which have a
most important bearing upon crops ana Tue
growth of every kind of plants.
A writer in the JoSr1aE Of Chen''stry states
that he entered upon the work ten years ago
with much enthusiasm, and expected to be
unerringly guided in his farm operations by tha
results attained. 1t was found that while we
had no difficulty in learning the exact ingre-
dents of our soils, we could not ascertain IN
what states of combination they existed. Many
soils examined were found to be quite similar
in chemical composition, but they differed
widely in their productive powers and, also'
soils which were found to contain in rich album
dance all the elements Of plant nutrition, dld
not grow crops as we had reason to expect.
Simple ANALYSIS of the soil, without taking into
account the nature of subs0Ils, location, me-
chanioal conditions, &c, is not to be relied
upon as a certain guide in the management OF
lands. Nevertheless, chemistry, directly and
indirectly, affords great aid in soil cultivation
and in some cases soil analysis may be valua-
Bile. For instance, iflime or potash be wanting
in soils, it will inform us of the fact, and We
can supply these important substances with
great benefit. A single analysis of the SOIL OF
a wheat or potato field may show the absence
of some one of the elements of food upon WHOM
the plant depends, and if it were not supplied
the crop would be a failure. Soils come from
the rocks, and their character depends upon the
nature of the rocks from which they have re"
suited. Seine are rich in potash, others IN
lima ooI n coil vtnb in ana Or the other OF
these ingredients is not benefited by their ap-
p~lication. Thus, analysis teaches us how to
prevent loss in two ways, loss OF crops Dy
supplying needed plant food, and loss in using
unnecessary manure upon lands where 1t exlsts
in abundance. 1t also teaches US that certain
lands are naturally barren and cannot be re-
claimed with profit, and that others have
soluble aalts in such large proportions that
they cannot grow crops. Yet' after all cno
expense incident to the analysis Of certain solls'
the result is wholly unsatisfactory TO the re-
q~uirements of the practical farmer or gardener.
There are a large number of enigmas IN aolt
cultivation which chemistry has thus far failed
to explain. 1t ID known, for instance, tnag
superphosphRte greatly benefits a turnlp helds
and yet analysis of the plant reveals the fact
that but little phosphorio acid enters the plant;
ouut dloOJ IL IS plOUdblO IHub PN'"~N
salts may exist in such peculiar combination
in soils as not to be readily detected by oheml"
cal tests, as we find that potatoes, which re-
quire much potash, will sometimes grow upon
soils in which We fail to detect this agent.
Careful experiment and observation have led
US to conclude that less practical or positive
knowledge is gained by analysis of soils than
many suppose. One Of the most successful
wheat growers in the Stale Of New York col
lected a box-fuIl of soil by taking q handful
here and there from q field on which ne was
accustomed to harvest forty bushels of clean
wheat per acre, and he sent the soil to the city
Of Albany with the request that the agricultu'
raj chemist would analyze the sample with
special reference to the productiveness OF that
soil for wheat. In due time the analysis was
made with scientific accuracy and care, the
result of which was reported to the farmer
To his surprise, the chemist assured him that
the soil of that field might be brought into a
condition to produce a fair crop of wheat, but
as he found it he stated that certain elements
were lacking which were essential to the pro-
duction of this kind of grain.