Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-25

I
stitutioD, is the author Of an "Aunua
Record Of Science and Industry" Of
great value. In the volume for 1873
pages 4l8-.19, he copies from the tenth
annual report of the Massachusetts
Agricultural College, a part of Prof
6essman's report on Commsreial Fer.
tiiizers, in which we find the following
standard Of prices" IN Massachusetts,:
Sixteen and a quarter cents for each
pound of soluble phosporic acid; six
cents for every pound Of insoluble
phosporic acid; thirty cents a pound
for nitrogen; and eight cents a pound
for potash" All plants and animals.
and all stable and cow-pen manure con.
tain nitrogen that either is or has been
recently organized. This substance
with other plant food is very generally
wasted, although worth thirty cents a
pound as common manure. 1t may be
well to state shat at this price one hum
bred pounds come to thirty dollars
one thousand pounds to three hundred
dollars; and q ton of two thousand
pounds to SIX hundred dollars. Is not
six hundred dollars wagon load for
manure a new feature in American
agriculture?
at the prices above named, Tennes-
see corn rarely sells TO bring the
farmer as much money as the three
constituents nitrogen, phosphorie acid
and potash are worth before they enter
the growing corn. If we were to buy
wool at fifteen cents a pound, pick.
card, spin and weave il, and then sell
the cloth at forty-fve cents a pound,
our industry would illustrate fairly and
truthfully the way we increase our
wealth in the soil by our labor from
year to year. We are honest at heart,
generally work hard, fare hard, and
hope for the best; yet the antagO-
nism is such that it Expresses
US in the fertile West as 1T does
the Yankees Of New England. They
have no negroes to trouble them; no
lack Of cities, villages, factories, CAPT.
tai and home markets; yet their agri-
culture is worse off than ours. If the
Yankees knew not only how to make
manure, but how to save it, they would
not have to pay thirty cents a pound
for nitrogen and sixteen for phosphoric
acid for agricultural purposes. 1t is
oVer-nice people who starve the soil in
violation of Gods law that beget both
famine and pestilence. How long is
such wasteful, sickening, fatal folly to
continue? Production is as simple as
can be if We study it
We must learn to see things as the
Creator has made them. In no other
way can sound hus5andry be practiUed
or understood. 1t is the thoughtless,
waste Of assimilable nitro
gen, phosphoric acid and potash in
civilized nations that makes these ele- /
ments Of crops so costly in all markets,
and so hit e appreciated by the public /
at large. It takes the same things to |
form hIman bone now that were used !
when the bones Of Adam and Eve were |
made. The Oldest fossil bones which |
have come down to us through unknown
ages, have the same composition as
those growing IN children ten or twelve |
years old. Water is doubtless the same
now that 1t was IN the beginning; and !
the same is true Of all other fertilizers. |
Why not lay up wealth in enduring
plant food, which VIII last as long as
earth, water and air? Our annual income |
viii be as reliable as vitality and the |
sunshine, with ittle labor.
We are anxious to make this subject |
plain to the least educated mind. |
Know then that Massachusetts has
nearly a million and a half IF inhabi- /
5ants, and that at least a third Of
pound Of rich fertilizing matter is
7oided by the kidneys and bowels every |
day in Ehe year by each person on an
average. This statement gives 500 900 /
pounds OF concentrated manure a day,
and over one hundred and eighty two !
million pounds IN a year where It costs !
two dollars a bushel to raise corn be- !
cause common farm manure is worth |
eight dollars a cord IN the market. |
But who has authority or power TO con-
5rol al the excrements of all people of 4
my State, county or city? Nobody; /
md that is the reason why hungry |
Millions insanely desolate the soil that /