The Portland daily press., 1876-08-09
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
heterogeneous uanures.

I have lately heard of several Instances
where large crops have been raised for time,
through the application of stimulating ma
nure; and then-why then fair growth of
sorrel, but no crop to be coaxed from the
land. A further inquiry develops the TACT
that there is belief among farmers that qua
no is ''stimulant" to most land, and al
though for time it appears to work well,
yet the fields 10 which it is applied soon run
out, and the value of that land is gone. At
one time, the trouble is said to follow the use
of guano, at another time of fish pomace, at
another time after the use of fish themselves;
it seems always to be traceable to the use OF
manures containing nitrogen, often occurring
when the nitrogen is used in excess, and new
er from the use of bone or ashes. Moreover,
there has arisen the belief that artificial fer
tilizers leave the land in an exhausted condi.
ton, aud therefore they cannot be depended
upon for general use.
There is thus much OF truth in the above
idea, that ammouiacal manures may be iDiudi-
ci0usly used, and the results follow such as
we have described. The reason ascribed
may, however, be an incorrect one, and it
may be OF some service to call attention to
few facts of vegetable nutrition.
In the first place, it is now becoming we'll
understood that every Ingredient of the soil
which acts as plant food, is equally important
because indispensable to the success of plant
growth. The subtraction of single element,
as may be done for the purpose of expert
ment, shows that all fhe other elements COM
bined are inefficient, no matter their quantity,
to replace the function of the one removed.
In practice, however, the most important ele
ment to the farmer Is that one which is most
likely to be in deficiency, and which is most
expensive to supply. In practice experience
has shown that our soils are more apt to be
dQfiaiQut in nifrnOo1 in tho Horv, fov
the largest crops; aud that there has been for
untold ages, a reaction going on which has
secured certain Enhancement of the fertile
ingredients of the land; and that under the
old method of culture, this Enhancement has
been but slightly disturbed. We apply just
about so much of fertility in our dung, year
after year, and we remove but correspond
ing amount of crop. There may be loss to
be sure. but the loss is rather general, than of
quantity of nitrogen, and we Immediately
change these conditions. This element, the
one most apt to be deficient, is present and
allows one crop to receive benefit from all the
other elements stored in the soil; and large
crops, Influenced also by the composition of
the soil, are removed. The process goes on,
more nitrogen is app led, but not an addi-
tional quantity of the other plant elements;
until, finally, some element becomes deficient
Anu LILO lduu TciuSeS 10 UtdI us crops. we
have sold our cake, and have received its val.
ne; and if we have received less for it than
we ought, then it is our own fault. Hence
there is danger in using too much nitrogen,
when it is used to the exclusion of the other
elements; for we have interfered in order to
intensity the process of nature, and have dis
tuIbed the balance.
In this idea, we have the strong argument
in favor of the application to our lands yearly
of a complete manure; for by so doing we
are seemingly avoiding the dangers of exhaus-
ton; and if we apply certain amount year
ly to our lands, even as we do dung, then are
the natural agencies of diffusion and absorp-
ton, of disintegration and replacement, and
myriads of otLer changes, all acting in the
slow, continuous and perfect way Of nature,
in the direction seemingly of our desires.
These remarks, it will be perceived, are but
incidental, and are but suggestive OF an idea
or so, connected with this immense subject of
vegetable nutrition. 1t is part of wisdom to
move cautiously and in accordance with our
light; and it is our promise to bring to view
such jottiDgs as appear to us to be founded on
reason, and which are well worthy of practi.
cal OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Farmer.