The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-12-07
FIELD AND HOME.

FIELD AND HOME.
SOME MISTAKES IN REGARD TO FER.
TILIzERs.-Conrad Wilson writes to the
Christian Union: 1t is favorite theory
of some scientific writer's that most soils
by excessive cropping are exhausted oil
their three leading elements, nitrogen
potash and phosphoric acid, while the
other constituents are 30 we'll supplied
by majority of soils, and some of them
30 little required by the CROP that we
need not concern ourselves about them
But the fallacy Of this idea is evident or
a moments reflection, and the attempt
to establish a general system of fertiliz
ing crops on a foundation so questionable
is surprising.
There are not less than three essential
points which are overlooked in assuming
this position.
In the first place, admitting that the
other and less important elements Of
plant food are abundantly present in a
majority of soils, it does not follow that
their condition is such as to give them
any present value to the crops; and il
they are not available for the crop they
might as we'll be absent.
Secondly, it matters not how small
quantity may be of any given element
needed by the intended crop, that guam.
tity whether it be one pound per acre OF
one hundred pounds, must be present in
the soil and must be in soluble condi-
ton.
Thirdly, the quantity of each element
that must be found in the soil is not to
be limited to the exact amount required
by the growing plant, but should be
much larger. A crop, for example, may
not require more than one pound OF
soda per acre; yet to make sure that it
will get one pound, it is very clear that
the acre must contain much more than
that quantity.
1t is therefore great mistake to say
to the farmer that for every crop he
plants he needs only to concern himself
about the manurial elements. Suppose
that animal dung was deprived of all its
plant-fOOd excepting these same three
elements. Does any practical farmer be-
lieve that its value would not be i'm
paired?
In every view of the subject it ia
easy to see that no formula forfertilizing
an acre of land is either sound or trust
worthy that Omits such elements as soda,
lime and magnesia, to say nothing of the
others.
The wheat crop, for example, requires
for a yield of twenty-five bushels per
acre not less than ten and q half pounds
of magnesia, while for Indian corn, a
product Of thirty.eight bushels per acre
requires over twelve pounds of the same
element. Now let US suppose the case
of two farms lying in the same township,
one of which happens to be supplied
with magnesia in the right condition for
the crop, while in the soil of the other
this constituent is either entirely want
ing or is chemically locked up in a form
that makes it useless. In the case of
the first farm the Professors method
might succeed if applied for either
wheat or corn, provided the other
were all right; but in the case
of the second farm the formula would
be, in any event, worthless.
CATS IN AGRICULTURE.-M Swiss
helm gives a chapter in the Pittsburg
Commercial on "Cats," that entomolo-
gists will not be slow to appropriate to
their use in arguing the bird-insect ues-
ton. She says: If our agricultural
societies could offer premiums for the
,calps of these domestic tigers just as
used to do for those of their
more harmless first cousins, wolves, we
would in few years be done not only
with green worms, but the green grass
hOppers, which come up like a cloud
and spread over the land, because the
millions of birds that should be on hand
TO cat them as they come out of the
ground have been destroyed by our pet
tigers.
NOOne who has not paid attention to
The subject can have any idea of the
of birds and birds nests de-
stroyed in one year by one cat, and to
ne it is wonder that there are any
birds left in the United States. To be
sure, there are very few. 1 have heard
more bird songs here in Leipsic in the
seven weeks have been here than lever
lid in seven years at home, and there |
lived most of the time in the country,
while here l am in the city. Our street
abruptly on the confines of a
garden, which must embrace twenty
acres, and surrounded OH three sides by
nigh houses. Our block is the last on
he street, and our rooms at the end next
20 this garden, which is full of tall trees
md shrubbery and flowers and pleasant
walks, and l think there are more birds
n it than in Cherryhill Township, Indi-
ina County, Pennsylvania, in which our
summer home was situated, and which
S very large township, not less than
,wenty miles square.
Every family there but one keeps cats
% amuse the children and catch rats,
md as cat never touches rat while it
ian get bird, or nest of birds or eggs,
md as they can easily follow bird to
is nest and cannot follow d rat to its,
here ere not many birds left when cats
all to catching rats. Nobody raises
ruit there except by accident. All the
rees were decorated with caterpillar's
tests, and the last year we were there
he worms attacked the elder bushes and
,lackberries, the main dependence of
he people for fruit.
One might see intelligent farmers"
itting caressing cats, while the
worms were devouring their crops,
nd their faithful guardians were
a pussy's NAV. used to be SO tried
hat should have been resigned to the
ispensatiOn of Providence if l had |
card some morning that thu cats were |
atiDg the men instead of the birds. 1t |
Ould certainly be great blessing to
ne country if they would just take and
1t off enough members of agricultural
'cieties to wake them up so that they
,uld see the havoc these cruel, treach-
'Ous beasts of prey, these unnatural,
onstrous companions of our children,
ave been making with our forest song
ers and prairie fowl.
Hints for Home
~ Tnrvxr C.,A