The Republican journal., 1876-02-24
Farm, Garden and Household
From the Lewiston journal.
Maine Board of AgricuIture.

The Maine Board of Agriculture met at
l-emont Hall, brunswick, Tuesday, Feb.
Sth, at 9 O'Clock, A. NJ The committee
ON credentials reported the following new
members present and entitled to seat
Thomas Reynolds, Canton, Oxford county,
George Flint, Arson, Somerset county:
Isaac +. Mallett, Topsham, reelected.
Sagadahoc county j. NJ Brown, Portland.
Cumberland county; Jas c. Narnev. Vas
salboro, from the Pomological Society
The seat lor York county is contested bv
two representatives. one from the York
county society and one from the Shepeioh
and Acton society.
Then followed papers by MI Boardman
and Hight, and discussion and addresses
made by Hon. c. j. Gilman and President
Allen report Of which has already ap-
peared in the Journal
The committee on credentials made
lurther report admitting Horace Bodwel
OF Acton from the Shepleigh and Acton
society, to the seat for York county.
TUESDAYS SESSION.
Tuesday evening Prof Levi Stockbridee
OF the Massachusetts Agricultural College
gave lecture on experiments in feeding
plants
10 support plant life, organic and inor-
game matter are required in the soil. Soil
analysis as teaching the proper plant nu-
triton to apply to soils for the support of
plant growth was not for certain reasons
re4lahie While heretofore there has been
some difference OF opinions among scien-
lists III regard to plant nutrition, at the
present time they are entirely in accord
1he plant which to the practical man is
mystery IS perfectly plain to the man of
science Every seed, however small, con-
lalhs an embryo plant, and along side of
that the elements of fertility to start it into
lie. Nature supplies this. The scientist
knows absolutely Just what a plant is made
up OF. livery element entering into its
structure is controlled by certain laws So
lar as the plant IS concerned the organic
part IS Just as important as the Inorganic
Neither Is paramount to the other. SO of
The different elements making up the or
game and the inorganic part of the plant
No one can be omitted OF the organic
part OF the plant Nature supplies all the
oxygen, hydrogen and carbon the plant
needs
But no plant can supply itself with nj
trogen. SO OF the four elements making
up the organic part Of the plant the farm
er need only supply nitrogen OF the in
organic matter the farmer need to supply
only potash and phosphoric acid-nature
Will look out for the others Even these
exist IN many soils in sufficient quantities
for the plant, but they are not available.
For the construction of plants farmers then
need only supply three elements, nitrogen.
potash and phosphoric acid These NAV
be supplied from any available source.
They need not be supplied in large guam
titles to secure the most bountitul crops
Three or four hundred pounds to the acre
are sufficient for the most bountiful crop.
A plant cannot feed on material not fitted
tor it. Crude barn manure is no plant
food, it must first be decomposed before it
IS fitted for plant food. The same is true
OF the mineral material contained in the
soil. When a season comes that is unfa-
Yorable for this needed preparation of the
plant food contained in the manure and in
the soil, the plant staryes tor the want OF
1t, and we say the season was unfayorable.
The food is not developed the plant can
not get it. If this plant food had been
prepared am put into a condition which
rendered 1t Immediately available before
It was applied, the plant then would not
be dependent on the weather. If the farm
er does his duty in this matter of the pre-
paratOn OF this plant food the crops neeG
hardly vary from year to year.
Now, then, will these fine spun theories
prove true when put to practical test At
the Massachusetts Agricultural College,
experiments have been in process for seven
years to test this. Samples of different
soils were gathered, an average of our
New England soils, taken to the plant
house, and different kinds OF plant food
applied while the plants We're grow inc
therein for the purpose of ascertaining
what the plant wanted the farmer to sup
ply. and the answer was as stated above
OF the four organic elements only nitro
gen, and of the eight or nine inorganic
elements only potash and phosphoric acid
If you would grow crop Of fifty bushel,
OF corn in the grain with the natural pro-
portion OF stalk, you must supply enough
OF these three elements to make that
amount, as much as is found in that much
of grain and stalk This is absolutely re-
liable. In all the experiments tried the
past year the crops have proved the truth
OF this. Formulas were made up for crops
of different quantities of the same kinds.
and in no case has there been an essential
falling below which the formula was made
up. Thus was the crops made to order OF
any quantity desired.
Nitrogen IS given to the plants in the
form Of sulphate of ammonia which is M
medately available as plant food. Phos-
phoric acid is made of ground bone treat
ed with sulphuric acid in the proportion of
sixty pounds of acid of sixty-six degrees
to one hundred pounds of bones. To SUD-
ply the potash element for crop of pota-
toes it should be supplied in the form of
sulphate Of potash, but for grain in the
form of muriate of potash.
If these things are so-and they ara
where are we tending in the matter of
feeding plants? There must be a great
revolution; for barn manure, so long and
by all farmers considered king, is no long
er indispensable. These needed elements.
1t IS true, are in this manure, hence it
should be scrupulously husbanded But
when all these available sources are ex-
hausted, there is still need of more, and
you have only to supply them as above in
dlcated, to the extent needed by the farm.
The lecture was full of new and start
ling statements, claimed to be facts, and
furnished an abundance of rich food for
thought Tor those who were fortunate
enough to hear it. The attendance was
large, many ladies being among the audi
ence; and the interest otherwise manifest
ed was an assurance that the meetings will
be in high degree useful
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
Il. A. Gilbert, member from Androscog
gin county introduced the general subject
of fences and fencing which had been as
signed to severel different members. A
brief abstract will give an idea of what it
was desired to bring out at the meeting |
A small portion only OF the work done
ON and arnnnd ol1r farms is doxrot od d;.oa4