The Lake County star., 1877-06-14

testimony upon the point involved
the foregoing instances. What IL tru
OF Virginia, Massachusetts, and Obi,
s undoubtedly txne In respeet to q
The practical q oestIon naturnlIv aus
gests itself-Wh can o tions? ShS
We continue ~ spoII6 6flon ~ N,
2cPosl Z W, un(a lie =
!! l.,id Med 81 sonic, thss tl
'cultiv0tion ~ = kot. 6rd cannot - -
! fyssf by year. That ) Sseminv NE
vigor can be explained, or - 3
remedied, BY more care and th6rough
4 ness In cultivation.
Another theory ls, that certain
properties necessary to promote growth
In plants, must Of course be In a prop
er condition for assimilation; and tha
failure results from exhaustion of tn,
then available material; that tho ap
plicatiOn Of salt, lime, potash and am
monia for instance. would pr0mot,
immediate chemical action In, the soil
assisting nature In the work Of disin
tegratiOn, resolving and bringing II
solution all the needed sustenance O
plants. id'eh 1i 3vd
There Is more truth IN the latter
proposition, no doubt, than In the
former. Th0rOughness of cultivation
is al essential element of complete
success. But will cultivation alone
cIothe barren waste with verdure
No. There must be fertility; without
IL, there Is no growth.
1t is estimated that q crop of fifty
bushels OF grain and the straw of the
same, contains seventy pounds ofphos-
pilates. Now II the land is not In good
heart; II the phosphates are wanting
or deficient, the grain will be affected;
for their absence dimini shes or pre-
vents the formation Of albuminates.
In respect to deterioration OF wheat
an able writer on the geography OF
plants says:-"To original defect in
the soil, or Inadequate fertilization we
may reasonably ascribe the decay
which follows cultivation Of varieties
that seemed at first well adapted to
the locality. The secret Of this decad-
ence may be In the soil, or In an un-
wise culture, or In both combined.
Causes yet unexplained, are ever at
work TO modifv the germ" "In most
Soils" this author says, '.wheat de.
generates rapidly, II sOwn year after
year rom seed OF the preceding crop;
especially where the practice Is con-
tinued any considerable length of time.
A new variety Of wheat introduced
into district, has often proved of
great value. 1t Is reported that the
product of one quart Of seed from
North Carolina, taken into Ohio in
1845, benefited the farmers of the To-
cality more than 100000.
In connection with the benefits ac-
crutng from superiority Of seed; there
can be no doubt but that Systematic
practice of rotation would be aavan-
tageous upon general principles; for
the diversity In plants and their orig
mai substances are such, that rest
from one gives opportunity for recu-
peIation, and the accumulation of ma
terials In the soil, to be called out upon
a subsequent return Of the crop.
Who can estimate the advantages to
accrue, simply from the adoption of a
system Of rotation, that would bring a
field In wheat, only once in four wears? |
Hence, stock-raising Is urged as
necessary to successful wheat-grow-
A recent writer in a Wisconsin Jour.
nal says: Wheat growing has near. |
" ruined us. 1t has destroyed the fer. |
tility OF the best soil the sun ever
shone upon. The culture of grass.
corn, and the raising of beef, pork.
butter and cheese, is the only remedy !
Tor our impoverished farms and far
DR.. stillwell, Of Long Island, in a
recent essay on fruit culture said: "The
attention of the people-the farming
:lass-is now esearily being largely
directed to the study Of the phenome-
Ia OF nature. Agriculture can no
onger be followed as a hap hazard,
nance pursuit. There must be some
veil devised plan; illogical reasoning
rom cause to effect. Crops can only be
uccessfully raised, where the reaui-
ite Iertilisers are supplied to meet
We may talk of climatic changes: of
'arieties OF seed; Of drought, insects
nd various other hindrances; but. IL
ne soil Is worn out, or nearly SO.
Without renovation, the case Is we'll
Ugh hopeless.
In connection with fertilization, we
ec0gnize culture as an essential aid in
ne propagation Of plants. No one
oubts but that thorOughness in this
espect. Is salwaysa q paying investment.
IL Is more than probable, nay, al
lost certain that the average yield
wneat In this State can be increased !
fty per cent. over the returns Of 1874,
more careful preparation Of the I
Ill, subsequent tillage of the cron
Why not trythe OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
entirely feasible and within the
Zach OF every one-of using less seed.
rilling the rows 8 to 10 inches apart:
nd with implements adapted To- the
urpose, thoroughly cultivate wheat
etween the rows early I'm the sprin~S
ou may say we have no machines
1apted to that purpose. The wonder
That some enterprising manufac-
lrer has not ere this brought out a ]
t OF t,0ls-drill and cultiyator-for !.
lis very use.
1t Is significant, that--while old i
merican wheat lands show a marked q
minution In yield; under the En- v
ish system of fertilization. rotation
Id cultivation Of the clop. the aver :
,e OF from. 80 to 80 bushels per acre
as, and is being steadily maintained. I
II the yield can be increased ATTY l.
n cent. by this method, you can real v
9 the same number OF bushels, upon :.
llf the amount Of land now sowri In -
heat. This Of itself, would nav the u
ira cost more than four times over. "
nd would yon not take Just pride
wheat fields that averaged 30 bushels .,
n acre? II ~ ni il,aq ',A 1857 u
In . recent communication to the te
'mmissioner Of Agriculture at WASH 81
gton; o gentleman OF York COUNT. p
nm, gave the result Of some expert .
ents BY himself, In reference 70 the q
ect OF tillage alone. % This trial COW 81
ed 2 period Of three successive crops al
which is . fairer test than for sim sr
year-and' fully sustains the truth e.
the theory advanced, The first 10
op sown An the fall Of 1871 !: he h'
oughed the land twice; drilled eIght \,
ches apart, seeded at the rate OF one m
d cne-haf bushels per acre hoed .,
Ice between the rows, the Weld " as .