The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-13
Our German Correspondence.
VALUE OF TIE AGGIcULrUKAL STATIONS
RESTORING POOR LANDS.


49,
idea Of the lGO.rs of orr stations ior
agricultural experiments and control.
We have IN Prussia -. and IL al ter
many - such 9tatlOEs.-partly kept
up by agricultural clubs. partly main
tanned By government a~ubycntlon.
They are engaged III analyZIng dIlte-
rent kinds OF soils. and food for AMI
mails they control the manufactured
manures, so that purchasers are sure
to receive the noted per cents Of all
ingredients: they control seeds. wheth-
er they are mixed with foreign sub
stances, or TO see how many per cent.
are fit to g~erlninate they study the
physiology Of animals. the best and
cheapest way to feed them the ply
siOlogy Of plants, 70 settle their row
ing conditions they observe the sick
ness Of plants, either caused by un-
favorable seasons Or soils, By fungus,
or caused by insects; they study the
fermentation of starch for the benefit
of sugar, spirit or wine factories they
give hints to butter and cheese pro-
duction. and finally try new agrlcul-
tural implements.
Our nearest station for experiment
at Posen has Just finished II test. on
corning the loss and compensation of
nutritious matter for plants in the soil
OF a farm after taking away n crop.
4 farm OF 700 Prussian acres OF tllla-
bic land sold the produce OF 60 acres
rape-seed. 81 acres wheat, &c acres
| su~gar-beets, &c acres barley besides
this were sold 6 fat cows a. 1,200
pounds, $ calves q 50 pounds. 50 NUT
tons "a 50 pounds, ? pigs q 100 pounds,
l,G00 pounds Of wool and 1000 pounds
OF butter. The produce Of 30 acres
barley, all reaped peas, all rye, clover,
potatoes. as we'll as all the straw, re-
manned on the farm for feeding and
littering purposes. The whole amount
OF ingredients of all animals, fruits
and other produce sold, was $50
pounds nitrogen, 2,333 phosphate. A.
l13 potash. To feed the animals and
to compensate partly the loss the farm
suffered by selling the animals and
other products stated above, rape and
! linseed cakes. bran of wheat and rye
was bought, amounting to ,331 pounds
nitrogen. 1916 phosphate, 4S4 potash.
The farmer gained his interest, taxes.
and got his labor paid, but his farm
lost 3.133 pounds nitrogen. los phos-
phate, 1863 potash, besides other less
important substances.
Sc it was a fact. that by managing
the farm so on the land would become
impoverished annually, since every
wear more soluble ingredients were
sold than added. The want of nutrl-
tious matter will of course not be SO
striking or rapid. for by tilling the soil
it continues to form out of inert
mineral stuffs. soluble nourishment
for plants, and likewise will the leaves
of plants. especially Of leguminous
plants, gain some food from the at
mosphere.
Now the question is, what is to be
done to preserve to the farm "a lasting
productiveness, and how yet to IN
crease the crops: Suppose a meadow
of a hundred acres zone that is ove
flowed or irrigated by a rich river
water. So that no manuring is wanted
belonged to the farm and would bring
merely 1900 pounds of good hay per
acre. the farm would have the benefit
of 5000 pounds of nitrogen, 1904 OF
phosphate, and 1890 pounds of potash,
not only all sold nutritious matter was
restored, but a surplus We're gained,
large enough to bring the farm to q
higher state of culture and to increase
the crops more and more. AS it Is
now, the loss of nutritious matter Is to
be restored either by buying artificial
manure, viz Chill saltpetre or super
phosphate, potash, ETC., or the stable
dung hast to be increased and improved
by buying and feeding a larger quaint
tv OF rape oil cakes, bran, etc.
The latter supply we prefer in this
part of the country, for by feeding the
animals richly we gain a double al
vantage: the surplus Of rich food Il
largely transformed into milk and
flesh, and pays the advance partly
nitrogen and mineral substances are
left fully to enrich the stable dung.
1t Is noted, that when land is badly
managed and robbed by successive
crops, the phosphates go first, then
potash. especially on sandy soils or or
land where great masses of turnips OF
potatoes are raised. Nitrogen is gained
often by turning under green plants
especially lupines. 1t appears gener
ally in our country, that the soil i;
rich enough in mineral substances, anc
a quantity of Chill saltpetre or ether
ammonia suffices TO make them solu
BILE and lit for plants.
.Ghe same result we see year by year
when the green lupine plant i turne1
under; generally a dark green-colored
plant and heavy ears are obtained. /
is the case when lupines become rip,
and are moved. for they leave grea'
reSidueS of roots and leaves on the
ground /; yet it is more SO when the.
are turned under in a green state. |
is supposed, that even the over-shading
of the soil by that luxurlant plant In
creases the fertility OF the sGil.
l know several farms already ap
pear1ng to be worm out, because the,
were badly managed by their poo
owner for many years. yet after p ow
ing under a good swath of green lu
pines, the soil produced ~immedlatel.
the first year a heavy crop of rye.
The lupine plant grows on poor ligh
land, when a little moist runs 1t:
roots some feet into the soil. Dissolve
the mineral substances. the abundan'
leaves collect out of the atmosDller,
plenty of nitrogen. and leave for tn
following crops an abundance of dis