The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-01-08

dltlOn, and before the weather grows
too cold for expedition in the tedious
process Of cotton picking. Indeed,
before the present system was adopt
ed, more cotton was picked in Janu-
airy than is gathered now in Deem
ber
The ORGANIC constituents of plants,
with the exception Of nitrogen. are
supplied in sufficient quantity from
the atmosphere, which is beyond the
control OF man. 1t is now universal
ly agreed by scientists who have in
vestigated the matter, that carbon,
. which forms large portion OF vege-
tation, is derived from the air, in COM
bination with oxygen. as carbonlc
acid, and hence it is not necessary for
the farmer to apply carbon to the
soil as plant-tood. There are ele
ments OF plant-tood, however, which
the farmer may, but in many In
stances nsuSt, apply to the soil to
secure remuuerative crops. The
principal of these are nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid and potash, and on some
soils, and for some plants, lime, mag
nesia and soda; the last three being
generally present, in sufficient guam
lity in the soil for most plants. The
fact, however, that some OF these ele-
ments are more important TO man, on
account OF the necessity OF their arti-
fetal supply, does not imply that one
is more important i'll plant nutrition
than another. Each Is equally i'm
portant to the plant to the extent to
which it enters into its composition,
since the plant cannot be perfectly
developed without the proper combi-
nation OF its chemical constituents.
In the entire absence OF phosphoric
acid, perfect seeds cannot be formed;
without carbon neither woody fibre,
starch, nor sugar can be produced.
The analysis OF an entire plant
shows the percentage and ratio IN
which each constituent enters into
its composition; and taking into con-
sideration the character OF the soil to
be planted, the nature and analysis OF
the plant to be cultivated, and the
fact that the so called organic elements
except nitrogen, are supplied by the
air, the farmer may supply the min
eral ingredients in quantity and ratio
necessary to the production OF a
given crop.
Prof Levi Stockbridge, Of Nlassa-
chusetts, has reached some remark
| able results by experiment on different
crops, in which he predicted before
hand the increased production, as the
effect of the fertilizers applied. Some
OF his results are very remarkable,
and show IL wonderful triumph OF
science, as applied to agriculture.
Wis experiments, conducted for
several years, illustrate two import
ant facts, Viz that potash, nitrogen,
and phosphoric acid are generally the
only elements OF plant-food necessary
to be added artiticially to the soil, for
the production Of our agricultural
plants, Except, perhaps, tobacco,
which requires more maSnesla, thah
is usuaIiy found IN soilS,) and that by
the application OF these three ele-
ments, in an absolutely soluble con-
dition, III the ratio TO each other In
which analysis shows them to enter
into particular plants, given nGm.
Der of bushels OF pounds OF these par
ticular plants, may be produced, within
certain yet unknown limits, in meas
ure proportionate to the quantity OF
the fertilizer applied.
A few out of the number OF eXper-
iments conducted, either by himself
or by others under his direction, with
uniformly satisfactory results, will sui
flee 10 illustrate the method pursued
and the results attained.
Two equal plots at the college
farm were planted in corn,and treated
alike in every respect, except that
one had no manure, while enough
potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen,
mixed in proper proportion, and used
in sufficient quantity to make twenty
five bushels of corn, with the natural
proportion Of stalks, were applied to
The other, with small surplus, which
he supposed the roots OF the plants
would not get the first year. The plot
without manure yielded thirty-tive
bushels, and the manfred plot yielded
six,y-four and four-tenths bushels, or
four and tour.tenths bushels more
tham were required. He SENT, the
same year, the same quantity OF fer
tiiizer to Mr.. Hurd, at Hadley, in the
same state, that it would give an in
crease of twenty-five bushels over the
production of the llnalded soil, which
was very poor. The unmanured plot