The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-01-24

however wonderful they may appear,
for they arc born out by similar ex-
periments nearer home and by parties
we all know. The following is from
DR.. w. +. Barton: son the first OF
July, 1877, l took piece OF land,
five acres, which had been planted in
oats the two previous Years without
manure, yielding from 1G to Is bush
els per acre. On part Of tho five
acres I sowcd broad cast 500 pounds
of ash element per acre, and on the
whole five acres two bushels of COW
peas per acre turning all under with
q Watts turning plough. The result
was iuxuriant growth of vinos, the
more especially ywhcreY tue ash clc-
ment had been sown, no fruit was
mattured by the pea. On the. first OF
October sowed broad cast two bush
els of the red rust proof oats per
acie, turning pea and oats under with
a two horse Watts plough and
smoothing off with q heavy drag.
From an acre manured with the ash
element and cow pea, thrashcd and
cleaned by weight yielded 81 bushels,
8 pcclls and 7 Quarts from an acre
manusedJ with peas alone, yielded 80
bushels, 3 pecks and 6 quarts, a dif-
ference in favor Of the ash element OF
24 bushels and 1lquart, and differ
eLce Of about. sc bushels between
tt natural land without any manure
and that manurcd with the ash elc-
mcnt and pea. The land experiment.
ed on was about equal in productive
ress." ~.-stf{y ! /
In the above experiment you have
the whole subjeotlin q nut. shell. You
sec that the COW pea alone nearly
doubled the yield over the natural
land, and with the addition Of the
Ash element the yield was three times
as great, and at cost of not more
thau Z or 8 dollars per acre. The
f9llowipg experiments were made at
the Atlantic and AStono Phosphate
Companies farms near. Charleston
"In the month of June, ordinary
sandy land, which had hcen supplied
with the requisite quantity Of mineral
matter, Voc coon b-ont! oact with
cow peas. When the peas were near
ly ripe. Il measured quantity OF the
land was mown and the vines dried.
The dried vines were al the; rate of
i, ZOO lbs. to the acre, and were
proved by analysis to contain nitro
genous matter capable Of producing
2 1-2 per cent. of ammonia, and 10
per ccnt,of mineral matter or ashes.
TO determine whether it were ncces-
saryt to turn in green vines, t(always
q difficult and troublesome operation }
some Of the dried vines were washed
on filter with water, the water test
ed and foand to contain all the valu-
able constituents of the vine; show
ing that no loss Of fertilizlng material
had been cccasicncd by the plant
drying on the surface Of the land,
and proving The turning in, which
has greatly prevented the general
adoption Of this mode Of fcrtllizing,
TO be unnecessary. Therefore, upon
tic remainder Of tile land the vines
were allowed to die upon the surface,
and in November oats and wheat
were planted upon it, Both grew
vigorously and produced more than
double the crops ordinarily obtained
in this part ofthc country"
In the above you see the analysis
Of tie pea vine 9 l-2 per cent Of am
monia and 10 per cent. of mineral
matter or ashes TIC want or absence
Of this mineral matter in the soil ac.
counts for 80 much of our poor lands
failing to grow peas we have rroof
OF this in our own experience. You
are oil aware that peas will not grow
among corn manured year after ear
with cotton seed now it is not from
any Injurious property or principle of
the cotton seed, but because it fails
to supply the necessary mineral mat
ter, chiefly potash; supply this def
cient mineral element by the applica-
tion Of this ash element or any Of the
Charleston Phosphates, or by the
German potash alone, or ashes, and
we have a healthy luXuriant growth
of vines, and an abundant crop OF