The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-03
THoUGHrs Fon FARMERS.
Anew Words In the vaIue Of Different Fer
- Il Ars. M

= . ~
OH. Mo1faster, Esq, Wiansbo,o;.
DEAR SrR--The writer claims little
OF originality in the following arti-
clcs pencillcd in idieahours. Reared
ut the pfow-handles it has been his
fortune or misfortune to live farming.
IT not BY farming. The common affairs
OF farming life bring into play SOME
common sense chemistry, coupled
with little Of other sciences, ana II
would DO we'll II, With tho limited edu-
cations wo obtained in our ofd-field
schools, we had picked up little more
of the chemistry of common life. Il is
known there is hitch prejudice against
book farming, 1t is also known l}ha,iy
farmers never read a book. Such arc
to DO pitfed: Mist the science or ag.
riculture DO handed down from father
and son orally, while every othor
calling has its Textbooks, in which
rules arc laid down to govern tho
craftp And why should not tho
young agricultulist begin life by
i'eaFling tho theoretical part Of his call
ihg, by iear,iilig at least s6me Of the
chemistry Of common lifc-that an
alkali neutralizcs an acid, that the
principal e1emcnts OF fertilization arc
ammonia, phosphoric acid, potash,
~, that plants are made Of two ole
ihe''ts, organic andinorganlc, that one
t'art is supplied by the atmosphere
md tho other part comes from the
soil? Having learned all nc can from
books, his complete education must bc
obtained Oh his farm and III his fields.
lilo must look from the bottom to tho
top, know whothcr Ms soil is derived
from granite, felspHf 6r hornblende,
or the slatcs, or from lortiaty foirma-
tions, for from such formations comes
tho cin'racter of his soils and its COM
poncnt parts. Knowing these llc can
supply deficiencies and so manage as
to make permanent improvements.
The profits on farming arc small in
every country, say not over two to
tour per cent. on capita, Invested. The
greatest profit generally arises from
Tho permanent Improvement of the
land and enhancement Of its Value of
farms, farm buildings, stock and i'm
plemonts. If n yotlig fNrmcr cxcr-
ciscs prudence, industry and sobriety,
while he may not make piles of money
by each crop, yet he will glow richer
by the silent accumulation and aggrc-
CATION Of particles around him. But
education and tho use of brains arc
necessary as a general thing to sue
cess. e.:
Commercial Fertilizers.
All fertilizers may be divided into
two closscs, Domestic aud CONNER
cial, or such rs may be made or picked
up ut home, and such as are purchased
from abroad. Commercial fertilizers
gro of several kinds. Tho Peruvian
Gtt'i6 now exhausted and supplantcd
by tho Guamape Guano which is about
half its valuc, contSffich from is
to 1S per cont. Of amnionin, whilo
the best Guanape docs not exceed 10
per cent: ana docs not Average ovor7
to per cent. of ammonia, with some
phosphoric acid. These arc generally
believed to be bird guanos, Which;
however, admits Of soinGo doitbt. The
supply has been immense. According
to Prescott, tho Pcruviamis used it free
ly over three hundred years ago.
Some other guanos of the same kind
have bccn shipped but Generally Of
low grades, and worthless.
Peruvian guano, yielding II per
cent. Of mmonia was worth alone for
the ammonia over ninety dollars per
ton f224o pounds. I'm its sale tho
old to II was used, but commercial for
tilizcrs arc sold by tho new ton Of
1000 pounds.) The value of the phos-
phoric acid it contains would be about
$lO5 to Sl0S per ton. What arc now
known rs commercial fertilizers are
generally made from bono phosphate
OF lime, which is obtained either from
bone OF recent origin, the best of all, or
such bone deposits as the Charleston
rock' or tE9qm rock guanos, the
best OF whichis perhaps tho Navassa.
A"o .Poocos VI tnC manufacture OF
super phosphates Is pretty much the
same from al tho bases That is, tho
bases are grohnd or pulvcrizcd, and
then treated with sui phuric acid, by
which d certain amount 6f the bono
phosphate Of lime is rendered soluble
and converted into it's chemical eduiv-
alcnt ofpnosphoric acid. Two ponnds
OF bone phosphate of limo yield lit
TIC oyer one pound of phosphoric acid.
super phosphatcs arc put on the mar
kct generally either under tho name of
Acld phosphat3s or Dissolved Bone.
ihcy contain two essential values, one
latent value, asst were, and Il certain
amount of valulcss matter, viz:
l. Pi,osl,iloric aci,l, soluble.
z. Sulphate oflime or land plnster.
8. AS Intent value certain amount
of insolublc phosphoric acid, which
will bo scryiccable between tho time