Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-10

the soda, and we propose to consider
this salt under the head of nitrogen.
There IS, perhaps, nothing else of inter-
est that need be said efsoda in this place
Magnesia is another of the substances
largely found in the ashes of all agricul-
tural plants, and being now upon the
market in large quantities, and very
cheap, it is being extensively used in
the manipulated fertilizers, and the lit
erature Of advertisements abounds in
declarations that it is a most important
plant-food, backed up by the inevitable
analysis. There is crude sulphate of
magnesia which is bySproduct ofsome
Of the manipulatiOns Of the potash salts
at the German mines, which sells at
about four dollars per ton. Manipula-
lators are beginning to use this stuff
as a make-weight in their products, and
to claim, of course, great value for 1t.
Yet, all experiments 60 TO show that a
soil is hard to find which receives any
benefit from applications Of magnesia
IN any of its forms. 1t is, indeed, an
extremely abundant mineral, giving
character to extensive series of rocks,
AND, Of course, Astounding in the soils
resulting from their decomposition.
Hornblende, tale, chlonte and serpen-
tine are very common and widely dis
tribuied minerals, containing large
quantities of magnesla. The practical
fact is, that, so far as known,it seldom,
if ever, does any good as a manure, and
it need not be taken into account in ess
timating the probable value ofmanures
which contain it, except when it should
be regarded as reducing the value OF tie
material in proportion to It's weight.
Those who have pretended to value
fertilizers from the data furnished by
analysis, take no account Of the pros
portion of inert materials in the miXs
ture. Yeta person not an entire block
head, must know that ton Of the most
valuable guano, mixed with twenty tons
of inert sand, would not pay farmer to
haul it a mile if gwen to him {; and to
the active ingredients in a manure all
at one price per pound, without regard
to whether they are found in connection
with ten times or forty times their own
in inert matter, is simply ridiculous
Now, for all that anybody knows, mag.
nesla is simply worthless ke-welght
in fertilizer, and the more tons Of il
farmer buys and pays freight on over
railroads, and hauls home from the de-
poi, land scws on his land, the less mon
ey he will have after harvest. But
somebody will be sure to say magnesia
is most important element of plant
food, and that it is surprising ignorance
on the part Of the writer not to know
1t. Nay! friend, not quite so fast
Certainly every tyro in agriculture
chemistry knows that. A mere inspec-
ton OF any of the very many published
tables of analyses Of agricultural plants
will set that fact very plainly before any
body who chooses to look. The practi-
cal fact is, that all arabic soils appear
to contain a superabundance Of magne-
STA for the wants of all agricultural
plants and hence it is that manuring
with magnesia does not increase the
crops. 1t is very true that there may
come a time wien both potash and
magnesia will be needed by most Of our
soils, as the time has already come
when most OF them need phosphates.
But surely sufficient unto the day is
the evil thereof Some persons, how
ever, may SET up the objection
that although potash and magnesia ex-
lists in plentiful supply TOR the needs Of
plants, their effects in producing plant
food from inert materials by Their chem
ical activity, may be found to pay for
their use. 1t may be simply SAID in re-
ply, that it Is not so found. 1t pays to
use lime for this purpose, but use either
potash or magnesa with such eXpecta.
tons will be a bad speculation. We
confess to having been disappointed in
the use of potash. On theoretical
grounds, we reached the conclusion that,
in many special cases, it would prove
of great value, and we have had the
modification to recommend its use 10
friends who have spoken rather serely
Of their failures. The advice we now
have to cffer is, try little, and if you
like the outcome get more; otherwise,
not. But the complaint Is made that
information IS wanted with out the de-
lay and expense of trial, and that is
what science ought to do. Science helps
such as helps them selves, In order
to prevent farmers from running fool.
ishly to heavy expense, the science we
have suggests that, usually, potash and
do no good as manure, and if
you have reason to suspect that any
thing exceptional, in partiular case,
would cause them, or either Of them, TO
paw, the common sense that we sug-
gests, try it and see. But, complains
the farmer, can do that without any
Of your science very well, then, good
man, 60 and do it. There is no better
or more truly scientific science that this
try and see. Science IS nothing but
the systomized result experience. All
but it is readyUmad0 experience the far
ner wants, and he wants it gratis, toe.
So, indeed? There are whole nations
Of people in that self same fix. Proph-
sts and kings have desired such state
of D,ottors for themselves hut tbeV are