Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-06
EXHAUSTION OF SOIL.

VE SOAAs
BY ]. b. LAWEs, LII. D., RoTHAMsTED, ENG
LAND.
Considerable fault has been found with me
for saying that profitable agriculture is found
ed upon the exhaustion of the soil; it eXhaus-
tion is considered an unsuitable term. DO
not object to change the word for the reduc-
tion of it's fertility. The prices OF the various
products of the farm are regulated chiefly by
the labor expended on their production, and
not upon the amount of soil ingredients which
they remove from the land. If all nations
agree to pass a law compelling every farmer
to restore to the land the whole of the ingre-
dients which he removed by his crops, we
should not only see such a law followed by a
yery general and large rise in the price OF our
ordinary foods. but also that the relative cost
of the foods themselves would be very much
altered. Even without such a law we find that
necessity from time to time, compelS farmers to
alter their mode of cultivation and cropping
thus, when they find the fertility of their land
decreasing, they devote themselves to cultl-
waiting such products as contain more atmos-
pheric, and fewer soil constituents. For in
stance, let US take the case Of sugar beet. II
the roots are sold off the farm, in each 1000
lbs. of the dry roots about It's lbs. of soil pro-
ducts viii be removed from the land while
by the conversion of the same amount Of
sugar beet into beef or mutton, only about 10
lbs. of soil products will he removed and If
the beet is converted into sugar none OF the
soil products need be lost on the land.
For further illustration, Twill follow grass
through the same series. If sold as hay, sew
ell or eight per cent. of the soil constituents
are removed from the land; very much less it
the grass is converted into meat; and none
at all if converted into butter this last being
a purely atmospheric product all the soil con-
stituents may find their way back to the land,
except perhaps some small portion, which, in
the form Of skim milk, might he used to pro-
duce pork. 1t takes or lbs. of corn to pro-
duce | h. of increase in a pig large per cent
age of this increase is fat, and a farmer who
preserves the blood and offal would exhaust
very little of the products of his soil in pro-
ducing bacon. 1t is the rich fatty cheese
which commands the high price and the low
priced, skim-nlilk cheese which is cOmpara-
lively rich in soil products. The same law
holds good with regard to flour; the finest
flour is exceedingly poor, both in nitrogen and
minerals cOarser flour contains more, and
bran still larger amount of the soil ingredi-
entS. AS man cannot exist without a GER
tain amount of these soil products in his food,
and as all his efforts in the production of his
food are directed toward getting rid of such
soil products, the way in which lie obtains
them in separate form becomes rather an
physiological question.-Amertcdn
Ayricultualist for April
Hoe CIIoLERA.-Sof far as we know there is
no infallible remedy for hog cholera, though
Keeping hogs healthy with varied diet and
good water, and having salt, copperas and
charcoal always within their reach, are the
best preventives we have to offer. 1t is a con-
tagious disease which has long been known,
but rendered more common of late by impor-
tation of swine from the north, which bring
and communicate the disease to the natives.
Whenever hog has the chelora badly he
might as we'll be killed at once, and an effort
be made to prevent the spread of the disease
by burning up him and his eXcreta and every
thing connected with him.-Southe77e Culti-
gator.
Eg Crops which are planted in beds or drills
require large amount of manual labor unless
on ground free from the seeds of weeds. A
successful cultivator of the strawberry says it
will pay well to devote the season previous to
setting out plantation to thoroughly sum-
mer fallowing the ground, going over it every
fore the weeds can get above the surface. This
work is done rapidly and cheaply with horses :;
but if omitted a vast amount of unpleasant
work must be performed the next season by
hand. This management will apply to other
crops, such as carrots, turnips, &c.
"a" BY tillage the surface soil is kept in an
open, porous condition, favorable for the dis
tribution of roots. BY this means, also, cap
illary attraction is diminished, and the land
suffers less from drought. The
water holding power of the surface soil is also
increased A still more important result of
tillage is that tile soil is thoroughly exposed
to the influence of the air. Soils containing
humus or clay will absorb ammonia from the
atmosphere and thus increase their store of
nitrogen.
a. At no time of the year do fowls require
l mixture of food, with fresh meat at least
;wice week, than in March or April. Mash
I'd potatoes, chopped vegetables wheat, oats,
barley, fine broken bones, and finely cut hay
should also be used, one or the other daily.
Wheat is special producer of eggs. In May,
Insects, grass and other necessary food can be
sought out for themselves, when they need
eSS attention.
a. To stop the flow of blood Bind the cut
with cObwebS and brown sugar, pressed on
ike lint; or-if you cannot procure these
With the dust of tea.
a. To relieve asthma Soak blotting or tissue
,aper in strong saltpetre water. DRY and