The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-30
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| dry weather, if the soil abounds in the
necessary food.
| When corn land is to be seeded, it by no
means should be fallowed, but only effect
ually narrowed. If it's fallowed the soil
Will then be too open. 1t will be almost
| Impossible to keep from seeding too deep.
In case of dry weather much of the seed
| will not come up besides, the soil will be
| too open for the plants to form a sufficient
root to withstand the freezes of a severe
winter.
The soil may receive all possible atten-
| ton by way Of rotation and mechanical
| skill. and vet be unpfoductiye. A rotation
of crops. it is true, will furnish vegetable
! matter and ammonia, but CANNOT increase
the mineral elements. Every crop that is
carried from the soil must take with it
more or less of the valuable mineral ele-
ments Hence the best OF soils, even with
the most judiciOus rotation and caret Ill cul-
ture, will, in time, become unprOductlVe
Of all else but the grasses, without the Tree
use of artificial manures. BY intelllgently
experimenting, farmers can best determine
what kind of fertilizer the different soils
demand to produce the best yield OF any
particular crop. 1t is true the chemist can
analyze the soil in his labratOry, but ele-
ments of great importance for all crops
may exist in sufficient abundance to make
the soil highly productive for years, and at
the same time be scarcely detected by even
the most careful analysis. Chemistry, how
ever, makes known the different elements
taken up by crops, and also the relative pro-
portion in which such elements exist in the
soil and is an invaluable guide for the judi
ciOuS farmer. The lesson taught by this SCI
ence is that nearly all soils contain an album
dance of all the plant elements except phoS-
phoric and sulphuric acids, potash and Soda
When soil is wanting in the above-named
elements, it is pronounced rnfertile, and to
produce full crop of any kind must have
these elements supplied Hence on all
poor soils, farmers can always profltaDly ap-
ply fertilizer containing all these ele-
ments. But many soils are wanting OF
poor in but one element; then it's FEAST
BILE to apply a manure only containing this
element. Stable and barn-yard manure IS
invaluable to the farmer but even with
the most judiciOuS management 1t Will not
supply the demands of his farm, because
more fertility is always taken from the soil
by way of crops than can be returned by
stable and barnyard manure for the SIM
pie reason that the majority OF grains raised
are not returned in manure on the farm, but
are shipped abroad, besides the quantity OF
fertility that is annually taken from the
soil by the produce of flesh and bone. AM
nominated manures of commerce are too ex-
pensive to be used on the farm with profit.
The market price Of ammonia far exceeds
it's agricultural value. By rotation OF
crops and the liberal use OF plaster, sutfi-
cheney of this valuable element OF fertility
can be secured in a natural way to supply
the demand of all crops, and the necessity
of procuring it in an artificial form dis
penSed with.
The fertilizers, in our opinion, that can
ho bo
farmer, are the natural phosphates and the
salts of potassa and soda. Two parts OF
phosphetic rock dissolved with sulphurlc
acid and mixed with one part OF German
potash salts, makes q fertilizer pecul-
iarly suited for wheat, costs about $40
cash per ton. and is nearly equal Ill agrl-
cultural value to the highest priced ma
nure. To produce afull crop OF wheat, the
quantity of this mixture to be applied per
acre, should vary according to the fertility
OF the soil The quantity necessary will
generally vary from two to four hundred
pounds. On soils wanting in phosphorlc acid
and Astounding in potasSa and soda the DIS
solved rock will alone have the desired Ell
feet and likewise, where potasSa and soda
are deficient and phoSphoric acid is III abun-
dance, it is only necessary to- apply the
salts. 1t is best for fertilizers to be thor
oughly mixed with the soil, but as there
is no convenient machine lOF GIlltS uISCllp-
uting it, it is more practicable to drill it
with the wheat. We have now considered
how the soil can be thoroughly preparation
a wheat crop, and will close with some
practical suggestions on seeding and har-
vesting.
The seed should be of the kind above
recommended, and be sown during the nat
ural seeding-time, at the rate OF about one
bushel and u half per acre. The seed should
be planted with drill to depth not ex-
ceeding one inch and a half. fit is planted
deep, as consequence of having to .pene-
trate great distance through the soil, the
vitality of the plant will be weakened, and
it will present delicate growth.
Besides, the vitality of the plant will
not only be drained by the distance it has
to penetrate the soil, but also by double
roofing process. In the process of germi-
nation the root is first produced and then
the STEM If the root is buried deep, the
stem when it comes to the light will pro-
duce another system of roots, and the one
below will die away. Moreover, if fertilizer
had been sown with the grain it will be
out of reach of this new system OF roots,
and consequently will he of little OF no
benefit to the plant. AGRICOLA.