The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-12-20
SCIENCE ON THE FARM.


Cultivation of the Soil.
The process of vegetable growth and
structural formation of plant life carries
with it lessons of intense interest and
instruction. The organization of tree
or plant, beginning with the seed and
followed onward to that stage where il
reproduces the germ of life whence it
sprang, is no less wonderful or complex
than that of the physical organization
of man itself
The immutable law governing this
creative process, the Interchangeable re-
suits produced from certain incentive
causes, is one of those wonders of crea-
ton termed by some the law of nature,
by others the shaping of a divine pur-
pose originating solely with God.
However that may be, and we will leave
it to be discussed by theologians and
materialists, our purpose is but to make
few reflections in regard to the phys
ical synthesis of plant life from the seed.
The seed itself is to us the primary
origin of the plant. To the philosopher
who goes beneath the surface of things
that seed is but stage of life.
There was necessarily previous ex.
istence for that. Let us illustrate
by taking a wheat grain. Here
the chemist, by the wonderful forces
brought under his manipulation, disor-
ganizes this seed into its physical con-
stituents. He goes still further and re-
duces these again into their primary ell
ements. And what are these? Simply
a combination of elements entering into
the functions of nearly all physical sub
stances, neither having, separately, the
characteristic in the remotest degree of
our grain of wheat; but by some mys-
tic force the force that lights the end
less night with her brilliant galaxy of
planets, the power that controls the
mighty rush Of oceans-also governs in
its vast prescience the formative process
that gives to man the tiny grain of
wheat wherewith to sustain that condi-
ton called life. Put this grain in the
earth with conditions favorable to its
modification maintained and soon a
wondrous change is seen; the inert
grain gives forth its spikelet of green.
! the elements confined within become
endowed with life and it undergoes in
itself most mighty changes. Attracting
| to itself other elements from the soil, it
shoots up an active, living plant. But
let there be single element missing
from its proper sustenance and at once a
battle begins for existence. The plant
demands certain conditions for its sup
port. Say that nitrogen was missing,
the puny, weakling plant fails to pro
duce that robust head, rich in bread
products; omit the silica, the stalk that
should stand erect and firm to produce
| its kind, falls low before the lightest
zephyr and bids for more sustenance;
omit the phosphoric acid, the farmer is
again in despair at unproductive crops.
It will thus be seen that whatever care
the farmer may give the soil or the seed
therein planted, other requirements are
demanded for the perfect reproductive
process. What relief then has the hus-
bandman, who SO finding himself, sees
before him the prospect of poor crops
and possibly ruin. Herein comes the
value of progressive science. Chemistry,
which teaches the constituents of plants
and their requirements as to soil, here
steps in, and, with analytical demonstra-
| ton, reaches the source of the difficulty
ana comes 10 tne rescue WIFI proper
remedies. The elements that are lack
| ing in the soil are supplied and the Gre
alive process is continued.
What lesson is here taught The ex-
perience forced upon farmers many
years ago that certain rotations in grow
| ing crops were demanded to restore
worn soils, was an unconscious step in
science, a discovery of a century what
modern chemistry demonstrated in a
season. The lesson teaches that soils
vary largely and have different adapta-
tions; that continued. cropping, without
q compensatory return, will ultimately
exhaust any soil of its nutritive constit-
uents. and, lastly, that science can, with
master hand, cut the Gordian knot of
difficulties such az these, and in it the
tiller Of the soil has constant frieph -
| Rns0dsn0 Valzeu Tsainr.