The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-06-26

spirit and intelligence to make it
otherwise.-Southerm Planter:
COPPERAS AS A FERTILIZER.
Considerable inquiry has been made
recently concerning the fertilizing
qualities of copperas, as favorable re-
ports have come from France, and
these have prompted experiments.
Copperas has been recommended from
abroad as a valuable dressing for
different crops, and remarkable results
of experiments made on the other side
are shown, to convince the doubling
American fertilizer manufacturers. It
is claimed that copperas prevents
mildew, and a very weak solution de-
stroys moss and the spores of mildew.
An explanation of the favorable effect
of copperas is that it increases the
power of the plant for assimilation;
there is a large percentage of fibre
and nitrogen, but the increased crops
are not due to a supply of sulphuric
acid by the copperas, as superphos-
pilates containing an abundance of the
acid proved to have less effect.
The Connecticut Agricultural Sta
ton report, just received, cites one in
stance where copperas was used as an
experiment in this country, and it's
results in an increased yield Of 600
pounds of corn, or % per cent, from
the employment of 80 pounds of cop
peras per acre.. The chemist of the
station concludes from this investiga-
ton, and the evidence which comes
from France, Japan and Germany,
that experiments should be continued,
although he does not believe that cop
peras will be found helpful. He points
out that it will be injurious to plants
when applied in too large quantities,
but that it may be found of advantage
on rich garden land that has had an
abundance of other fertilizer material
for many years.
This is a subject which all
of the agricultural stations, and it is
surprising that experiments have not
been made on the ground allotted by
each State for such purposes. So far
they have depended almost solely
upon foreign sources for information,
instead of demonstrating in a practical
way on their own territory whether
copperas is a good material for crops
or otherwise. 1t is time that such
work was commenced, so that the
public could be enlightened upon the
dark subject, and a channel opened
for increased business in the article
OIL, Paint and Drug Reporter.
From an unpublished letter of
Thomas Carlyle, lately printed in the
Pail Mall Budget, OF the subject of
"The Best Books"
Neither let mistakes nor wrong
directions-of which every man, in
his studies and elsewhere, falls into
many-discourage you. There is
precious instructions to be got by
finding that WI were wrong. Let a
man try faithfully, manfully, to be
right; he will daily grow more and
more right. 1t is at bottom the con-
dltion on which all men have to Guilt
vate themselves. Our very walking
is an incessant falling, and catching Of
ourselves before we come actually to
the pavement. It is emblematic of
all things that a mar does. In con-
c%lusion, [ will remind you that it is
not by book alone, nor by books
chiefly, that a man becomes in all
points a man. Study to do faithfully
whatsoever thing in your actual situa-
ton, there and now, you find ex-
pressly or tacitly laid to your charge
that is your post; stand to it like a
true soldier; silently devour the many
chagrins of it, as all human situations
have many; and be your aim not to
quit 1t without doing all that it, at
least, requires of you. A man per-
fects himself by work much more than
by reading. They are a growing kind
OF men that can wisely combine the
two things; wisely, valiantly can do