CORN. 53 



valuable than where cut up by the roots, that allowed to stand 

 with the whole stock was still less valuable — that is, less valu- 

 able than where topped — which goes a long way to prove the 

 proposition of Baron Liebig, who has stated that " all plants 

 left in a natural state to mature their seeds, give back to the 

 earth, in the form of excrementitious matter, a portion of 

 their seed forming substance, thereby diminishing the weight 

 of the grain or seed." Thus it is seen, that where a portion 

 of the stalk is removed, there is less diminution in weight 

 than where the whole is allowed to remain. Thus the infer- 

 ence may readily be drawn, that where the stalk is cut up, the 

 connection with the earth being severed, the juices in the 

 same that would naturally pass back to the earth, are con- 

 veyed to the corn and thereby add to its weight. If this point 

 be satisfactorily proved, if all those persons who now top their 

 corn would cut the same upon the hill, quite a considerable 

 addition would be made to the aggregate amount of the crop 

 in a single state. 



To pursue the investigation of this subject further, taking 

 into consideration the general exhaustion of the soil, as the 

 result of the growth of a full crop, and consequently the 

 amount of matter to be returned to the soil, or previously 

 applied, in order not only to maintain an average fertility but 

 also to increase the same, is treading upon uncertain ground, 

 especially to those who make no special pretentions to scien- 

 tific attainments ; and still, with the present advancement of 

 science, and especially of chemistry, in its connection with 

 agriculture, something like an approximation can be made of 

 what is necessary to be done in the raising of corn. 



There have been formed approximate tables of the amount 

 in pounds of inorganic substances of manurial value, removed 

 from an acre of ground by average crops, supposing the whole 

 crops to be taken from the field, and by means of these tables, 

 the amount taken by a crop of corn is stated to be 247 pounds 

 of a combination of potash, soda, lime, magnesia, phosphoric 

 acid, sulphuric acid, silica, and salt, of which compound pot- 

 ash, phosphoric acid, and silica make up nearly 180 pounds, 

 or nearly three-fourths ; so that, if these estimates are correct, 



