118 



The presence of moisture, heat, and the free access of air, are the best conditions 

 under which the nutritive substances can l)e put in a fit condition to be absorbed by the 

 roots of plants. 



A certain quantity of water, with the aid of carbonic acid decomposes the silicates 

 and makes the undisolved phosphates soluble through the soil — but stagnant water on 

 the other hand excludes the access of air and prevents the generation of carbonic acid — 

 Bo that it will be seen manures are much assisted by having the soil in a fit state to re- 

 ceive them. 



In examination of the question as to the best or most economic manures for small 

 fruits, I have come to the conclusion, the best manure for the soil the cultivator has to 

 work upon, is the solution to the question ; as any soil which will produce good vegetables 

 or good farm crops, will produce good small fruits. For these, as well as for the produc- 

 tion of any other part of the vegetable kingdom, the earthy phosphates should not be lost 

 sight of in imparting productiveness to land. 



The so-called superphosphates are phosphates which have been treated with sulphuric 

 acid. On land, poor in clay and lime, the superphosphates are specially suitable. But on 

 chalky soils, free phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid are at once neutralized, thus depriv- 

 ing them of their essential properties, which are their ready difFusibility, as it is this 

 which renders them so valuable as a manure for other soils. 



Amongst the natural phosphatf s, bone-dust holds the first rank, and probably the 

 best mode of reducing bones is, to expose them to a high pressure of steam, under which 

 they lose their toughness, and swell up into a large gelatinous mass which, when dried, 

 may be readily ground to a fine powder. In this form the bone mass si)reads rapidly 

 through the soil, and dissolves slowly with water without requiring any other solvent. 

 Bone clmrcoal of the sugar refineries makes an excellent manure, but requires to be 

 ground to an exceedingly fine powder to be available. It is a good plan to mix the bone- 

 dust with farm-yard manure, and let the whole mass ferment, when it should be immedi- 

 ately transferred to the soil. 



Manures, as a rule, are still on trial, both on this continent and Europe ; but the 

 question has long been settled by the Japanese husbandmen. 



The soil on the mountains of Japan is composed of a fine brown clay, that of the 

 valleys, a black, loose, deep garden mould. The clay strata of the mountain, owing to the 

 copious rain-falls, give rise to innumerable springs, which may easily be collected without 

 any groat skill, and turned to account for purposes of irrigation. 



The hills, with their rock strata, about Owen Sound, which I saw during our drives 

 at the summer meeting there last year, put me in mind of the springy hillsides as de- 

 scribed in Japan. In that very flourishing empire, the climate of which is very similar 

 to Florida in the United States — the warm summer months are employed for growing 

 rice, sugar, and cotton, whilst during the cooler season of winter wheat and vegetables 

 are grown. 



Whether the present fruitfulness of the soil in Japan is simply the product of culti- 

 vation extending over several thousand years, or whether its fertility existed from the 

 beginning is not material, the clay of the diluvium, the mild climate and abundance of 

 water, give all the requisites for a thriving cultivation, and these advantages have .ill 

 been turned to account by this industrious, ingenious and sober people. The Japanese 

 have thoroughly mastered the difficult task of maintaining their land in the highest state 

 of cultivation. Society is divided into seven classes in that country, and the sixth, or 

 lowest but one, is the farming class. There are no agricultural schools, societies, nor 

 academies, and no agricultural press. The son learns from his father, who, in his turn, 

 learned from a previous generation. The system of agriculture in Japan is a positive 

 knowledge, which ages have shown to be true, and there is nothing else to be learned 

 in it. 



One of the peculiarities of Japanese husbandry is, that their religion — Sintoism and 

 Buddhism — forbids the eating of flesh, and not flesh alone, but everything derived from 

 animals, such as butter, milk and cheese, thus disposing of the principal objects for which 

 cattle are raised in Europe. Even sheep would not pay, if reared for the wool alone. 

 The con.sequence is, the whole empire is arable land, there being no pastures, and all the 



