418 



F A R M E R S' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



der a constant pulverizina; course. The known 

 experiment of Viin-Hehnont, seemed to favor the 

 opposite theory, that the earth parted with noth- 

 ing towards the plants growing on it. If there 

 were no ilhision in the case, the earth used by him 

 must, at least, have been destitute of vegetable 

 mould. For, in an experiment by VVoodhouse, a 

 garden mould was diminished in its weight by a 

 plant which grew in it. And the latest chemical 

 examination of the subject coincide with the ffenera! 

 opinion of practical husbandmenthat the substance 

 of" plants, partakes of the substance of the soil. 



The idea is, indeed, very natural that vegeta- 

 matter which springs liom the earih, and of itself 

 returns to the earth, should be one source at least 

 of the earth's capacity to re-produce vegetable 

 matter. 



It has been asked how it happens that Egypt 

 and Sicily, which have for ages been exporlinir 

 their agricultural produce without a return of any 

 equivalent produce, have not lost their re-produc- 

 tive capacity. One answer has been, that thev 

 have lost no small degree of it. If the fact be 

 otherwise with regard to Egypt, it might be ac- 

 counted for by the fertilizing inundations of the 

 Nile. With regard to Sicily, there may be some- 

 thinsrin the system of husbandry, or some parti- 

 cular local circumstances, which countervail the 

 continued asportation of the fruits of the soil. But 

 it is ti^r more probable, that the island is less pro- 

 ductive than it once was. Ft is certainly less of a 

 granery for other counties now, than it was when 

 it received that title from tlie ancient Romans. 

 And its population being diminished, the internal 

 consumption must also be diminished. If a suigie 

 farm is rendered less productive by a continued re- 

 moval of its crops without any adequate returns, 

 no reason occurs why it should not happen to a 

 number of farms multiplied to the extent of a 

 whole country. 



And that individual farms do lose their fertility 

 in proportion as crops are taken from them, and 

 returns of manure neglected, is a fact not likely to 

 be questioned. 



If it were, Virginia, unlbrlunatelv, is but too 

 ca|)able of furnishing the proofs. Her prevailing 

 crops have been very exhausting, and the use of" 

 manures has been particularly neglected. 



Tobacco and Indian corn, which, for a long time 

 on the east side of the Blue JVlountains were the 

 articles almost exclusivel}^ cultivated, and which 

 continue to be cultivated, the former extensivel}^, the 

 latter universally, are known to be great im])over- 

 ishers of the soil. Wheat, which has lor a number 

 of years, formed a large portion of thegeneral crop, 

 is also an exhausting crop. So are rye and oats, 

 which enter occasionally into our fLirm system. 



With so many consumers of the fertility of the 

 earth, and so little attention to the means of re- 

 pairing their ravaafes, no one can be surprised at 

 the impoverished face of the country; whilst every 

 one ought to be desirous of aiding in the work of 

 reformation. 



The first and main step towards it, is, to make 

 the thieves restore as .much as possible of the sto- 

 len fertility. On this, with other improvements 

 which may be made in our husbandry, we must 

 depend for the rescue of our farms from their pres- 

 est degraded condition. 



Of tobacco, not a great deal more than one half 

 ©f the entire plant is carried to market. The resi- 



due IS an item on the list of manures: and it is 

 known to be in its quality a very rich one. The 

 crop of tobacco, however though of great value, 

 covers but a small projtortion of our cultivated 

 ground, and its offal can of cour^^e contribute but 

 mconsiderably to the general stock of manure. It 

 is probable also that what it does contribute, has 

 been more carefully used as a manure, than any 

 other article furnished by our crops. 



The article whicu constitutes our principal ma- 

 nure is wheat straw. It is of much importance, 

 therefore to decide aright on the mode of using 

 it. There are three modes: 1'. Carrying it from 

 the farm yard, after having passed through or be- 

 ing trodden and enriched by cattle. In that mode, 

 the greater part of it must be used, if used at all; 

 the straw going through that process, being a ne- 

 cessary part of the Food allotted to the catde. 

 To derive the fijil advantage ti-om it, it ought to be 

 hauled out before the substance has been wasted by 

 rain, by the sun, and by wind; and to be buried in 

 the earth as soon afteras possible. 2. Spreading the 

 straw on the surface of the ground. Many res- 

 pectable farmers are attached to this mode, as pro- 

 tecting the soil ii'om the sun: and by keeping it 

 most, favorinsr the vegetation underneath, whe- 

 ther spontaneous or artificial; whilst the straw 

 itself is gradually decomposed into a manure. 

 The objection to this mode is the loss by evapora- 

 tion, before this last eflect is obtained. 3. Turn- 

 ing the straw at once under the surlace of the 

 earth. This would seem to be the best mode of 

 managing manures irenerally; least of" their sub- 

 stance being then lost. When the grain is trod- 

 den out fi"om the straw, it is left in a state easily 

 admitting this operation. Some difficulty may 

 attend it, when the gra.in is thrashed tirom the 

 straw by the flail, or by the machines now in 

 use, neither of which break the straw suiBciently 

 to pieces. 



It may be remarked with regard to this article 

 of manure — 1. That its weighl is barely more 

 than that of the orain. 2. That the grain is the 

 part which makes the greatest draft on the fertili- 

 ty of the earth. 3. That the grain is lor the most 

 part not consumed within the farm. It is found 

 on trial that a stalk of wheat, as generally cut, in- 

 cluding the chaff, and the grains borne by the 

 stalk, are pretty nearly of equal weight. The 

 case is probably the same vvith rye, and not very 

 ditferent with oats. The proportion of fertilizing 

 matter in the straw, to that in the grain, has not, 

 as far as I know, been brought to any satisliicto- 

 ry test. It is doubtless much less in the straw, 

 which alone in the case of wheat, is with us re- 

 turnable in any form to the earth. This considera- 

 tion, whilst it urges us to make the most of the 

 article as a manure, warns us of its insufficiency. 



The stubble and the roots of the small grains, 

 not being taken from the earth, may be regarded 

 as relapsing into a fertility equal to that of vvhich 

 they deprived the earth. This remark is applica- 

 ble to all cultivated plants, the roots of which are 

 not an esculent part. 



An eminent citizen and celebrated agricultu- 

 rist* of this state, has among other instructive 

 lesons, called the public attention to the value 

 of the corn stalk as a manure. I am persuaded 

 that he has not overated it. Audit is a subject 



*CoI. John Taylor. 



