524 



F A R M £ R S ' REGIS T E K. 



are," in the language of Colonel Taylor, '•' the 

 primary objects of the inclosing? system." The 

 objection to Aralor's theory, in its niosl compre- 

 hensive sense, is, that, in the creation and sustain- 

 ing of vegetable lil'e, the earth is made to play a 

 subordinate part — nay, that it is the mere home ol 

 plants, without the ability of contributing to their 

 subsistence. If nothing is nourishment to a vege- 

 table but what enters into the permanent con)posi- 

 lion of a vegetable, the conclusion is irresistible 

 that, as all plants on analysis yield an earthy [iro- 

 duct, and the product is Ibund to partake most of 

 the earth that predominates in the soil, producing 

 the analyzed plant, earth is necessary to plants as 

 Ibod. That air,* however, is essential to vegeta- 

 bles, is conceded. A seed deprived of air will not 

 germinate, and a plant placed under an exhausted 

 receiver, will soon perish. 



Of positive means of melioration — manures. — 

 Manures may properly be divided into three kinds, 

 manures of nourishment, manures of stimulus, and 

 mechanical manures. Of the first the committee 

 have already spoken. In relation to the second, 

 it may be remarked, that whatever eubsianccs 

 enable plants to digest more than under ordinary 

 circumstances they could consume, and accelerate 

 decomposition, are manures of stimulus. Hence 

 the efficacy of salt, lime, gypsum, &c. Mechani- 

 cal manures are those which etiect modifications 

 of the component earthy parts of soils, by which 

 they are enabled to increase or diminish their ab- 

 sorbent powers. Oftliis description is the addition 

 of clay to sand to make it n)ore retentive, or of 

 sand to clay to lessen the tenacity of the latter. 



The long mooted [)oint concerniii<f the relative 

 advantages of long and short muck, has been 

 settled by a series of experiments instituted by 

 scientific men. Short muck will give the best 

 crop the first year; long muck, the second. In 

 regard to cotton, the former is prelerred, because 

 its early efHcacy is indicated in the production ot 

 bottom Iruit — because, the plant being rarely over- 

 Blimulaied, the inevitable result where fermenta- 

 tion is too rapid, a new growth is prevented — be- 

 cause, by the use of the latter, the looseness of the 

 soil is increased, and the escape by evaporation ol 

 carbonic acidf with ammonia is ofcourse materially 

 assisted — because, as our fields are planted every 

 alternate year, no advantage would accrue from 

 long muck, except to the grasses, even if it be true 

 that its eflects are more decidedly beneficial the 

 second season. Decomposition, it ought disnnctly 

 to be remembered, should not be carried so liir as 

 to present only a black mass, without heat or 

 smell. 



Cottonseed. — This is undoubtedly a manure of 

 nourishment. Its value is derived from its olea- 



* Priestley first, and Lavoisier after him, analyzed 

 air, and found that when pure, it consisted of about 

 .seventy parts of azote, twenty-seven of oxygen, and 

 two of carbonic acid. In its ordinary (or impure) 

 state, it is loaded with foreigu and liglit bodies, sucli 

 as mineral, animal and vegi^table vapors, the seeds of 

 plants and the eijgs of insects. It is to this aggregate 

 liiat vegetation oviej the services rendered to itby air. 



I Carbonic acid is formed and given out during the 

 process of fenncn'ation, and malves twenty-eight parts 

 of one hundred of atmospheric air. It is composed, 

 (according to Davy,) of oxygen and carbon, in the 

 proportioa of thirty-four of the former to thirteen of the 

 latter. 



ginous property, as all oils are composed of carbon" 

 and hydrogen. On high lands, from four to six 

 quarts of /ti7c seed to the task row, (one hundred 

 and five liiet,) where the ground lias received a 

 coaling of mud, at the rate of forty cart-loads per 

 acre, may be relied u|,on with perhaps more cer- 

 tainty lor cotton, especially of an irregular season 

 than any other api)licatioi). If used alone, a hall- 

 bushel, or even a less quantity, should the land be 

 not too poor, is the proper an)ount. For dark soilcs, 

 it is tliought no manure answers better, particular- 

 ly if combined with marsh-mud. To corn, from 

 one peck to a half-bushel to the row, below the 

 list, it is of greater benefit than three bushels of 

 the host compost. 



Marsh. — In a green state fi-om twenty-five to 

 thirty carl-loads per acre ought to be applied. If 

 decomposed, a smallerquantity may be used. Au- 

 tumn, or early in the winter, is the proper time 

 for turning it into the ground, it is an advantage 

 to all soils, but especially to those of a black, or 

 dark gray color. Listing it, in the summer is olieii 

 attended with the happiest consequences. Where 

 this is done, it sometimes happens that, in light 

 lands, the cotton-plant becomes "blue." It is 

 hence advisable to postpone imbedding it until a 

 later period. 



Rushes and pine trash. — Both of these vegeta- 

 ble substances need artificial aid to convert them 

 into geine. By the usual processes of nature, 

 they are scarcely brought to a completely soluble 

 state in two yeais. By being buried in summer, 

 as already advised, they do exercise nevertheless 

 a material influence on vegetalion ; and this arises, 

 in reference to ihe first, from the decomposition of 

 ihe mass of spongy n)atter which at that time is 

 contained in the body of the plant ; secondly, 

 fioin its saline properties and iis attraction (or 

 moisture. With the constituent parts of pine 

 trash the committee are unacquainted. In a drought, 

 put around corn, it will revive it and reslore its 

 greenness of color as quickly as salt. It is known 

 too, to our most experienced planters that, if used 

 alone, its efficacy is only apparent on light and 

 dry lands. From these lacts the irderence is 

 drawn, that it ministers to the growing crop by 

 colleciing and retaining moisture. Another rea- 

 son why, if undecomposed, it should be covered 

 in suntnier, suggests itself It is believed, that 

 pine straw contains an acid principle, which in 

 time, through the agency of the calcareous matter 

 of the soil, is neutralized. By being thrown into 

 a liiter-pen the same effect is produced. 



Marsh-mud. — This is not a manure of nourish- 

 ment, where marsh itself is not combined with it. 

 The evidence on this head is conclusive, as it does 

 not but very slightly increase the growth of the col- 

 ton plant. From the analysis of ProlessorShepard, 

 it seems to contain more voluble properties of a 

 permanently beneficial kind than any other natu- 

 ral compound. The great disparity between I and 

 K, and the other analyzed speriimens, in regard 

 to the water of absorption, to organic matter and 

 alumina, shows, that by marsh-mud, judiciously 

 gathered and applied, the amending of our lands, 

 though the operation will unquestionably be gra- 

 dual, niay confidently be relied upon. The differ- 

 ences of opinion as to the utility of this manure, 

 arises solely from the difi'erence \n the component 

 parts of the substance itself^ Frequently, in the 

 immediate neighborhood of each other, samples 



