16 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The beet-root crop was 22,748 pounds, leaves and roots, with- 

 out manure, and 31,608 pounds with complete manure. He 

 states, in another connection, let me say, that the manufacturers 

 of beet sugar had found, that by reducing the remaining pulp 

 to potash, they greatly increased their profits, and that habit 

 prevailed somewhat extensively ; but in every case it was found 

 that what actually went back to the ground lessened the crop so 

 largely, as a consequence of the exhaustion of the potash, as to 

 bring the product down to a point that did not pay a profit, and 

 they had to give up their potash and go back to the old system, 

 in order to keep up the fertility of the soil. It is, I believe, an 

 established fact in all root-culture, that if the waste is carried 

 back to the soil, after having been fed to cattle, the crop not 

 only is not reduced, but in many instances increased. That is 

 one strong proof of the necessity of potash, and of the folly of 

 abstracting it, in any form, where we can possibly avoid it, from 

 the soil. 



Prof. Ville gives a formula of the proper quantities of these 

 various elements to make a full crop. These tables are of great 

 interest, but as they can be examined at your leisure, I will not 

 trouble you with them. 



All this does not change, in any degree, the necessity of a 

 fertile soil. It does not qualify the soil itself ; it only enables 

 you to get crops upon any soil. Many other matters come into 

 the problem also, as the effect of sunshine and climate and sea- 

 son, and the capacity of the soil to hold moisture in the proper 

 quanity for the growing plant. All these are agricultural prop- 

 ositions which are not disturbed by these results. 



Prof. Yille's experiments led him very strongly to the conclu- 

 sion that the plant does obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere 

 when in a state of vigorous growth. He has made some very 

 curious experiments of that nature, which are worthy tlie exam- 

 ination of intelligent cultivators. If that be true, plants are 

 not so wholly dependent upon the putrefaction of vegetable and 

 animal substances for the nitrogen necessary to their growth as 

 has been supposed. 



He publishes a table of the four agents contained in the crops, 

 and in the complete manure, per acre : — 



