490 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 8 



reluctantly. Then apply a little plaster of Paris, 

 (sulphate of lime) arul hy their mutual action on 

 each other the carbonate of lime easily yields its 

 carbonic acids, and the vegetables grovvinj^ on the 

 Boil thus having an ample supply of carbon, will 

 grow as they had never been seen to grow on that 

 soil before. 



Now, your correspondent, to whom this is chief- 

 ly addressed, will see what my theory is, and most 

 of the steps by which my mind was led to em- 

 brace it. He will see, moreover, that it accounts 

 for the great efil'ct the plaster of Paris produced 

 upon his limed land. Belbre I conclude, I ought 

 to remark that although 1 have called the above 

 theory "my theory," I do not mean to assert that 

 it is exclusively mine. Doubtless the two ideas, 

 viz. that one of the chief uses of lime or marl, as 

 a manure, is, that it furnishes a supply of carbon- 

 ic acid, and thai the use of gypsum will ficilitate 

 the e.xtrication of that acid, h.ave occurred lo the 

 minds of many other persons; each one may say, 

 the theory is mine, but not exclusively mine. It 

 is one however which i have entertained for many 

 years. 



I entirely airree with your correspondent, when 

 he says that "lime only will show where the great 

 father of nature has placed the limit of ftL'rtiiity, 

 when lime, plaster, and their produce of vegetable 

 matter, are turned back and reacted upon." Clover 

 I presume takes badly in the lijiht sandy lands of 

 tide-water Virginia. Whenever persons, who 

 have brought their lands to moderate stale oi" ier- 

 tility, by lime or marl, find this to be the case, lei 

 such persons supply themselves with rollers lo be 

 drawn either by one or two horses. Inniiediately 

 after sowing the clover seed, run a roller over the 

 field, and, if the season is not unfi.ivorable, the seed 

 will vegetate and grow. When the clover is of" 

 suitable age, sow gypsum for two years, and dur- 

 ing the fall of the second year, be the clover knee 

 high, or haunch high, plough it down. Next 

 spring plant the field with corn, and go on with a 

 judicious rotation of crops, careful husbanding and 

 application of putrescent manures, and the next ge- 

 neration may see some of the pine barrens of tide- 

 water Virginia producing from twelve to fifteen 

 barrels of Indian corn to the acre. 



1 have already referred to Professor Armstrong's 

 Essays on Vegetable Physiology, which you have 

 been for some time publishing in the Farmers' Re- 

 gister. I would recommend them to the especial 

 attention of your readers generally, both male 

 and female. They are written in a plain, familiar, 

 perspicuous style, and contain much inlerestmg 

 and valuable information. I fear manj' of the 

 readers of the Register overlook those essays, un- 

 der an impression that they are too learned for 

 common readers. l)ut, if any intelligent person, 

 although without any previous knowledge of che- 

 mistry, will begin at the beginning of those essays 

 and read them regularly on, 1 am much mistaken, 

 if he will not find that he can understand them 

 with ease, and will find a new and delightful field 

 of knowledge opened to his mind. Even those 

 who have already some knowledge of chemistry, 

 will find them pleasant and useful. Senex. 



CIRCULAR LETTER OF THE COMMISSIONER 

 OF THE PATENT OFFCE. 



[The following letter will be(?l explain its excel- 



lent object. It is earnestly hoped that the zeal of 

 the Commissioner for the advancement of agricul- 

 tural interests maji be properly responded to by the 

 various individuals to whom the circular has been 

 addressed, and his object furthered, and made sure, 

 by the proper aid of-government. — Ed. F. R.] 



TVashinglon City, D. C, Patent } 

 Office, June Is/, 1889. 3 



Sir, — During the last session of congress, an 

 act was passed authorizina the Commissioner of 

 Patents to collect statistics, and in various other 

 modes, to promote the agricultural interest of the 

 United States. For this purpose a small appro- 

 priation was made. 



Deeply impressed with the importance of this 

 subject, and regarding it as the commencement of 

 a system, which, if properly carried out, will con- 

 fer incalculable benefits on our common country, 1 

 embrace an early opportunity, very respectfully to 

 invite your co-operation in introducing loreign 

 tseeds which are rare and valuable. 



In calling your attention to this subject, I che- 

 rish the belief, that all citizens of the United 

 States, who reside or travel abroad, especially the 

 diplomatic corps, officers and gentlemen of the 

 nav}', and commanders of private vessels, will 

 cheerfully, so lar as primary duties allow, aid in 

 the measures which the national legislature pur- 

 poses to accomplish. 



Some general directions for packing the seeds, 

 accompany this circular. Please transmit to this 

 office such collections as you may make by public 

 vessels, (as far as practicable) whose commanders 

 are fully authorized to receive the same. Rea- 

 sonable freitiht, however, will be paid by this of- 

 fice for shipment in private vessels. 



An exhibition of the spike of thediH'eront grains, 

 indigenous and exotic, is contemplated in the new 

 Patent Office; hence the importance of sending, 

 if possible, a specimen of the original stalk with 

 the grain attached. 



I have the honor to be, 



With high respect. 



Yours, obediently, 

 Henry L. Ellsworth. 



Directions for putting vp and Transmitting 

 Seeds. 



With a view to the transmission of seeds from 

 distant countries, the first object of care is to ob- 

 tain seeds that are fully ripe, and in a sound and 

 healthy state. To this the strictest attention 

 should be paid; otherwise, all the care and trouble 

 that may be bestowed on them will have been 

 wasted on objects utterly useless. 



Those seeds that are not dry when gathered, 

 should be rendered so by exposure to the air, in 

 the shade. 



When dry, the seeds should be put into paper 

 bags. Common brown paper has been found to 

 answer well I'ov making such bags. But as the 

 mode of manufacturing that paper varies in dif- 

 ferent countries, the precaution should be used of 

 putting a portion of the seeds in other kinds of 

 paper. Those that most effectually exclude air 

 and moisture are believed to be the best for that 

 purpose. It would be proper, also, to enclose 

 some of the seeds in paper or doth that has been 



