THE GENESEE FARMER. 



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gen, which is an important element of some of our most important crops, is furnished from ammonia, 

 which being very volatile, is disengaged from all putrifying animal and some vegetable substa.uees, 

 and having a strong affinity for water, is absorbed and returned to the earth by falling rain. 



Thus it seems nature has provided means for replenishing the soil with the substances that gi-ow- 

 ing crops are constantly drawing from it, either by her own process or by placing them within our 

 reach ; but the natural process is too slow for us of this railroad age, and that of purchasing and 

 transporting them from a distance is what few will resort to as long as they can raise half a crop. 

 It is true our farms may be kept up to their natural state of fertility by a judiciaus application of all 

 the manure that could be made from the crops that are grown upon them ; this is self-evident: and 

 it is just as evident, that if the farmer sends to market two-thirds of the grain that he grows, and 

 though he keeps stock enough to consume all the grass, hay, vegetables, and some grain, and disposes 

 of the product of these in the form of beef, pork, wool, butter, <fec., he is exhausting his soil of the 

 elements of those articles, the production of which alone gives his farm its value. 



A further and more censurable cause of the deterioration of the soil, consists in the waste of the 

 fertilizers within our grasp — tlie manure of our own stock. How many farmers throw down the 

 bars of their farm-yards, (for such seldom have gates,) and suffer their cattle to stroll at their leisure 

 upon the highway, or along the lane that leads to their watering place, perhaps standing a great 

 pai't of the day on the leeward side of a fence or hill that affords a better shelter than the bleak and 

 dreary yard, purposely located on a hill so that the nasty leachings may run off, perhaps in the road 

 or brook, and the yard be nice and dry. IIow many suffer their swine to run at large upon the 

 highway what time they are not in some neighbor's cornfield or orchard. And thus, for six months 

 in the year, what might be accumulating to fertilize the soil is scattered along the highway, to annoy 

 and bedaub the feet of their ■wives and daughters. How many suffer their manure to be in their 

 yards during the summer, exposed to the sun and rains, until by fermentation the ammonia and other 

 volatile parts are wafted by the winds to fertilize other lands, and the soluble parts are either poison- 

 ing the water of the springs and brooks, or are enriching the earth far below what will ever be 

 available. 



Now, I would ask, how is it possible, imder such a system of management, for the soil to retain its 

 primitive fertility? And that this is not an over-wrought picture of the practice of quite too many 

 of the farmers of our country, I think will be readily conceded by every farmer of common observa- 

 tion. But I am well aware that it is eaaier to find fault than it is to prescribe a remedy, and much 

 easier to propose a remedy than to adopt it. My views with regard to the remedy are perfectly in 

 accordance with those set forth by the editors of the Farmer, and perhaps I shall suggest nothing 

 new when I say that, in my opinion, the first step towards a thorough reform should be a general 

 diffusion of scientific information among the agriculturists of our country. The time has gone by 

 when it was generally believed that no other learning was necessary for the farmer, than to read and 

 write, and a sufficient knowledge of arithmetic to compute interest. It is now believed — it is now 

 known by some, at least, — that our profession calls, or should call to its aid, more of the physical 

 sciences than any other profession or business whatever. The earth that we cultivate is a great 

 laboratory, where nature on a grand scale is, by chemical affinities, effecting the decomposition and 

 new combination of the various organic and inorganic materials of which its surface is composed. 

 The structure, position, and elements of the various strata of the earth's surface, have an important 

 bearing upon its productiveness and the facilities for its proper cultivation. Why, then, should not 

 the farmer acquaint himself with the sciences of chemistry and geology ? And as his every day 

 business is with nature in her several departments of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, 

 those of botany, physiology, and others, would naturally suggest themselves as applicable to his busi- 

 ness. But to those who liave not the leisiu-e or a desire to acquire much of the knowledge refered 

 to, as well as to those who have, I would say, and say it with emphasis, husband the means that are 

 within your reach ; keep as much stock as is consistent with your interest. Perhaps our markets are 

 as well supplied with meats, butter, <fec., as is profitable to the consumer or to the interest of the 

 producer, at their present relative prices. If so, it should not be increased. But the quantity and 

 quality of the manure may be vastly improved and increased by confining every animal to properly 

 prescribed limits — by keeping the manure from the influences of the sun and rain — by preventing 

 the waste of the liquid part, and strewing it frequently with plaster, or other substances calculated 

 to fix and retain the gases. Swamp muck would answer a two-fold purpose by retaining the gases 

 -1 K and augmenting the quantity. S. H. — Plattekill, N. Y. i r 



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