270 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JCNB 



and have planted and reaped but little. But all 

 must eat, and prices go up higher and still high- 

 er, and every body inquires why is it so, and 

 looks abroad over the whole earth for an answer. 



Our illustration is finished. It might readily 

 be carried more into detail, but it seem to us so 

 plain, that a wayfaring man, though almost a 

 fool, may read it. The remedy is two-fold, and 

 will be eventually wrought out. The more sim- 

 ple style of life which our republican institutions 

 require, will become more respected, as it is, 

 indeed, respectable. Our farmers will become 

 a more influential class in society, and will claim 

 their true position. Enlightened labor will, with 

 aid of steam and animal power, become more and 

 more productive, and our crops, produced at less 

 cost, may l)e sold at lower prices. 



In the meantime let us again urge on our own 

 circle of readers, to make liberal arrangements 

 for large croj^s the present season, in as much as, 

 whatever we regard as the causes of the present 

 crisis, their effects are likely to endure far beyond 

 the next harvest time. 



CULTIVATION OE MILLET. 



Eds. Rural : — In your paper of April 7th I 

 have read an article, under the head oi '■^ Cultiva- 

 tion of Millet,^'' which, without an explanation, 

 might lead some of your readers to embark in the 

 cultivation of a croj) in which they may be dis- 

 appointed. There ai-e the three species of Pani- 

 cum cultivated as millet, besides two or three 

 species of the Sorffhum under the same common 

 name. 



Two of those species, Panicum Germanicnm and 

 Panicum Italicum, have round heads, much re- 

 sembling what the farmers know as pigeon grass. 

 I have cultivated these two varieties in Western 

 New York, but did not find them profitable. 

 The common or German millet grows with a stalk 

 four or five feet high, as large as a wheat straw 

 and coarser as feed for stock. The Paninim 

 miliaceum grows about three feet high, with a 

 broad leaf at each joint, the stalk terminating in 

 a 'panicle, somewhat like a loose panicle of Poland 

 oats. There are two varieties of this species, one 

 having brown and the other yellow buds. This 

 species is found to be more profitable for cultiva- 

 tion than the two first named. From the small 

 size of the stalk and the great proportion of 

 leaves, cattle and horses seem more fond of the 

 straw of this species than they are of best timothy 

 hay. 



An acquaintance of mine, summer before last, 

 raised one acre, from which he harvested and 

 threshed thirty bushels of seed, and the straw he 

 consiilered equal to three tons of timothy hay. 

 I conversed with a farmer tlie past week, who 

 raised it the last summer, who said "his crop 

 was considerably injured liy the drought, yet he 

 considered it tlie most profitable crop lie raised 

 upon his farm, as l)oth his cattle and horses were 

 more fond of it tlian they were of his best hi<y." 

 From the aliove, you po'rceive that tlie profit of 

 the cultivation of this crop depends upon the 

 species cultivated. — Ryral New-Yorker. > 



For the Jfeiv England Farmer. 



THOUGHTS UPON SOIL ANALYSIS AND 

 SPECIFIC MANURES. 



BY HENRY F. FRENCH. 



All plants, as well as animals, are composed of 

 certain elements, known to chemists, which ele- 

 ments were created "in the beginning" and have 

 continued to exist, in various forms, to the pres- 

 ent time. 



That atom, which is now part of a dew-drop, 

 has been also, perhaps, part of the life-blood of 

 man, and part of the sap of the vine. It may 

 have helped to moisten Pharaoh's lips with 

 wine, and possibly rolled down in a tear, on the 

 cheek of the penitent Magdalen. That atom, like 

 evei-y other, has existed from the creation, and 

 will continue to exist "till time shall be no 

 more." The chemist can separate, and weigh 

 and measure the elements which constitute the 

 plant. He can tell us of what it is composed, 

 and their just proportions. This he calls An- 



ALY'SIS. 



Then he examines the soil on which we would 

 produce such a plant. It is manifest that the 

 plant cannot grow, unless somewhere it finds 

 the elements which compose it. The earth, the 

 air, the water, must furnish every atom which 

 makes a part of the plant. The chemist thinks he 

 knows what comes mainly from the air, and from 

 the rains and dews of Heaven. Although there 

 are differences of opinion on this point, we will 

 assume that, substantially, this is known, and 

 that the only remaining labor is, to ascertain 

 what the soil can furnish towards forming the 

 plant, and to supply to the soil in tbe form of 

 manures, what the soil does not already contain. 



For example, phosphate of lime makes a part 

 of every grain of wheat. We assume that the 

 air and water will not furnish enough of this 

 substance for a crop of wheat. We examine the 

 soil, by a chemical analysis, and find no phos- 

 phate of lime, and nothing of which this com- 

 pound can be made. Now, says the chemist, we 

 must supply to the soil, what is wanting — phos- 

 phate of lime, in some foi'm. This illusti-ates the 

 doctrine of soil analysis and special manures. 



This theory is perfect, and I have no doubt is 

 practically useful, to a considerable extent. Of 

 what practical utility it is, and how for special 

 manuring, based upon analysis, does actually 

 prove successful, are .questions about which the 

 great minds of this, and of other lands, are not 

 yet agreed. 



When we return to the land, in form of our 

 common manures, the same elements substantial- 

 ly that were taken from it, in other words, when 

 we consume our crops with our animals, and 

 haul out from our barns and stables the product, 

 we are pretty certain, both by theory, and by 



