158 



Philosophy fm- Farmers. 



Vol. XII. 



Philosophy for Farmers. 



The relaxation of commercial restrictions 

 has had, among other effects, that of giving 

 an impulse to agricultural industry, which 

 has long borne the reproach of being behind 

 the age. According to some authorities, ag- 

 riculturists generally have proved themselves 

 the most unteachable of mortals, willing ra- 

 ther to obey a mechanical routine, than to be 

 guided by true principles. Whether such 

 be the case or not, the ceaseless labours of 

 the press are doing much to remove ignorance 

 in every quarter; and science, which gradu- 

 ally insinuates itself into all human opera- 

 tions, is doing for agriculture what it has 

 done for manufactures — taking it out of the 

 domain of uncertainty, and showing it to be 

 equally dependent on natural and philosophi- 

 cal principles. With these aids, and a more 

 active competition, there can be little doubt 

 that agricultural pursuits will sooii become 

 characterised by a high degree of commer- 

 cial activity. 



It frequently happens that valuable scien- 

 tific treatises are published, which remain 

 totally unknown to the general reader, and 

 thus become lost for purposes of practical 

 utility. A paper of this character, on "The 

 Philosophy of Farming," which appears to 

 us to be deserving of wider circulation, has 

 just made its appearance in the last volume 

 of the "Manchester Philosophical Society's 

 Memoirs." According to the author, Mr. 

 Just, " all cultivation consists in bringing to 

 the plant, or placing within its range of ac- 

 tion, such a supply of material as natural 

 means cannot furnish it with in the situation 

 where it grows. In order to cultivate well, 

 it is therefore as necessary to know what 

 plants want, as for the builder and contractor 

 of material to know what is required for 

 building." It is now pretty well understood 

 that the growth of plants depends less on 

 solid nourishment, than on fluid and atmos- 

 pheric agents, of which the chief are car- 

 bonic acid gas, azote and water. In chemi- 

 cal language, these comprise four atomic 

 elements; and according to their presence 

 in the soil, is the abundance and deficiency 

 of the crop. On the continent, the investi- 

 gations of Liebig and Dumas on this import- 

 ant subject, as well as those of scientific 

 men in this country, have brought to light 

 many important facts and data, the whole 

 extent of whose application is yet a matter 

 of research. 



Perfect drainage appears to be no less es- 

 sential for fields than for towns: to secure 

 an abundant supply of the elements above 

 enumerated, the main requisite consists in 

 due permeability of the soil, so as to admit 



of proper drainage. Hence it is that clayey 

 lands, by favouring accumulations of stagnant 

 water, are in so many instances unproduc- 

 tive. The disposition of the drainage should, 

 however, be such that tfie whole of the soil 

 concerned in the growth of the plants is per- 

 meable by the air, promoting a constant fil- 

 tration and successi(Jn of materials that con- 

 tribute to vegetable formations. Rain brings 

 down ammonia from the atnaosphere, and its 

 beneficial effect on lands is greatly increased 

 where the drainage is good, as the atmos- 

 pheric particles then find their way readily 

 to the roots of the plants, and the mineral 

 substances in the soil are more effectually 

 dissolved. "The two fundamentals of all 

 good farming," says Mr. Just, " consist in 

 thorough percolation of water through the 

 soil, and a constant accession of air." Rapid 

 drainage is not less important; main drains 

 ought to cease discharging at the end of 

 four or five days, instead of, as at present, as 

 many weeks, ceasing only in long droughts; 

 and to be dug so low, that the superabund- 

 ant moisture of the surface shall be at once 

 effectually discharged, with a constant cur- 

 rent, otherwise the drains soon become 

 choked by mud. It is evident that the me- 

 chanical arrangement of drains must vary 

 with the nature of the locality to be drained; 

 and no attempts at drainage should be made 

 without first ascertaining the nature of the 

 subsoil. The following data are given as 

 guides to the inexperienced: " It^ when the 

 soil has been carefully removed from an area 

 of a few yards in extent, and the surface of 

 the subsoil has been left to dry, water is 

 found to accumulate within it, when dug 

 into, then that subsoil is drainable, and will 

 draw water from the surface according to 

 the depth dug; and the ground may be made 

 perfectly dry by the usual kinds of drains, 

 provided those drains be laid sufficiently 

 deep, and allowed a free discharge. Where- 

 as, if, after the same preparation, the subsoil 

 or clay, when dug to a greater or less depth, 

 be perfectly dry, then no drainage can be 

 effected therein by ordinary methods, and re- 

 course must be had to opening transit for the 

 surface water in open channels, so that the 

 supersaturation of the soil may run off as 

 directly and quickly as possible." The au- 

 thor contends that land cannot be drained 

 too dry, as fluids are not so essential to the 

 growth of plants as aerial and gaseous mat- 

 ters, and perfect aeration is as much required 

 as perfect drainage. Air brings constant 

 supplies of material from every quarter; and 

 where the soil is kept properly drained, con- 

 veys nourishment in certain but invisible 

 forms to the roots of crops. Another advan- 

 tage attendant on aeration of the soil, is the 



