46 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



heat of a spirit lamp without breaking ; or it may be 

 placed in a sand-bath, and the soil boiled in diluted 

 muriatic acid. As we do not care to get out all or 

 any of the alluniina and iron, it is not necessary to 

 have more than an ounce of acid to two pounds of 

 soil, and distiDed water enough to cover the mass 

 one or two inches deep." 



Without copying the process in detail as there given, 

 it is easy to see" that as 10 lbs. of soil weigh over 70,000 

 grains, if one of lime is found and iw morc^ there ex- 

 ists one part in 70,000 ; if only the tenth of a grain is 

 obtained, then the proportion is as one to 700,000 ; 

 and if the smallest weight is just balanced, the ratio 

 of lime is to the soil as one part to seven million. 



The next paragraph begins with these remarks : 

 " There is nothing to prevent our leaching one or 

 two hundred pounds of any soil, either with cold 

 or hot water, or diluted vinegar, sulphuric, nitric, 

 muriatic, or other acid, to dissolve out the phosphate 

 of lime., or any other valuable constituent of our 

 crops. Have not practical men long leached the 

 earth of plants (their ashes), and evaporated the 

 solution to obtain their potash and soda? And who 

 wih say that we may not perform a similar operation 

 to show how much" of potash and soda there is in 

 the soil that yields the ashes of forest trees? The 

 science of Chemical Analysis is now in its infancy ; 

 and for one, we protest against the injustice of popu- 

 lar Avriters, like IIexry Colman and others, who are 

 most liberally paid for their compositions, in seek- 

 ing every possible opportunity to disparage the value 

 of this science?" * * =i= ^' The great volume of 

 Nature is alike open to all ; and why should not all 

 read, and understand the original text? We are 

 confident that we shaU be able to determine how 

 much of the substance of the soil is ordiiuirily con- 

 sumed in forming 100 pounds of Avheat, corn, oats, 

 clover, turnips, and potatoes. In true inductive 

 science, there is no guess work." (e) 



Some thne when you are in want of a subject for 

 editorial comment, by copying the whole of the 

 article of which the above are extracts, you will 

 perhaps have a theme not unworthy of your logical 

 acumen, and professional attainments. In the first 

 number of the Jouriml of the United Stutcs Agri- 

 cultural Society, prepared by me as Secretary of 

 the same, I copied from the American Journal of 

 Science and Arts a carefully -prepared paper entitled 

 "Notes and Observations on the Analyses and 

 Character of the Soil of the Scioto Valley, Ohio, 

 with some general considerations respecting the 

 subject of Soil- Analyses ; by David A. AVells, 

 Cambridge, Jilass." While I would speak of this 

 paper as worthy a place in the Genesee Farmer, for 

 the instruction of that large class of its readers who 

 are stitdents in the science of their calHng, I will 

 content myself with copying a single paragraph : 



" There is one other suliject connected with those 

 analyses, which I consider of the highest importance, 

 and to which I would direct special attention. Dr. 

 Daxa, of Lowell, in tbe course of many years' expe- 

 rience, has coUected and preserved the results of 

 more than four hundred analyses of soils, from tlie 

 northern portion of this country. Tlie analyses of 

 the soils I have made from Ohio, and the analyses 

 of all the soils resulting from the drift agency, do 

 not differ materially so far as regard their inorganic 

 constituents. That is to say, the soUs of Ohio, 

 yielding, with little or no culture, from seventy to 



eighty bushels of corn to the acre, are no letter, so 

 far as their mineral composition is concerned, than 

 many of the ^lassachusetts soils whicli liave a repu>i 

 tation for sterility." 



According to Mr. Wells, the greater "fineness 

 of the elementary particles" of the Scioto soils, and 

 " the amount and condition of their organic matter, 

 impart to them their superior productiveness." I 

 commented at some length on the labors and views 

 of Mr. W., mainly to promote the more critical and 

 refined investigation of the true sources of fertility, 

 and of the real cause of infertility, in aral)]e lands. 

 As I still have the same object in view, permit me 

 to copy a few remarks which I then made. "In tlKJ 

 analyses we are told how muchAvater, "hygrometrio 

 and combined," the soils (sontain, and the amount 

 of "waxy and resinous matters extracted by alcohol 

 and ether;" but Ave learn nothing of the quantity 

 of nitrogenoui elements that may be present in any 

 form. This omission is a serious defect, for ammo- 

 nia, Avhether absorbed from rains, dews, and the 

 atmosphere, or supplied by decaying vegetation and 

 the bodies of animals, is too valuable an element to 

 be passed by as a thing of no account. While Avaxy 

 and fatty matters m soils require alcohol and ether 

 to dissolve them, Avhich no farmer can ap[)ly to his 

 land, ammonia is not only soluble in Avater, but it 

 uicreases the solubility of both the organic and in- 

 organic food of plants. The unscientific reader Avill 

 appreciate the value of ammonia in the production 

 of crops, Avhen Ave inform him that it sells at six- 

 pence a pound (eleven cents) in England, as it exists 

 in guano, and other commercial manures." 



I suggested that chemists ought to devote atten- 

 tion to these points: "Do the plants that natui-ally 

 grow on the Scioto, or otlier rich bottoms, contain, 

 as a Avhole, more organized nitrogen than plants that 

 groAV on comparatively poor upland, fr(jm which,, 

 perchance, the finer particles of sand, clay, and 

 mold, have been Avashed and deposited as sediment 

 along the banks of streams below ? And if the vege- 

 tation of river flats and fertile intervals is richer in 

 nitrogenous compounds, to Avhat agencies is this 

 hicrease of organized nitrogen to be ascribed ?" 



The above was written six years ago, and I have 

 smcc endeavored to answer my OAvn questions by 

 appropriate researches, and embody an exposition 

 of the facts and principles involved, in a Avork, still 

 in progress, on "The Philosophy of Agriculture." 



In drawing up the Constitution of the United 

 States Agricultural Society, I took good care to 

 insert a section providing for the organization of a 

 National Board of Agriculture, to carry into effect 

 the plan of the great and good WAsniNGTo:N\ Men 

 of snuill minds and selfish purposes have rejected it 

 for half a century ; but their triumph can not last 

 alwJiys, and Tillage and Husbandry are certain to 

 rise, "in this nation of republican farmers, to the 

 dignity of a learned, a truly scientific, and an hon- 

 orable profession. To place soil-analyses in their 

 proper sphere of usefuhiess, the country greatly 

 needs a national institution which has at its head, 

 men of patriotic motives, of cultivated common 

 sense, Avho know how to use and successfully apply 

 science to the advancement of American agricul- 

 ture. Does the United States Agricultural Society 

 come up to this requirement? Not to cultivate the 

 science, nor the literature of agriculture, and be 

 content with the rather overdone annual display of 



