

Vol. XIX, Second Series. 



ROCHESTER, K Y., DECEMBER, 1858. 



No. 12. 



SCIENTIFIC NONSENSE. 



There is at the present time, among the rural 

 populatiou, a great desire for scientific information 

 in regard to everything pertaining to tlie arts of 

 agriculture and horticulture. One evidence of 

 this is found in the increased demand for popu- 

 lar scientific works. And as demand generally 

 creates a supply of some kind, every few months 

 brings us a new book on scientific agricul- 

 ture. It is not long since that excellent little 

 treatise, '■^ StocJchardfs Chemical Field Lectures^'''' 

 was issued from our teemidg press, followed by 

 FAstfs '■'•Progressive Farmer^'''' and shortly after- 

 wards by a new edition of '■'■Johnston's Elements of 

 Agricultural Chemistry and Geology!^'' and a year 

 or two since by " Waring''s Elements of Agrictil- 

 ture^'''' and lastly, a neat little work by Dr. Kent, 

 of Pliiladeiphia, called " First Lessons in Chemistry 

 and Geology^ as applied to Agriculture^'''' makes its 

 appearance. Every new book should be an im- 

 provement on its predecessors, but we are sorry to 

 say that the reverse appears to be the case. 



Opening Dr. Kent''3 book we read: — "It is more 

 advantageous for the pupil, and no more trouble- 

 some for the instructor, to teach the elements of 

 science scientifically and correctly, than to convey 

 his instructions in language unscientific and often 

 inappropriate." "With this we were pleased, and 

 continued to read, expecting to find a very correctly 

 written, scientific treatise. But we had not gone 

 far before we read: — "Common salt is a combina- 

 tion of soda and muriatic acid^ the acid commonly 

 known as spirits of salt." "We need hardly inform 

 our readers that common salt is formed of chlorine 

 and sodium, and, when pure, contains not a parti- 

 cle of muriatic acid or soda. Considering it as 

 muriatic acid and soda, we are not surprised to find 

 him recommending common salt to be mixed with 

 lime for the purpose of converting it into carbonate 

 of soda and chloride of lime. Errors are seldom 

 found single. 



Ammonia is spoken of as " a very important ar- 

 ticle in the composition of manures," and further: 

 *' Quick lime should never be mixed with guano or 



other manures containing ammonia; because the 

 lime sets the ammonia free, and allows it to escape 

 into the aimosphere." This is all very true. But 

 speaking of wood ashes, which " contain potash, a 

 combination of oxygen with potassium," he says : 

 "mixed with rape-dust, guano, and other manures, 

 they make a very useful compost." He forgets to 

 add that potash will drive off the ammonia just as 

 rapidly as the lime. If one is injurious, the other 

 is certainly no less so. In another place it is i-e- 

 commended to accelerate the decomposition of cow 

 dung " by the addition of wood ashes or quick lime , 

 well turned with the heap, whereby the process of 

 decomposition is greatly hastened, and the manure 

 much improved?'' Is it not amusing to find in the 

 recommendations of such a work, and which are 

 published with it, school-teachers, professors, and 

 editors, prating about "stupid, bungling agricul- 

 ture," and " the pursuit of agriculture so ignorantly 

 and bunglingly followed by the great mass of our 

 farmers ?" 



" The flesh of dead horses, diseased cows, hogs, 

 and dogs, when decomposed, make a very valuable 

 manure." * * " They should be decomposed by 

 the action of oil of vitriol." This recommendation 

 is simply absurd. Oil of vitriol is about the best 

 thing that can be used to prevent decomposition. 

 If oil of vitriol cannot be obtained, "lime may be 

 advantageously added to the substances to imdergo 

 decomposition, wherely all the gasses disengaged 

 during the process are absorbed and retained for 

 use." Oh ! you " stupid, bungling" farmers, think 

 of the wonders of chemistry ; lime will drive off all 

 the ammonia from "guano and other manures," 

 but it will " improve" cow dung, and absorb and 

 retain the ammonia of dead horses and diseased 

 cows ! 



"If the amount of manure to be made is the 

 object of the farmer's efforts, then his stock should 

 be kept in a cooler and less sheltered locality, and 

 where they can take abundant exercise.'''' Well, we 

 farmers are a " bungling, stupid" set of fellows, after 

 all. We have erected barns and warm sheds for 

 cattle and sheep in winter, " ignorantly" supposing 



