330 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAT 4, IM 



ixn hohticultit.al rkgistkr. 



CofTO!*, Weduksdat, May 4, 1842. 



LIEBIG'S AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 



A distin^uisfrfid Profi-pgnr in Germnny, in discussing 

 with thu oullior of the above iinmpd work, llie question 

 of tlio use i>rnlkallcs to pinnts, nnd in particulnr llie ne- 

 renslly of potasli for the growth of wheat, nn nliontd, hs 

 unfavonihle to that view, llie f k t that fine rropg of 

 wheat wi r.! obt.iined from a purely calcareous snil, ly- 

 ing o»er limestone, in Hanover. "Then," answered 

 Prof. I>iebig, " yon may rely upon it !h:it the lime.-Iiine 

 contains piilanh " His friend took an earlv opimiinnity 

 to invcslig.Tto the matter, and found, in his surprise, 

 that the liuiestine in question did contain a very notable 

 proportion of potash, a fact previously unknown. He 

 found pouish also in other fi'rlile liniestoreK, and in eve- 

 ry specimen of clay hn examined, even in the purest 

 pipe clay. We doubt not, therefore, that pola-ih will bo 

 fiiund in some form in avery soil in which wheal thrive?. 



The fo.-.going is from an article on I.iebig's work in 

 the London Quarterly Review for March, and ilie wri- 

 ter observes that he can vouch fur its truth, havinjj 

 heaid the anecdote attested by the parlies themselves. 



We karn that a third edition of this work. is in the 

 press, and will contain many alterations and valuable 

 additions from llie author. Prof. I.iebig has been for 

 some time engaged in prep.iring a work on Animal Che- 

 mistry, which, so far as received, is also republishing, 

 under the supervision of Prof. Webster, of Ciimbridge. 

 Though we arc i:ot ready to adopt the views of Liebig 

 on several points, we deem his pioducti. ns valuable, and 

 worthy the attention of all thinking agriculturists. 



the length 9 feet. The lovers of mammoth animals 

 will take pleasure in locking at her. 



.i huge Hog, about two and a half years old, a crosB 

 of the Berkshire and the Grass breed, is lobe seen in 

 the pen adjoining ihatof tho cow. Ho is said to weigh 

 1400 lbs. Not remarkable for any thing but »ize. He 

 is a production of Pennsylvania. 



H 



SEED COR.N-ITS PREPARATION, &c. 



In all casi's use good sccdif itcnn possibly be obtained. 

 Take only such ears ns have a cob freo from mould, and 

 MS are dried without healing 'I lie custom of most good 

 farmers excludes an inch or more at each end of the ear, 

 and takes the middle only for seed. When one can 

 plant early, say before the middle ol M.iy, there is no 

 benefit derived from soaking the seed in n(tter alone ; 

 but some afliriii that soaking in nitrate of polish — ihai 

 is, siltpelte— his a favorable effect upon tlip growth of 

 the plant, and also in preventing the ravagus of worms. 

 W» have no experience with this article. We plant 

 without siLtkiiig. 



Wo dceni it good economy to plant 50 per cent more 

 kerni li of corn than yoii wish to have stalki. upon the 

 ground. This will allow. you to pull up all the puny 

 and unpromising stalks, and yet have lell a full supply 

 of such aa are vigorous and healthy. 



near tlie.C9Urt 

 She was 



MAM MOT/1 COW 



There is to be seen in Court street 

 House, a cow of very extraordinary 

 raised by .Mr Benjamin Hills, of Surry, N. H. Will be 

 six years old in June next. Tl ough she has never hod 

 « calf, she gives 7 or 8 quarts of milk per d.iy. It is 

 only about three week, since she was purchased of JMr 

 Hills, and at that time her weight was three thousand 

 pounds. It IS supposed that in making the journey 

 down (rom New Hampshire, she has lost some.hiog in 

 weight. Her present owners say that her sire was a 

 Durham Short-Horn, and her dam a naliyo. 'J'he color 

 liB dork rod or brown— (our eyes are got very good at 

 distinguishing colors.) The form is fair, will, .miy one 

 or two slight defects. The height is about 



MR CLARK'S ARTICLE ON THE RENOVATION 

 OF EXHAUSTED SOILS. 

 Mr Puthah — I have read with much interest the arti- 

 cle in your paper on the Rcnovaiion of Exhauf ted Soils. 

 Mr Clark has clear views of the subject on which he 

 writes, and expiesses them so clearly that it is impossi- 

 ble to fail of comprehending them. He cerlainly places 

 a high, if not extravagant, estimate oir the services ren- 

 dered and to bo rendered to agricullure by gei.logists 

 and chemists; which, perhaps, may account for his 

 fling at " Slate piirimony," in not potting a chemist in 

 the field to develope the ferlilizinj properties of peat 

 bog or muck. It seems rather h.ird that the Common- 

 wealth, alter all she lias done in the way of geological 

 and agricutlural suiveys, should not have some credit 

 conceded to her. Sho ought surely to be allowed to 

 take breath, and , to look about a little to witness Ihe 

 practical results of her l.ibora, before goading her in the 

 sides f.r not going ahead still faster. .\ good team 

 should not be driven loo freely. 



Besides, it is hut fair and proper that the ciiemists 

 themselves should bo more united upon the question, 

 wliat constitutes the essential foorl i.f plants, before the 

 State sets them at work to ascertain whether the food 

 exists in this meadow or that bog. If Li< bigg theory be 

 irue, that tbe principal nourishment of plants is derived 

 from Ihe atmosphere, then all this analysis of muck, in 

 search of the elixer vilae o( plants, is so much labor lost. 

 Let the chemists first settle it among themselve.i wheiher 

 air, earth, 



vegetation, and then the State may, with moro propria 

 ly bo called upon to put a chemist in the field. 



To some of ihe doctrines and statements advanced in 

 Mr Clark's communication, 1 cannot aa jet subscribe. 

 On the use of the roller, he says, that by its compressing 

 the surface of the earth, the air is in some measure ex- 

 cluded, and moisture is heller retained— it provides 

 against excessive action and evaporation, by closing the 

 pores or interstices in such measure as to hold in partial 

 duress the matter beneath. Now if this theory be correct, 

 and the practice under it favorable to good cultivation, 

 then it follows that all stirrin;; of the earth about plants, 

 in dry weather, either with the hoe, harrow, or culiiva- 

 lor, is not only useless, but injurious; and that the lop 

 crust, formed by tho rains and tho sun, should not be 

 broken or disturbed. But experience teaches a very 

 different lesson, and therefore this theory a» to tho uso 

 of the roller, cannol be correct. 



Again, he remarks that " the eflect of compressing tho 

 surface of light land, as seen in the grass sward that fol- 

 lows the winding of a seldom used path over an old 

 field, can hardly have esc.iped the notice of any one, 

 presenting as it frequently does, a verdant stripe amid a 

 Irfcless waste." I admit the fuel, but not tho cause of 

 it ; for it may be, as it seems to mc, more reasonably 

 accounted for by the drnppinga of manure from the 

 animols and vehicles that pass over the road, than 

 from any compression given to it by hoofs or lires. 

 Would the s.rmo effect follow the track of a locomotive 

 gleam engine ? 



Whilst I would by no means discard the roller in l.iy- 



ing down a field — for I believe it renders great service 



^ in compressing thn carlh about small seed ;— still, I can- 



5 feet, nnd ^ not go so far as the intelligent ami experienced agricnl- 



lurist ol Northampton, in ascribing lo it virtues [•> ^ 

 it is not fairly eniilh-d. Perhaps, however. Ins 

 ond facts may be correct, and, as we live lo Icarii 



pecially in matters pertaining to agricullure I 



hereafter be the wiser for having obtained a knov. 1 

 of them. Very respectfully, 



ALLEN W. DODCf. 

 Hamilton, April 23d, 1812. ' 



inrMr Clark, we trust, will give us something mi' 

 upon the use of the roller on light lands. In the ttAk 

 time we will merely say that the objection raised b^| 

 Dodge to Mr C.'s infereirce, may perhaps be unfouni}' 

 That a slight compre^sion of the surface of light tani' 

 hinds, will check both the rapid evaporation of moisiun' 

 and also that too free admission of air, which causes 

 manuies buried in such soils, lo become loo goon 

 pendcd, is allowed. From this we make the infei 

 thai rolling helps lo A-et;) (Ac. >noi.s<urc in. llul the 

 jpct in stirring the soil when it is already getting ti 

 too dry, is not, wo believe, to aid in retaining wlut lii 

 inoistiiro is already there in the top soil, hut to rendi 

 the soil a better absorbent ol tbe dews and vapors ofth 

 Olmosphcro. A wet soil gives out moisture toilietl 

 mosphere— but a zery dry one takes moisture from tb 

 atmos|ilM-rff. Thcreioru, when the soil is moist andyoi 

 fear that it may become dry, roll it and keep the moil 

 lure in. But if it is alreaily too dry, keep stirring it, 

 that it may take moisture more freely. 



There are instances in which the wheel tracks ma 

 by a single passage of the carl over a field that hag i 

 ccntly been laid down, show two marked green slrif 

 for years. This is the effect of comprogsion and nn|«( 

 mere manure. — Ed. 



CoRRECTio.v.— In Mr Clark's article in our papers* 

 the aoth ult , page 332, we made the author say iliat lbs 

 poverty of light lands is due to their poverty— (ii ynj 

 woicr, contains the essential aliment of I evident proposition, says the type sticker.) It should 

 "" ' have been, "is duo to their poroW/y." No one, wo pit. 



suine, will suspect him who wrote with go much dst- 

 nitoness nnd good sense, of making such a sentence SI 

 we happened to print, and ogerloook in correclinf 

 "proof." The fault vras ours. 



SCOURS IN CALVES. 

 Mr EniTOB— I noticed in your paper of Uie 13|k 

 April, a remedy for Scours in calves. A much mors 

 simple and sure ono, I believe, is Epsom salts. Whsn 

 a calf ig attacked, disselve two large tablo spoon.-fuU 

 in warm water, and administer fortliwiih. Diminish lbs 

 qunritily of milk for one or two meals, and the object ii 

 accomplished. If the disease hag made considerabis 

 progress before discovered, increase the qiiantily om 

 third and give Ihe .econd d.ay. I have never knowi 

 this.tolail ofcuring.eicepi when the calf was suffered 

 intake milk too freely directly sfrer taking the mcdicins 

 In this case, repeat it, and feed sparingly for one or two 

 days. Respectfully, yours, &c. 



OTISBRIGHAM. 

 fVetthoTo', U^th April, 1842. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



CXUIBITIOK or rRt'lTS. 



Saturday, .Ipiil 30, 1842. 

 Mr L. P. GroBvenor exhibited ssedling Apples, calM 

 Company— handsome, and juicy for the season. 

 For the Comniiltse, 



B. V. FRENCH. 



Tho favors of " B.' 

 place in our next. 



and "A Farmer" ghall haves 



