90 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 13, 182(3. 



selves, and the atmosphere, a consiilcrable share 

 of vegetable food. Instances could be mentioned 

 of the perceptible good effects of ashes, on ploujrh- 

 ing eighteen or twenty years after their applica- 

 tion. The paring and burning of loose vegetable 

 mould, produce their favourable effects principal- 

 ly, by the combustion of part of its inert materials; 

 and thus affording ashes and charcoal, which have 

 a tendency to decompose the remainder. 



lAme is a useful manure. When applied to 

 soils, like ashes, it promotes the decomposition 

 and putrefaction of vegetable matter. " By this 

 kind of operation," says Sir H. Davy " lime ren 

 ders matter, which was before comparatively in- 

 ert, nutritious ; and as charcoal and oxygen a- 

 bound in all vegetable matters, it becomes, at the 

 same time, converted into carbonate of lime." — 



I united 10 grains of each of the following arti- 

 cles, plaster, ashes, slacked lime, and salt sepa- 

 rately with as many pieces of mutton, of 200 grains 

 each, and placed another piece of meat in the 

 same situation. Decomposition was first discover- 

 able in that with plaster, and ashes, and during 

 the several Jays, they were observed, they retain- 

 ed equal moisture and weight, whereas that with 

 lime and the one to which nothing was added lost 

 weight by the more rapid evaporation of their 

 moisture. I have made similar experiments by 

 mixing one drachui of beef intimately vvitii one gr. 

 also with h gr. of each of the above articles, lime 

 excepted, and the results were similar to the a- 

 bove. These experiments were witnessed by gen- 

 tlemen, who agreed with me in the results stated ; 

 '■ "nd were they not contradictory to so good author- 



Lime should not be applied with animal manures ity, I should deem them satisfactory. At present, 

 unless they are too rich, and for the purpose of' I do not consider theru decisive, but should future 

 preventing noxious effluvia. It is injurious, when , experiments confirm these results,the operations of 

 mixed with any common dung, and tends to ren- \ plaster might first, be deduced, from the power of 

 der the extractive matter insoluble." It is evi- absorption of moisture, which it imparts to the soil; 



ilrl 



dent from its operations that lime should be appli- 

 ed sparingly to light and naturally weak soils ; 

 but strong heavy loams, containing much inert 

 matter, will bear larger quantities, with more du- 

 rable effects. It is a pretty well estaolished fact, 

 that worn out lands cannot be restored by the use 

 of lime. It is obvious, then, tliat it should not be 

 repeated till the soil be furnished with vegetable 

 matter requiring its soluble powers. This should 

 seem to favour the opinion, that lime is incapable 

 of being converted into vegetable food. But, by 

 its action on vegetable matter in extracting its 

 carbon and oxygen, it may in part form a soluble 

 compound capable of being absorbed by, and form- 

 ing a constituent of plants. It is said in the Edin- 

 burgh Encyclopedia, that, " it is the farmer, only, 

 who can judge of the quantity (of lime) to be given, 

 but as a general principle, it is safer to exceed 

 the proper quantity, than to be below it. In the 

 latter case, the application m ly prove useless and 

 the whole expense be lost ; whereas it rarely hap- 

 pens that injury is susLiined from a:i excess, es- 

 pecially if more or less dung is soon added." 



If a compost bed is to be made of materials dif- 

 ficult to dissolve or putrify, as'tanners' spent bark, 

 saw dust, shavings, &c. no other article could be 

 so usefully added as quick lime. 



Gypsum is much used, and is annually grouing 

 into higher estimation in this country. Its modus 

 operandi on vegetation remains yet an unsettled 



secondly, from its septic powers on animal and veg 

 etabla substances ; thirdly, itself affording a valu- 

 able nutriment to plants. 



It is perhaps, only from such a combination of 

 causes, that we can infer its remarkable effects on 

 vegetation. It is said, it operates equally well on 

 exhausted soils. Is this the fact, where there is no 

 latent principle to be excited into action ? This 

 perhaps may admit of a doubt. But if correct, 

 could it not be accounted for,by the radicles of the 

 plants being supplied with more moisture.and their 

 own absorbent powers increased by the operation 

 of the plaster? 



As experiments, of a frequent application of 

 small quantities of plaster, are not attended with 

 much expense, they will beot direct the farmer in 

 its use. It may be important, however, to observe 

 that the nature of its supposed operation, requires 

 that it should be placed near the surface of the 

 soil; and that it should be applied before the spring 

 rains are over; or no benefit will be received from 

 it, the first year, as a solution of the plaster is ne- 

 cessary, and .500 times its weight of water are re- 

 quired to efl^ect it. It is used in the quantities of 

 3 to 8 bushels an acre. Small quantities repeated | 

 are said to be better than the same amount applied j 

 at once. ] 



Salt is an article which has not been much used 

 as a manure in this state, and jirobably will not be. 

 If it be a useful food to plants, it is too expensive 



question. By one writer, Kirwan, it is said that i to be extensively applied. Sir John Pringle has said 

 " the rationale of its effects may be deduced from that in small quantities it possesses septic pew- 

 its extraordinary septic powers ; for it is found to ers. If so, the quantity must be extremely small, 

 accelerate putrefaction in a higher degree than ' as in my experiments above mentioned, one half 



any other substance, and that it is no inconsidera 

 ble part of the food of many plants. Sir H. Davy 

 from experim.ents made by himself, has formed an 

 opinion that it possesses no putrefactive powers, 

 but that its effects result solely from its entering 

 in' o the composition of plants, and "the reason 

 why gypsum is not generally efficacious is proba- 

 bly because most cultivated soils contain it, in suf- 

 ficient quantities for the use of grasses." This 

 he thinks may be furnished the soil in the manure; 

 and is not taken up in the crops of corn, peas, and 

 beans, but is consumed by the growth of grass 

 and hay. 



I have in the course of this month tried several 

 experiments, with the impression their results 

 would corresponil with those of the valuable au- 

 thor last mentioned, but I have been disappointed. 



of a grain of salt was sufficient to retard decompo- 

 sition in one hundred grains of meat. It is an ab- 

 sorbent of moisture and all vegetable manures are 

 improved by being impregnated with it. The 

 farmer may therefore take this into account, in the 

 use of it, to preserve his hay, and benefit his cat- 

 tle. 



In the application of manure, the farmer will 

 first determine the specific qualities, which his dif- 

 ferent fields require. If the soil of either be cold 

 and heavy, he will carry to this his coarse and 

 warm manure, such as horse dung, and that which 

 contains the most straw, or unferinented matter ; 

 on the contrary if sandy or gravelly and dry, he 

 will reserve for this, his hog manure, and such as 

 is most fermented ; but if his land is uniformly \ 

 moist and warm, he will mix the several kinds of | 



I manure before the application, as has been bei'i 

 i directed. It is of no small consequence,that wl 

 manure is put into the hill or spread on the ti( 

 to be covered v.ithout delay, that the soil may 

 ' tain its moisture and nutritious gasses. 



PEAR TREES. Bse" 



I I am not confident that any elucidation of t I* 

 cause of tlie disease in Pear Trees will be furnia 1 *' 

 ed by a farther investit;,if.ion of tiie subject: sli *"' 

 however, it may be ur.nful that all the facts whii •"! 

 appear to have a bearing on the different theori ""'■ 

 suggested should hr. known. " Cultivator" seei ' '' 

 to have adopted Dahamel's opinion, that the d! "' 

 ease is to be traced to a vitiated state of the s ''P' 

 occasioned by sldfinant water and superfluous m "'' 

 {nure. He says trees in highly cultivated groui ''''' 

 'and in low, rich and wet soil, liave been most s I"" 

 riously affected ; while those in high land and li i 

 cultivated soil, have escaped infection. He ad* "^'' 

 " so far my experience accords with Duhamel'i 

 theory." I readily admit that vegetables as well 

 as animals may be destroyed by overfeeding os 

 rich aliment. But I have not sufficient skill to Trace 

 the affinity between the animal and vegetable cre- 

 ation to the remote effects of their luxury. Some 

 years ago I lost a pear tree which I injudiciously 

 sat out near the roceptacle'for the rich washings 

 from my yard. After a most vigorous growth to 

 its bearing state, it boL'ame cankery. It however 

 lingered a year or two under a gradual decline, 

 My trees which suffered the past season, were dif; 

 ferently situated, and exhibited very differeqi 

 symptoms. They v,-cre cut oft" suddenly ia tlw 

 pri.-ie of life and full vigour of health. Tliry had 

 lived abstemiously upon a soil which had not bean 

 disturbed since they took possession, until last 

 spring, when it was planted with potatoes. There 

 Was no miasma, for the ground v.'as dry. Their 

 habit- were temperate, having no access to aoxiout 

 aliment or surfeiting food. 



I The greatest mortality I iiave witnessed was ia 

 Mr Secretary Bangs's gardeti, which is warm anj 

 i dry, light and gravelly, and not highly cultivate! 

 I Indeed the diet of the subjects of this fatal infec- 

 tion has been rather meagre for a few years pastj 

 their maintenance having been furnished by ten- 

 ants. 



Such being the facts among my own patients, 

 and in all cases where I had been called in con- 

 sultation ; and such the peculiarity of the season, 

 I had no hesitation in giving it a conjectural char- 

 acter in my bill of mortality. I saw nothing in the 

 symptoms, and discovered nothing from dissection 

 to justify the belief that their death was occasion- 

 ed by internal or external poison, by worms, or bj 

 intemperance, (producing " a corrupt state of the 

 juices") although, indeed, a " cutaneous affection 

 or gangrenous appearance," had supervened.— 

 When I ventured a professional opinion, that death 

 was occasioned by coup de soldi, I confessed that 

 the disease had not before fallen under my care. 

 A wiser course might have been to have ascribed 

 the fatal result to a " disease unknown." It ia Ift 

 be hoped that some practical benefit to the com- 

 munity will result from this discussion : for how-' 

 ever doctors have disagreed as to the pro.ximate 

 cause of the malady, and however tenacious of 

 their different theories, they have furnished a rare , 

 and happy coincidence of opinion, as to the belt 

 method of arresting the progress of the disease, if 

 not of effecting a cure. O. FISKB. 



Worcester, Oct. 10, 1826. 



:i- 



