1881. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



43 



to control, but we can modify its action. I 

 refer to the fact that nitrifaction is more ac- 

 tive during hot weather, but if the soil is 

 very dry at the same time, or so compact as 

 to exclude oxygen, ammonia may be formed 

 from nitrates themselves, and thus be lost to 

 the immediate use of the plant. You thus ob- 

 serve, that during winter tlie nitrogen may 

 remain as ammonia stored for the use of veg- 

 etation during its active state. 



I have not spoken of ozone, or of ferments, 

 or of rootlets, or of other causes of nitritica- 

 tion, because, though important, they are not 

 under the active control of the former. 



(c.) What c'onditinns are favorable for the 

 retention of assiwilubk nitrogen in the soil? 



The mention of the causes of loss will sug- 

 gest the ruincilits. 



Till' priiuipal loss is foand in the solubility 

 of uitnitLS and ammonia in water. In soils 

 with ueur-lying impervious subsoil, the drain- 

 age may cause a very considerable carrying 

 awry of these other mitritive elements, as is 

 shown by analyses of spring, well and river 

 waters. 



Another loss is found in the formation of 

 ammonia, and yet another is caused by the 

 absence of those mineral compounds which 

 act as absorbents, chemical and physical, of 

 nitrogen compounds, such as phosphates, car- 

 bonate of lime, and gypsum. One remedy 

 against loss, is to have a soil in that condi- 

 tion of looseness by plowing and hoeing, as 

 increases the absorbing power for water, and 

 decreases the evaporating power. 



(d.) What relation ao different kinds of 

 crops bear to the food supply of nitrogen. 



We consider this question first in the 

 amount of nitrogen found in difterent crops. 



If we have an acreage crop of twenty-eight 

 bushels of wheat, with twenty-five hundred 

 pounds of straw, about forty-five to forty- 

 eight pounds of nitrogen will be found pres- 

 ent. In a crop of two and one-half tons of 

 meadow hay, fifty to sixty pounds, (that is lo 

 each ton, twenty to twenty-four pounds,) and 

 in a crop of two and one-half tons of clover, 

 from one hundred to one hundred and fifteen 

 pounds of nitrogen, (each ton containing forty 

 to forty-six pouuds.) 



In general, the leguminous crops, clover, 

 beans, vetches, are rich in nitrogen, while the 

 cereals and grasses are relatively poor in ni- 

 trogen. 



Now comes the remarkable fact, shown by 

 many investigations, but recently and remark- 

 ably demonstrated in over thirty years' cul- 

 ture on trial plots of various crops by Gilbert 

 and Lawes, that the poor in nitrogen crops, 

 namely cereals and grasses, require the pres- 

 ence of a larger quantity of as.similable nitro- 

 gen, than do those rich in nitrogen. 



The exi)eriinents are grouped in three 

 classes, made in each case on iDOth kinds of 

 crops : 



(a.) With nitrogenous manure. 



(b.) Without any manure. 



(c.) With mineral manure containing phos- 

 phates and potash, but no nitrogen. 



The results may be tabulated thus : 



1. Without any manure, the nitrogen in all 

 crops gradually diminished, and also the soil 

 content was lessened, that is, the crop dimin- 

 ished. 



2. With mineral manures, the amount of 

 nitrogen in the cereals still diminished as also 

 in the soil, but at a somewhat less rate, while 

 the nitrogen of clover and beans is diminished 

 but little, and the soil content even increased. 

 In other words, the mineral fertilizer, parti- 

 cularly potash, enabled the clover to use more 

 nitrogen and thus to i)roduce a good crop, 

 and at the same time increase the store of ni- 

 trogen in the soil, even rendering it assimila- 

 ble. 



3. What is more renjarkable, the crops rich 

 in nitrogen derive far less benefit from nitro- 

 genous manures than do those poor in nitro- 

 gen. 



4. Root crops exhaust particularly the 

 superficial layers of soil of theii- nitrogen, 

 under any of these conditions. 



We have no time to-day to inquire Into the 



reasons of these facts, but they Are of most 

 practical imiwrtance. 



Two conclusions must appear : 



(a.) The leguminaceae must draw a con- 

 siderable portion of their supply of nitrogen 

 from the air, and, as already stated, through 

 the soil. 



(!).) Mineral fertilizers have at least as 

 valuable indirect action, in reference to sup- 

 ply of nitrogen, as direct in furnishing potash 

 and uhospliorus to the growing plant. 



(c.) If nitrogen is to be added to the soil in 

 fertilizers, in what form is it most conveniently 

 and cheaply applied f 



Our answer has already been suggested. 

 Clover is the best, from the aniount of nitro- 

 gen it gathers in its own tissues, and from 

 the increase it i-lli-cts cm the .soil, besides the 

 considerable amount found in its roots. Of 

 mineral manures, nitrates arc the best, par- 

 ticularly hi dry weather. Sulphate of ammo- 

 nia, in a wet season, is equally good. For 

 leguminous i)laut8, particularly for clover, no 

 large quantity of nitrogen is required by ordi- 

 narily good soil, but use a complex mineial 

 fertilizer, containing a goodly percentage of 

 potash. 



From these statements, we must conclude 

 that from the air through the soil the plant 

 gathers a large portion of its supply of nitro- 

 gen, but that crops having unequal power in 

 thus utilizing the supply of nitrogen from the 

 air, such a rotation of crops can be employed 

 as will keep the supply of nitrogen in soil al- 

 ways sufficient for the plant use. 



There is a growing sense of the importance 

 of having experiments made on this and 

 kindred subjects. There is required careful 

 management, under the intelligent persever- 

 ing discretion of practical farmers and trained 

 chemists. This great State of Pennsylvania 

 should do some efficient work in this direction. 



Our Local Organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 

 AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A stated meeting of the Lancaster Agricultural 

 and Horticultural Society was held in their room in 

 City Hall, Monday afternoon, March 7th. 



The following named members and visitors were 

 present : 



Joseph F. Witmer, Paradise: Johnson Miller, War- 

 wick ; Casper Hiller, Conestoffa ; Henry M. Enjrle, 

 Marietta ; F. R. Diffenderfer, city ; John C. Linville 

 Salisbury; John H. Landis, Millcrsville ; Calvin 

 Cooper, Bird-in-Hand ; Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy ; 

 Levi S. Reist, Ore<ron ; J. M. "Johnston, Citv ; Pet'er 

 S. Reist, Lititz; Dr. C. A. Greene, City;"johu G. 

 Re8h,Pequea; J. Frank Lantz, East Lampeter; C. L. 

 Hunsecker, Manheim; William H. Brosius, Druniore; 

 C. A. Cast, City; John Huber, Pequea; William 

 McComsey, City. 



The secretary being absent, Calvin Cooper was 

 chosen secretary pro tem. 



The readin? of the minutes was dispensed with. 



Hon. Wm. Ellmaker, of New Holland, was pro- 

 posed for membership and elected. 



The State Agricultural College. 



President Witmer at some length detailed the pro- 

 ceedings of the meeting of agriculturists held in 

 Philadelphia last month to take action relative to 

 withholding the appropriation from the State Agri- 

 cultural College, located at Bellefonte, the proceed- 

 ings of which have been heretofore published. Mr. 

 Witmer expressed himself as beine a good deal dis- 

 appointed at the action taken. He had supposed 

 the meeting would be under the exclusive direction 

 of practical farmers, instead of which he found It in 

 charge of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society, and 

 among the leaders were the president of one college 

 and the provost of another. He half suspected that 

 their opposition to the State college receiving the 

 J:50,000 appropriation, as heretofore, was that the 

 money might be divided among their own institu- 

 tions. Nothing of importance was done at the meet- 

 ing except the indorsement of the resolution passed 

 by the House of Representatives in June, 1879, to 

 the effect that no further appropriations should he 

 paid to the college until It shall have complieil with 

 the law under which it was created and keeps In op- 

 eration the experimental farms ; and a resolution to 

 the effect that the farming interests of the State re- 

 quire the maintenance of an experimental farm ac- 

 cessible to Philadelphia and Harrlsburg. The prcsl- 

 dent gave a brief outline of the history of the State 

 Agricultural college, and closed by saying that his 

 opinion as to the propriety of withholding the Slate 



appropriation from the college had been somewhat 

 modified within the past month. 



John H. Landis, member of Assembly, said that 

 his resolution to withhold the State appropriation 

 from the college had passed almost unanimously In 

 1870. He helleved the college could give no satis- 

 factory account of the laree sums of money expend- 

 ed by it, and was satlstled that the institution was 

 badly managed. (Jf th<» three classes graduated by 

 it, the agricultural class is the smallest. 

 . Mr. Enirlc was aware there had been serious com- 

 plaint of the nilsmana<(emcnt of the college, but he 

 could never briing himself to quite agree with a nia- 

 jorlty of this assoeiation that the appruprlatloo 

 should lie taken away from It. Before this is done, 

 wo should see our way clear to do something better. 

 Great sums of money have been expended upon It 

 by the State ; the valuable building is at Bellefonte, 

 the teachers and pupils are there, the school Is going 

 on, and though it may not b'' managed as well as It 

 ought, It might be unwise to slop It. The state board 

 of agriculture had been asked to take sidoa against 

 the college, but had declined to interfere with the 

 trouble. He thought this society should act with 

 due caution also. 



President Wl.mer said he felt at the last meeting 

 of the society that the appropriation should be with- 

 held ; he now thinks It might be unwise to withhold 

 It. With a new audefllcleut board of trusteeh elect- 

 ed to the college, the farming interest might get 

 more good out of it than by having the approprla- 

 llou divided among several smaller institutions. 

 The.-e has been expended on the college some $700,- 

 000 already, the greater part of which would be lost 

 if it were abandoned. 



Mr .Landis said if the State appropriation were 

 withheld, it would remain in the State Treasury and 

 not be divided among other liistitutlons. 



Dr. Greene had no doubt of the management of 

 the college. With more than a dozen professors 

 there are only forty students. Great good might re- 

 sult from withholding the appropriation aiid ap- 

 pointing a legislative committee lo give the Institution 

 a thorough investigation. The location of the college 

 at Bellefonte had Iwen secured by fraud, and It was a 

 farce to place it there. 



Henry Kurtz favored a legislative investleatlon. 



Johnson Miller thought the best that could be 

 done would be to have the Landis resolution which 

 had passed the House become a law. 



P. S. Reist had high authority for saying the Leg- 

 islature could afford no relief. The college is a na- 

 tional affair; the United States had made land grants 

 to the Stale conditioned on the maintenance of the 

 college ; the state sold the land and endowed the 

 college, and cannot divest it of the appropriation 

 without the sanction of Congress. The college 

 should not have been located where it Is— neither the 

 location nor the land is tit. Even with good man- 

 agement good cropscannot be raised there, and some 

 one has said that the cattle have to be stabled and 

 fed there thirleen mouths in a year. The sooner we 

 can get ride of the college the better ; we can better 

 afford to lose all that is there and direct our efforts 

 lo more valuable work than by squandering more 

 money on the college; but togctiid of it we will 

 have to go to Congress for authority. 

 Lectuiers Invited. 



Dr. Greene, from the committee on speakers, re- 

 ported that he had invited Messrs. Spencer and Levy 

 to address the society and he expected one or both 

 of them to be present to-day. He had also Invited 

 Judge Stitzel, of Reading, who would probably be 

 present next month. 



The president suggested Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. 

 Engle named Judire Klluiakeras speaker, who would 

 Interest the meeting, and Dr. Greene said he would 

 send them invitations. 



Crop Reports. 



Henry Kurtz reported that in the vicinity of Mount 

 Joy the wheat is still partly covered with snow and 

 ice? that which can be. seen don't look very well; 

 the tobacco Is nearly all stripped and some «ale« 

 have been made : John A. Snyder has sold 2'^ acres 

 at 10, li and 'i ; others at 10 and :i ; another has re- 

 fused 13 round, and Mr. Lichty sold his crop at S4 

 and 4. 



John C. Linville, of Salisbury, said that when the 

 snow first passed off the wheal looked well, but the 

 alternate freezing and thawing since that time have 

 damaged 11 a good deal. He had traveled a great 

 many miles in Chester county and found the wheat 

 In fine condition ; he attributed it to the use of pho«- 

 phate,which enabled it to withstand severe weather. 

 The past winter has been very destructive to bees, 

 one Chester county man having lost forty colonies. 

 There was plenty of honey in the hives, but the 

 weather was too cold for the bees to withstand. Some 

 of the peach trees are killed, but others have with- 

 stood the wlnt«r better than could have been expect 

 ed. The drouthof lastsumraer killed nearly all the 

 young clover and many farmers re-sowed their ttelds 

 in the fall. The clover grew nicely for a time, but 

 Is now apparently all gone, and the bay and grass 

 crop wil probably be eiiort next summer. 



Levi S. Reist said the wheat at present looks very 

 much as it did some years ago— that which watsown 



