244 J. E. TESCHEMACHER'S REMARKS. 



would not raise any more, until bone dust was added, and, with 

 this, many acres hitherto considered barren, had given excellent 

 crops. The size and quality of turnips have been found to be 

 much benefited, by the use of the soluble phosphate of lime, 

 (vitriolized bones). 



One question then, is, what does the crop we require, abstract 

 from the soil, during its growth and progress to maturity? This 

 question is answered by the various analyses of crops, which 

 are to be found in every agricultural treatise. But another, and 

 a much more important question, now arises. What part of the 

 ingredients of these crops, puts most bone and muscle in the 

 animals which feed on them ? Also, can we, by particular ma- 

 nures, increase, in these crops, the quantity of these ingredi- 

 ents? Part of the first question has been answered by TJebig's 

 last treatise. We knew, before Liebig was born, that the bones 

 of animals were chiefly formed of phosphate of lime, but we did 

 not know, before the publication of this last treatise, that the 

 phosphates of other alkalies formed essential parts of the flesh 

 and blood of animals ; this, he has there completely and satis- 

 factorily proved. In the lime districts in Switzerland, the cattle 

 are much larger than in those where lime is scarce in the soil. 

 The great test of the quality of a crop then, is, its nutritious 

 action on the animal, this is of more importance than its ap- 

 pearance, or even weight. Now it is evident, that, by offering 

 as food to these crops, a manure abundantly supplied with these 

 ingredients, combined with others ensuring a luxuriant growth, 

 we enable them to obtain a maximum thereof. It would take 

 too much time to enter into the detail of numerous experiments 

 made by him, on this subject, the result of them is a difference 

 of thirty per cent, in these ingredients dependent on the diflfer- 

 ence of the manure. Thus, if the ashes of wheat contain thir- 

 ty-five per cent, of phosphates, the difference of manure will 

 increase this to forty-five per cent. Hence, the consideration 

 on the nature of the crops is of much interest. 



Consideration on the nature of the soil. All soils are com- 

 posed chiefly of sand (silica,) clay (alumina and silica,) lime, 

 magnesia, some organic matters, sources of carbonic acid, and a 

 few oxides of metals ; these ingredients in various proportions. 



