NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



389 



fruit from seed, are valuable properties, especially in 

 this cold climate. 



For the Neio Engkind Farmer. 

 ANALYSIS OF SOILS. 



Mr. Editok : Some time ago, I read, in your first 

 September numVjer, an article entitled " Analysis of 

 Soils, &c." I noticed in the article an inquiry insti- 

 tuted by the writer relative to the manner of ana- 

 lyzing soils, for the luirpose of ascertaining -what 

 elements need be added to the soil of any particular 

 field to prepare it in the best manner for the produc- 

 tion of any desired crop. 



After reading the above article, I examined the 

 subsequent numbers of your paper, hoping to dis- 

 cover, at least, some reference to this inquiry ; but I 

 am disappointed in finding that no notice has been 

 taken of it by any one of your correspondents. 



Although I am not a practical eh(^mist, neither an 

 experienced farmer, I will nevertheless say a few 

 words on this subject, with the hope that, by break- 

 ing the ice, I may induce others, better qualified than 

 myself, to impart to us some valuable information on 

 the sulyject of this inquiry. 



As to the manner in which analyses of soils are 

 performed, I am practically unacquainted. I have, 

 however, paid some attention to the study of agri- 

 cultural chemistry, sufficient to convince me that a 

 complete analvsis can be performed only by a person 

 who, by much study and practice, has prepared him- 

 self for this particular business. Very incomplete 

 analyses can be performed by any farmer who feels 

 disposed to take the requisite time and pains : for 

 instance, he can ascertain, with approximate accu- 

 racy, the proportionate amount of sand, clay, and 

 lime in the soil of any one of his fields. To do this, 

 he would first put the soil in hot water, to soften 

 the clay ; then he would sift the soil, by which pro- 

 cess the sand would be separated from the clay and 

 lime, these two passing through the sieve, leaving 

 the sand behind. The sand shoidd then be dried, 

 and its weight ascertained. If, now, he treat that 

 portion of the soil v.-hich passed through the sieve 

 with muriatic (hydrochloric) acid, the acid will unite 

 with the lime, dissolving it; the solution can then 

 readily be separated fi'om the remaining clay. After 

 the separation, the solution should be evaporated to 

 dryness, and then weighed. Finally, the remaining 

 clay should now be dried, and its weight ascertained. 

 Now, by comparing these obtained weights, he 

 would ascertain, with tole'rable accuracy, the propor- 

 tionate amount of each of these three ingredients of 

 the soil. 



The farmer can also ascertain the nature of his 

 soil, to some extent, by mere inspection : thus he 

 can generally ascertain, readily, whether the soil be 

 naturally sandy or clayey, or whether there be 

 much iron present, a trace of which is always found 

 in fertile soils. If his land be rocky, or in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of rocks, he can ascertain its nature 

 more accurately by learning the chemical constitu- 

 ents of these rocks ; since they, by their disintegra- 

 tions, are constantly changing into soil. Fortunately 

 for the farmer, the chemical constituents of nearly 

 all the various crops, which he raises, have been 

 carefully ascertained and recorded. These analyses 

 he can readily consult by obtaining books which 

 contain them ; but he cannot procure accurate and 

 complete analyses of his soil without employing the 

 services of the chemist, and without, of course, incur- 

 ring considerable expense. This necessary outlay 

 prevents most farmers from obtaining the assistance 

 of the chemist, although they may feel conscious 

 that the benefits they might derive from his investi- 

 gations would by no means be inconsiderable. 



It should, however, be remembered, that the anal- 

 ysis, which the fanner may obtain from the chemist, 

 will bo o£ comparatively little use to him, after the 

 expiration of a few years, unless he take notice of the 

 quantity aird nature ot the manure which he, from 

 time to time, adds, as well as of the nature and 

 amount of each year's produce ; for the addition of 

 fertilizers to the soil, and the removal of a portion of 

 its ingredients, will have a tendency to change its 

 nature to a greater or less extent. 



At the present time, farmers are extensively en- 

 gaged in the manufacture of artificial manures, or, 

 as they are often termed, compost heaps. In form- 

 ing these heaps, is it not important that some regard 

 should be had to the wants of the soil to which this 

 manure is to be applied, as well as to the nature of 

 the crop which is to be raised ? Also, in the appli- 

 cation of such fertilizers as lime, plaster, &c., which 

 are composed of only a few elements, would it not 

 be Avell for us to consult the wants both of the soil 

 and the crop ? Is not the farmer often greatly dis- 

 appointed and astonished that the fertilizer which 

 he has added so copiously to the soil, does not ap- 

 parently increase his harvest ? 



I have been forcibly reminded of the importance 

 to the farmer of information on these points, by sev- 

 eral experiments which have fallen under my obser- 

 vation during the present season. I will mention 

 one of these. 



A farmer, in this town, purchased a large quan- 

 tity of unclarified Glauber's salts, (sulphate of soda,) 

 which ho sowed, copiously, on two fields apparently 

 very similar in their nature. On the one field he 

 raised oats ; on the other, Indian corn. His crop of 

 corn was quite large, being upwards of sixty bushels 

 to the acre. His crop of oats, on the contrary, was 

 unusually small. He was astonished at this result, 

 and very naturally did not know how to account for 

 it. Now, if he sliouid come into possession of anal- 

 yses of these two fields, and also of the oat and 

 maize, could he not then, by a little study, obtain 

 some light as to the cause of this result ? Or, if he 

 had obtained these analyses, before sowing the salts, 

 is it not probable that he would have added some 

 more needed fertilizer, at least, to the oat field r Or, 

 if he should compare the analj'sis of the maize with 

 that of the oat, would he not find a much greater 

 amount of soda in the former than in the latter r and 

 could he not very reasonably infer that the salts 

 which he added would benefit the corn much more 

 than the oat crop ? But, Mr. Editor, I will not ex- 

 tend my remarks further. ISIy only object in making 

 them is to draw the attention of others to this im- 

 portant subject. How far I have succeeded in ac- 

 complishing my object remains to be proved. 



L. G. LOWE. 

 Bridgewater, Nov. 8. 



For the Neto Englajid Farmer. 

 BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 



Mr. Editor : I was much interested in reading a 

 communication in your paper upon this subject, by 

 A. W. Dodge, Esq. (p. 351.) I do not propose to 

 show that the bones of any cow have actually wasted 

 away ; but I have seen many cows that have wasted 

 away, all but their skin and bones, and they lost the 

 use of them ; this, too, while they were well fed upon 

 good English hay and Indian meal. 



I can remember seeing cows thus affected more 

 than twenty years ago. "There is something peculiar 

 in the looks and motion of a cow thus affected : 

 though I cannot fully describe it, yet I can readily 

 distinguish them from what is commonly called poor 

 cows. When a cow is kept poor, the hair is long, 

 and stands erect : this is not the case when they 



