108 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JVLVRCH 



The Tobacco Crop. — The St. Louis Demo- 

 crat publishes some statistics of the tobacco 

 crop of the recent season. Li Missouri it is 

 reported at from 12,000 to 16,000 hogsheads. 

 This is far below an average crop, but it is 

 said that the quality of the tobacco is unusually 

 good. Li Virginia the crop has fallen off one- 

 third — It Is reported at 70,000,000 pounds — 

 but is "the best ever made as respects quality." 

 In some counties of North Carolina, lands 

 which had been previously devoted to tobacco 

 were this year planted with cotton. The yield 

 for that State is 35,000,000 pounds. The yield 

 in Maryland is placed at 35,300,000 : Tennes- 

 see at 39,600,000; Kentucky at 61,000,000; 

 Texas at 90,000; Alabama at 270,000; Ar- 

 kansas at 1,700,000 ; Florida and Georgia each 

 600.000 ; Louisiana at 40,000 ; South Carolina 

 at 35,000, and the Northern States at 62,150,- 

 500 pounds. 



CAPACITIES OP CULTIVATED SOILS. 



Every farmer Is aware that soils are of differ" 

 ent capacities, some being what Is considered 

 naturally fertile or productive, and some nearly 

 barren. Recent investigations of scientific men, 

 and their analysis of the ashes of the various 

 kinds of plants, have Imparted many highly 

 valuable and Important lessons upon this sub- 

 ject. 



If a plant which requires for its healthy de- 

 velopment a large per centum of silica, or sand, 

 be planted in a soil which contains but little of 

 this earth in a soluble state, we cannot reason- 

 ably expect that it will succeed as well as if the 

 soil contained the element so essential to its 

 physical perfection. 



Under such circumstances, the plant, al- 

 though it may strike root and flourish with 

 great vigor, apparently, for a time, will never- 

 theless ultimately sicken and die. This result 

 is analagous to depletion, or starvation, in the 

 animal kingdom ; the organs demand a princi- 

 ple which they cannot obtain, and disease and 

 death are the inevitable and speedy result. 



The presence of sand, clay, and vegetable 

 matter in a soil Is deemed indispensable to all 

 crops. Sand Is the most essential of the earth- 

 ly ingredients of soils, and most {)redominates 

 in them, though where it exceeds eighty-two 

 per cent., the soil is virtually barren; for it is 

 then too porous to retain long either moisture 

 or manure. Silica, or sand, forms so consider- 

 able a portion of the ashes of wheat straw, 



that when they are exposed to the action of 

 the blow pipe, it unites with the potash found 

 also in the straw, and fonns an opaque glass. 



The same fact applies with equal force to the 

 other mineral accessories of the food of plants, 

 potash, soda, magnesia, lime, &c. Although, in 

 a greater or less quantity, these as well as silex 

 are extant In every soil, yet frequently in too 

 small quantities to produce that condition which 

 we characterize by the term fertility. The 

 following table will tend to illustrate the im- 

 portance of several of these elements : — 



Silica Plants. 

 Oat straw with seeds . . 



Wheat straw 



Barley straw with seeds 

 Rye straw 



Lime Plants. 



Pea straw 



Potato (herb) 



Clover 



Potash Plants. 



Turnips 



Beet root 



Potatoes 



Sunflower 



Salts of 



Potash 



and Soda. 



34.00 

 22.00 

 19.00 

 18.65 



27.82 



4.20 



39.20 



81.60 

 88.00 

 85.81 

 84.30 



Lime and 



Magnesia. 



4.00 



7.20 



25.70 



16.52 



63.70 

 69.40 

 56.00 



18.40 

 12.00 

 14.19 

 15.70 



Silica. 



Several years ago, the theory became quite 

 popular, that by analyzing the soil we could 

 ascertain what were its characteristics, and that 

 by supplying deficiencies we could render a 

 soil productive of any crop we might be desi- 

 rous of cultivating. We have no doubt that a 

 correct analysis of a soil would often prove 

 useful to an Intelligent farmer ; but we greatly 

 doubt whether, with such an analysis, he would 

 be able to supply what he might deem deficien- 

 cies, and always secure a crop. 



There is something In the principles of ac- 

 tion, between soil and plant, that Is not yet 

 revealed to us. Besides this, to analyze soils, 

 one must be a practical chemist, and fcAv farm- 

 ers have the time to enable them to perfect 

 themselves in the manipulatory process of this 

 recondite science. Cliemistry is undoubtedly 

 essentially aiding us in our labors. The minds 

 of many earnest men arc engaged in learning 

 what soils require, In order that they may pro- 

 duce profitable crops. If we feed lime or soda 

 when they require something else, we do not 

 benefit the plants, but sometimes produce ac- 

 tual Injury. 



So with the other various elements which 

 enter into their structure, and which we are 

 oftentimes required to supply, wholly or in 

 part, by the application of manures. 



Science has demonstrated that no inconsid- 



