Na. 7. 



AND liAROENER'S JOURNAL. 



99 



In the mean time it is quite ilcliglillul to see with wliat 

 ro:iland energy, with wlmt care anj caleulalion, men 

 of science institute aeu c exporimcnts to elucidate par- 

 ticular [loints, ami to extonJ their knowledge on tlie 

 subject of agriculturul c'.ieaiistry ; and as directing 

 posts to the agriculturist, th"se experiments arc of the 

 greatest importance ; but in order to understand them, 

 to draw proper intercncca and deductions from them, 

 or to vary the application of their principles to varying 

 circumstances, such as situations, soils, crops, manures, 

 &c.,the lannermust brush up his knowledge, must cul- 

 tivate his mind as well as his lield. Let him rest as- 

 sured that in both cases the cn'i>s, in profit and pleasure, 

 will be in proportion to the lahor bestowed, The 

 chemical statements and calculations or, as wc ought to 

 Call them, the chemical statistics in this work, appear to 

 be exposed with much simplicity and accuracy, consid- 

 erable industry has been likewise expended in draw- 

 ing information from the latest and most authentic 

 Bourccs of knowledge on the subjects discussed in each 

 lecture. 



The Urst lecture contains an account of the nature 

 dnJ known properties of the four chief ingredients of 

 all the vegetation around us. Carbon, O.xygcn, Hydro- 

 gen, and Nitrogen or Azote. 



The second lecture discourses on the substances or- 

 ganized out of these ingredients, of whicli t!\e vegeta- 

 ble is composed ; and their relative proportions in vari- 

 ous plants. 



The third explains the properties and relations to 

 vegetable life of carbonic and oxalic acids, and of am- 

 monia. 



The fourth gives the probable sources of the ingredi- 

 ents mentioned in the /irst lecture, with various con- 

 clusions drawn. 



The fifth, an account of the general structure of 

 plants, with the functions of their leaves, stems, roots, 

 bark, &c., and of the various circumstances by which 

 these functions are niodilicd. 



The sixth describes the substances of which plants 

 consist — such as woody fibre, gum, starch, sugar, &c., 

 with their mutual relation and transformations, and 

 considerations on the acids in plants. 



The seventh is on the chemical changes which take 

 place during the germination of the seed, development 

 of the leaves, roots, flowers, fruit and seeds, and the 

 circumstances by which they are promoted. 



The eighth and last, is on tlie theories recently prop- 

 ag'ated of the chief supply of carl'on and ammonia to 

 plants from the atmosphere, and on the various means 

 by which carbonic acid and ammonia arc constantly 

 BuppUed to the atiuosplicrc to make good the large 

 quantities constantly abstracted by plants. 



Here is also an appendix of 40 pages containing the 

 results of practical experiments in agriculture, with 

 suggestions for expcri-ments. 



From this brief analysis of the work, it will be seen 

 that the information it contaijis is of a varied charac- 

 ter, and it cortainlj' o.Ters to notice many facts which 

 deserve to be deeply studied by every agriculturist. In 

 pages lt6andl 17, there is a very singular result given 

 as oi frequent occurrence in Holstein — it is, tl'.at in con- 

 tiguous fields, some of which arc manured with marl 

 and some left unmanured with marl, the crops in the 

 unmanurcd fields are worse than if the whole fields 

 liad been left unmanured, which is just like saying that 

 the healthy crops on the manured lands appropriate to 

 themselves a larger portion of the nourishment from 

 the atmosphere of the unmanured (carbonic acid and 

 ammonia), while the weak crops of the unmanured 

 fields are obliged to put up with the smaller quantity 

 left by the others, for their support. If this be true, 

 and we see no reason to doubt it, as it corresponds with 

 theory, then the farmer who manures his land well anil 

 keeps It in good heart, obtains from tlic atmosphere a 

 large portion of the nourishment contained in it, which 



would have gone to his neighbor's crop had it been 

 equally well manured. It in hardly possible to imagine 

 a fact n-ore calculated to give rise to emulation in ma- 

 nuring land than this, and the most delicate conscience 

 could hardly feel it an injustice to appropriate to itself 

 the carbonic acid and ammonia of its neighbor's at- 

 mosphere, by highly manuring the laiiil. How vastly 

 puzzling to the lawyers, were the fiirmers to bring ac- 

 tions at law against their neighbors for the abstraction 

 in this way of the atin.osphere on their different farms ! 



In this work there are many confirmations of the 

 truth of facts strongly insisted upon by L.iebig, partic- 

 ularly that of the existence of ammonia in almost all 

 vegetables, and the probability that much of it nmst 

 have found its way there from the ammonia of rain and 

 snow water, although not to the extent supposed by 

 Liebig; for Mr. Johnston states in his last lecture that 

 much of the ammonia combined with rain and snow 

 water, must find its way in its natural descent, as well 

 as by means of rivers, to the sea, and there be engulfed, 

 — there being, as he states, no process by which this 

 ammonia can be restored to the atmosphere. In this 

 point, however, he is in error, or probably he has not 

 heard of the experiments of Mr. Aime, Prolcssor of 

 Physics in the French College at Algiere, which prov- 

 ed that large ([uantities of gas were disengaged by ma- 

 rine plants (sea weed) from the salt water, which gas 

 contained from 4j to 83 per cent of Nitrogen and the 

 remainder Oxygen — the percentage of nitrogen de- 

 pending on the lime of the day when the gas was dis- 

 engaged, the bubbles of gas disengaged bet'ore sunrise 

 containing the largest quantity, those after sunset the 

 smallest ; several new facts are alsoadilcd to our knowl- 

 edge, such as that the hydrogen of the ammonia is 

 useful to the growth of vegetation. 



The accounts in the Appendix of the experiments 

 with various substances used as manures, such as sul- 

 phuric acid, gypsum, saltpetre, nitrate of soda, sul- 

 phate of soda, charcoal, salt, ammoniacal liquor, &c. 

 &c., are of the greatest interest, and should be spread 

 among farmers through the diflerent agricultural peri- 

 odicals in the greatest profusion. But they ought to 

 be accompanied with remarks on the condition of these 

 experiments, many of which secin altogether to have 

 escaped the notice of the experimenters. Thus a soil 

 of stiff loam holds moisture and ammonia with much 

 more tenacity than a sandy dry soil : lience in the lat- 

 ter, any solutions of ammoniacal liquors, of nitrates, or 

 other substances, require to be applied in a weaker 

 state and much oflencr tlian in the former. It must 

 also, not be forgotten, that the solution of animoni:', 

 which nature presents to jilants in the form of rain and 

 snow water, is in so weak a state that our chemical 

 tests wilt hardly discover it — aTid that if this annnonia 

 is given in strong solutions it is more likely to injure 

 than benefit the crops. Now all ammoniacal licjuors 

 from gas works are of varying and uncertain strength; 

 therctbre, unless this strength were known pretty nearly, 

 the result of the experiment would hardly be a fair 

 guide for others. The strength of various applications 

 is an object of the greatest importance in experiments, 

 as is also the nature of the soil and the kind of crop. 

 Another remark may also be of service. The saltpetre 

 imported from the East Indies is usually adulterated 

 with a mixture of common salt, t"rom 5 to 20 per cent, 

 and also with sulphate of potash. Now in experiments 

 the refined saltpetre should either be used which is free 

 from these admixtures, or the saltpetre, if used as im- 

 ported, should be analysed to ascertain the quantity of 

 them. The nitrate of soda is probably less liable to 

 these adulterations. In the appendix are also many 

 suggestions for experiments, which are of considerable 

 value. Altogether, it is a work well worthy the study 

 of the practical agriculturist, and if there are many 

 parts of it which he cannot at first understand, this 

 .■study will elevate liis ideas on the subject, and create 



that desire for knowledge in his mind which will urgn 

 him forward in acqturing it, until those parts wliich at 

 first puz/.le and conlbuud, will ap|)earto him quite sim- 

 ()le and clear. It is a great atlvantage to the agricultu- 

 rist in reading such works, that he lives surrounded by 

 the means of testing its principles, that such operations 

 are his daily occupations and the observation on them 

 is daily before him ; so that if he employs well his pow- 

 ers, but a season or two can elapse before he himself 

 will be a better judge of what is there laid down than 

 the writer of the book himself J. E. T. 



Cure o* Apple Trees. 



Mr. EniToii — Traveling through the United 

 Slates, in 1S40, '41 and ' \'i, I observed tbeopple trees 

 were beeonic very scrubbed, and ninny of the apples 

 inferior in eiise and llavor. The inhabitnnte oscribcd 

 ihese eflects to the npplo tree worm. I btlieve they 

 arc nil mistaken. AVhy do they not destroy tbo 

 wciniis ; it is fery cosy to be done. Lime water, or 

 strong sonp tuds, thrown on thcin will give them a 

 quietus. I oni, however, ccrtnin the delect is owing 

 to no other cause ihon lopping the trees in the n-.oiitli 

 of iMnrch and April. Let ibcm alone until after they 

 are out of blossom, and then lioiii tbnt time, uniil the 

 leaves foil, trim and lop thein. If you are doubtful 

 of the good efVcet of this irentirent, just try one or 

 two of the worst trees in your orchards, find you will 

 see n great cliongc in ihcni in less than two years. Ii.- 

 oteadof putting out suekeio, as it ie generally called, 

 the trees will grow smooth and thrifty, ond the fruit 

 become smooth and fine, with a grcot inerense in size 

 and flavor. I hove tried the experiment, and found 

 it to succeed beyond iny expectations. The best ma- 

 nure I ever found for an orchard is to draw fiesh earth 

 from a dielance and throw a few ebovel fulls eareleealy 

 ncnrrti^ root of the trees, but not to touch the trunk. 

 Ifyou-iliink this hint worth o place in your useful 

 paper, perhaps some one besides myself may try the 

 experiment. Apples are deemed by many o worthleaa 

 crop since the leinpcronce eocieties hove be. n estab- 

 lishcd. As cider ia going out of fashion, try how your 

 horses, cows, nnd swine will relish a teed of those eortg 

 you used to grind up for eider. Apple trees in gen- 

 eral, produce the greatest profit for the labor, of any 

 rop pioduced on a farm, and if well attended, will pay 

 50 per cent clear gain, on all outlays. 



B, K, DODGE. 



Premiums for Wool Shearing. 



In England, Sheep Shearings arc made the subject 

 of spirited competition and premium. This is a capi- 

 tal plan. Premiums arc awarded to those, whoperform 

 the work of shearing in the best manner, and in the 

 »lio:le6t time ; and also do up the fleece in the neatest 

 and best style. Five sheep in general constitute a 

 trial f. r one adult person. Three sheep to boys be- 

 tween 14 and 10 years old. Two sheep to boys under 

 14 years cdd. The highest premium noticed is £Z stg. 

 — the lowest £1 stg, — but a gratuity is bestowed upon 

 the unsuccessful competitors. This would be an ex- 

 cellent subject of competition with a farmer's club in 

 the same town, or one made up of several towns in the 

 vicinity of each other; and now grog money has ceas- 

 ed to be demanded, it would not be dilHcult to make up 

 a purse. After the play, the farmers dine together. 

 This is always, in such cases, a comfortable and desi- 

 rable accompaniment, where the expense is within tho 

 reach of the humblest individual. 



^NAKE8. 



Those who are in the habit of destroying snakes, 

 hod better h t ihtm alone for a few years, aa they ate 

 early risers, and generally at work in our field by the 

 break of dny, picking up those little depredators, the 

 cor7i worm, which any person moy fee by going into 

 the com ficlcis as early, and may satisfy themselves. 

 B. K. D. 



