341 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



It has occurred to r«v«». that, as no farmer ought to 

 consume the quantity of straw nece;>3<uj fo* «hig process, 

 whether a less expensive means could not be adopted to 

 bring about the like result ; a heated roller, if such an 

 implement could be constructed — even a plain sheet of 

 iron, if heated sufficiently to destroy insect life ; the cost 

 of coals wculd be a trifle, in comparison with the good to 



be effected. 



Looking to the natural history of the insect, it appears 

 to remain in the ground a considerable time, undergoing 

 the different changes of egg, maggot, and chrysalis; it is 

 in this latter stage that the plough and harrow bring cer- 

 tain quantities to the surface, or sufficiently near the 

 surface to be within the influence of the sun's rays, and 

 the hatching of the chrysalis is brought about simulta- 

 neously with the appearance of the Turnip- plant. This 

 accounts for the preservation of the plant by early vege- 

 tation, for it thus gets sufficiently advanced to be un- 

 palatable to the insect by the time the fl y appears.— S.C. 



ON THE APPLICATION OF CHEMISTRY TO 



AGRICULTURE UPOxN RATIONAL 



PRINCIPLES— No. XVII. 



(Concluded from p. 304.) 



Now, I must request the observer to remark several 

 points of great interest in the results obtained by the 

 above experiment. I may observe that I superintended 

 the management of the experiment from beginning to 

 end personally ; that I took every possible means to 

 prevent the slightest mistake. I saw the land prepared 

 and the liquid applied, and I was present when the crop 

 was mown, carted, threshed, weighed, and measured. 



The experiment, I grant, stands at present unsup- 

 ported by others, and my own duties will not permit me 

 to spare the time and attention it would require for repe- 

 tition ; but I am so confident in the correctness of every 

 step, and the care which was taken to avoid mistake, that 

 until the facts which 1 have adduced are controverted by 

 other experiments equally sound, I claim for it the credit 

 of being a step in advance, and of proving the truth of 

 chemical induction. 



Liebig stated that a pound of urine will produce a 

 pound of Wheat. In the first experiment which I have 

 instituted, I have produced from 80 lbs. of urine 78^ lbs. 

 of grain and straw. It is true that an additional sub- 

 stance, the sulphuric acid, was introduced, and how much 

 of the increase of crops was due to that, per se, future 

 experiments will decide. Its cheapness will rather add 

 than detract from the value of urine as a manure. 



Another point of interest in my experiment, is the 

 proof which it affords of the truth of the principles I 

 have advocated — that plants require for food a union of 

 their constituent elements in the proportions in which they 

 exist in the plant — that the straw and grain contain 

 different elements, and require different manures. The 

 liquid in my experiment was applied especially for the 

 grain, and in every case there was an increase of grain, 



both in measure and weight; while in three of the in- 

 stances, there was a loss of straw ; and in two out of the 

 other three, the increase of straw was only one-half that 

 of the grain in one, and one-third in the other. Now, 

 urine contains some of the elements of straw^ and, of 

 course, will produce it to a certain extent ; it contains 

 much more of the elements of grain, and much more 

 grain was produced. -- \ 



Another point of interest in my experiment is, that 

 where chemical means were adopted to retain the ni- 

 trogen, the weakest solution had the greatest amount of 

 produce ; while, where no fixing medium was used, the 

 strongest solution had the most successful result. I have 

 no doubt but that the strong solutions were injurious to 

 a portion of the grain, and prevented its germination. 

 Guano, if applied too strong, will kill the seed, and so 

 will urine, particularly if the urea is converted into the 

 sulphate of ammonia. In future experiments, it would 

 be advisable to use the fixed urine in different states of 

 dilution. The fact that the sulphuric acid prevented 

 decomposition, is interesting. Whether the urea was 

 decomposed in the earth or not is of no importance in 

 a practical, though of great importance as a chemical 

 question, because it bears strongly upon Liebig's state- 

 ment, that the carbonate of ammonia is the form in which 

 nitrogen is supplied to plants. 



Some light would be thrown upon this subject, by a 

 comparative experiment of the effects of urine with the 

 decomposition prevented or retarded, and that in which 

 the ammonia was fixed with the acid during the 



process of decomposition. I would propose the following 

 experiment : — 



Procure two wooden vessels— old beer casks are the 

 best for experiment, because their exact measure is 

 known. Let them be marked A and B. Into A, for 



half 

 not 



t i a k^4.«-~ e r "." " "" "* ""^i oiiuuiu uc pUC into 



It d.ff rZ ? thC u ask * and the acid b * d better be added 



it w if act uLTt'^" 8 ? if S°° mUch is P ut in at first 

 it will act upon the wood. Let this tub be filled with 



urine as it can be procured. 



Jf\t Ut ' he urin « "«,.«»)>«*•* at ouce, without any 

 * ' b "' " S °° n SS " *«"■■ «° P-trefy, ] e t sulphuric 

 ac.d, the same as aboie, be added, until ,11 effervescence 

 cease* ; and let this be repeated until the fub ts full! 

 Then let the conlents of each tub be applied to the land 



as follows : — 



No. ]. % Half of A, in the proportion of 100, 150, and 

 200 gallons per acre, diluted with two, three, and four 

 times its measure of water ; and let it be applied to 

 the land a week or ten days before the seed is sown ; 

 and let this crop be Wheat. 



No. 2. The other half of A in the same proportion, the 



crop being Beans. 

 Mo 2. Half of B in the same proportion to Wheat. 

 No. 4. Halt of B in the same proportion to Beans. 



Let the amount of seed and produce be carefully 

 weighed and measured. For the sake of comparison, 

 a patch of land of the size used in the experiments 

 must be treated without manure of any kind. To those 

 who have plenty of time and land, I would recommend 

 another experiment to be tried, by adding, in addition to 

 the acid to tubs A and B, one bushel or one and a half 

 of well-ground bone-dust. 



To a third class of experimenters I would suggest that 

 the urine prepared, as I have advised, should be tried 

 comparatively with good rotten farm-yard manure, using 

 the usual quantity per acre of the muck, and the quan- 

 tities on different patches I have advised with the urine ; 

 and the latter class of experiments might be advantage- 

 ously tried with W T heat and Turnips, or Mangold Wur- 

 zel, instead of Beans. In fine, the experiments which 

 suggest themselves are innumerable, and let no one be 

 cast down by defeat or disappointment. The value of an 

 experiment, if sound, is great even if it fail, for truth is 



elicited. 



I have thus brought the subject I proposed to treat of 

 to a close. At a future time, if anything interesting to 

 the scientific farmer should suggest itself, or if he should 

 attach any value to the observations I have offered, and 

 which I trust have been made in the true spirit of induc- 

 tive reasoning, I will cheerfully bestow my time and at- 

 tention upon what I consider one of the most interesting 

 and useful of studies— that of endeavouring to supply the 

 increasing necessities of a great nation, by pointing out 

 those principles which chemical science suggests as 

 most likely to be conducive to the establishment of a 

 rational system of agriculture. — C. R. Bree, Stowmarket, 



Home Correspondence. 



Observations on the Potato. — The papers which have 

 appeared on the failure of the Potato are very numerous. 

 I have read a great portion of them with attention ; but 

 as far as I can judge they have not named the true cause. 

 For the most part they say that the failure in this valuable 

 root is owing to the use of over-ripe tubers. Here I beg 

 to differ from them, being of opinion that the great cause 

 of failure lies in improper cultivation, storing, and using 

 unripe tubers for seed. It is well known to every horti- 

 culturist that if his tuberous-rooted plants (i. e. the tubers) 

 have not been properly matured before the time of taking 

 them up, they become deteriorated, and seldom, if ever, 

 produce vigorous plants the following season, and ten 

 chances to one they rot when replanted ; if they do not 

 rot they produce unhealthy plants. Now, this is ana- 

 logous to the Potato ; for if the tuber is not ripe or pro- 

 perly matured, it cannot contain a sufficient supply of 

 suitable nourishment to support the tender buds or 

 shoots until they have become furnished with roots for 

 that important purpose. Another great error is allowing 

 them to grow in the pit or storehouse, before being 

 planted. Whenever Potatoes show the least signs of 



vegetation, they should be immediately planted, if the 

 season will permit, for allowing them to grow in the 

 pit must naturally exhaust that nourishment which 

 should go to the support of the young buds or shoots 

 when planted ; and the second growth of shoots is thus 

 never so healthy and vigorous as those which were pro- 

 duced at first. In regard to culture, nothing can be more 

 at variance to the laws of nature than the present system 

 of cultivating this valuable tuber. The Potato may be 

 cultivated in any soil, and almost every climate, and with 

 much less manure than is generally used, if the land has 

 been properly pulverised. The Potato is, however, 

 subjected to one uniform mode of culture by the British 

 farmer ; and why ? because in this, as in most all other 

 cases, he still follows in the steps of his forefathers, 

 without inquiring whether the practice is consonant with 

 the nature and habits of his crops. On the first appear- 

 ance of a plant above the ground, remove the earth care- 

 fully from the stem, and it will be seen, even at this early 

 stage, that young fibres are sent out in all directions in 

 search of nourishment, which the tuber or set can no 

 longer supply, being at this time greatly, if not entirely, 

 exhausted of all nourishment. These fibres will be found 

 to grow much more rapidly than the stem, so much so 

 that some of the fibres will have extended 13 or 14 inches 

 in search of food, while the stem has only gained two or 

 threeinches in height. Nothing, then, can be more opposed 

 to the future welfare of the crop than the repeated appli- 

 cation of the horse and hand-hoe, for, by the too frequent 

 use of these useful implements of husbandry, the fibres 

 are cut and destroyed, and those which remain are, in a 

 great measure, exposed to the influence of a scorching 

 sun and dry winds, which must undoubtedly check their 

 growth. The land intended for Potatoes should be 

 ploughed, as soon as the growing crop is harvested, with 

 a good deep furrow, and after being for some time exposed 

 to the influence of the atmosphere it should be thoroughly 

 harrowed : after remaining thus for a short time, it should 

 again be ploughed and harrowed. In spring it should again 

 be twice ploughed, in contrary directions, and harrowed, 

 hand-weeded when necessary, and rolled. If this was 

 properly attended to, in the preparation of the land for 

 Potatoes, very little after-hoeing and hand-weeding would 

 be required. As the greater portion of the weeds which i nfest 

 properly-cultivated lands are either annual or biennial, 

 they may be readily pulled up by the hand, and laid on 

 the surface of the soil to rot, without destroying the 

 fibres of the Potato. Farmers may rest assured that the 

 less the soil is disturbed after the Potatoes are planted, 

 the more certain and luxuriant will be the crop. How- 



J>Iay 25, 



ever objectionable the Irish system of lmhT^ 

 appear, it yields large and fine crops, with \tn U? 

 manure ; the fibres or roots of the plant are left t 

 and luxuriate at pleasure, with very little if ,„„ \ **?* 

 to disturb .them. After the soil has been tborn?^ 

 pulverised, and the dung and seed ready, which sh ll 

 be the small whole tubers, commence planting as Jo 

 the season will permit — the earlier the better— bvd M 

 ing the drills at from three to four feet asunder and h' 

 to eight inches deep ; for the wider the drills are f *** 

 each other, the plants will have the more room toT* 

 velope their leaves and branches, and the deeper (with** 

 proper limits) the seed is planted the more prolific in? 

 certain will be the crop, and the less earthing up will h* 

 required. In fact, I am of opinion that the Potato croo 

 should be planted in autumn instead of spring, and thtf 

 pitting and housing are highly injurious to' the teed 

 Potato. In proof of this, it must be known to everr 

 farmer that those Potatoes which have by accident bee 

 left in the field, and at a considerable depth in the noU 

 produce finer plants and tubers in spring than those' 

 which have been pitted or housed ; and thoie tubers 

 which have thus remained during winter in the soil are 

 free from all diseases and failures. I would, howeTer 

 recommend for autumn planting that the land intended 

 for Potatoes lie in fallow all summer, and be thoroughly 

 pulverised by repeated ploughings and harrowings, to 

 destroy the vegetation of weeds. As soon as weeds make 

 their appearance they should be hand-hoed, or pulled up 

 by the hand, and left to rot on the surface. When the 

 plants have arrived at a proper height they should be 

 earthed up, which should be done only once. When the 

 crop is ripe, those Potatoes which are intended for seed 

 should remain in the ground till the time has again 

 arrived for planting ; for, let them be stowed in the moit 

 careful manner, they are liable to heat and grow- in pits, 

 which, if not the real cause of failure, tends greatly to 

 promote it. For instance, set aside a few tubers which 

 have been gathered in the common way, and it will in- 

 variably be found, although they may appear perfectly 

 firm and sound, before many weeks have elapsed, symp- 

 toms of decay may be observed. No doubt this is owing 

 to their being bruised by falling one against the other, 

 and by the too common use of the shovel in turning 

 them, to prevent their heating, and to check the growth 

 of the buds. In pitting Potatoes for domestic pur- 

 poses (for seed Potatoes, in my opinion, should not be 

 pitted), I would recommend alternate layers of sand or 

 charcoal and Potatoes. This will keep them cool, and free 

 from heating and sprouting. After a sufficient quantity 

 of Potatoes, sand or charcoal have been piled together, 

 put a layer of dry straw next the Potatoes ; then cover 

 the straw with a layer of six or seven inches of earth, which 

 should not be trod, but receive a gentle clap or two from 

 the back of the spade ; then secure all with a coat ot 

 thatch, which should be fastened by ropes, to prevent 

 the winds from disturbing it, and they will keep much 

 better, and more secure from frost than in any house. 

 In conclusion. I beg to offer the following suggestions: 

 — Thoroughly pulverise the land by repeated ploughings 

 and harrowings ; never use unripe tubers for seed ; never 

 pit seed Potatoes if it can be avoided ; never cut them if 

 it is possible to procure medium-sized ones ; plant Pota- 

 toes in autumn, if the season and circumstances will per- 

 mit ; make the drills much wider apart from each other, 

 and deeper than is generally practised ; use well-fer- 

 mented farm-yard manure; employ the horse-hoe 

 and plough as little as possible, after the plants have 

 made their appearance above ground ; na J d " wC ~ 

 on all occasions, but never remove the weeds from 

 the land, (i. e.) if they have been pulled before «•»"£« 

 pods are formed ; remove all flowers as soon as tney 

 make their appearance. I hope the foregoing observa- 

 tions will be the means of inducing some of your more 

 able correspondents to come forward, and lay their 

 servations on this important subject before your read eri_, 

 for, as you remarked, in answer to my question on . 

 subject, " There is nothing like a PToperly-conflm 

 discussion for eliciting truth."— J. Af'/., HtlUboro vg* 



Substitute for Guano and Bones.— Two facts 

 obvious to me long ago; viz., that bone ;L *? to 

 powers, more especially with reference to lump »^ 

 their earthy constituent, the phosphate of lime ; a . 

 many years could not elapse ere the light soils oi ^ 

 land must once more go out of cultivation, witno 

 succedaneum could be found. The same opinion *iv 

 to guano, for no person can anticipate any 8 

 tinued supply. It is satisfactory, therefore, w ^ 

 the substitute for the one is almost identical w i i^ 

 therefore at least equal to, the other. And ^ ^ 

 more so to know that an inexhaustible s ;upp > J 

 hand, the collecting of which will do more with re. ^ 

 to the sanitary regulations of all large cities, i . 

 other precaution whatever. Twenty years ago^ r fce 

 lished, under the signature of « De Winterton, 

 Hull Rockingham, and again, since reprinted J ^ 

 name, in the columns of BdVs Weekly M"'?*^ 

 means of securing such substitute, by collecting ^ q[ 

 urine, giving to it about fourteen pounds of suip ^ 

 magnesia (Epsom salts) to every hundred ^ uo ' ked ). 

 adding lime in the state of hydnate ( that . 18 ' ne8 and 



c.-u „ «.;•>.,..» ^nnf-aina all the elements oi DU " ..w4 



still remaius cumpwauT«; „„«,»„..-- t u roW ii a**J 

 than one hundred gallons per month are inru ^ 



every minor farm-house, while in towns tnere 

 waste in this way.— W. M. Dinsdale. . Trer imenti 



Science of Farming.— The results of tne e y 

 detailed at page 293 of your Journal are most P 



