408 



REID — AGRICULTURE ALLIED TO CHEMISTRY. 



promote active development, but are not needed as tliey approach 

 maturity for they do not increase the weight of the bulb. 



Phosphates alone used as manure are not successful. The 

 amount of phosphoric acid in the turnip crop is not larger than it is 

 in the wheat crop, yet experience teaches that a direct supply of 

 soluble phosphates is more influential in promoting the growth of 

 the turnip than wheat, and hence they must exercise some important 

 function in its development. 



To give an idea of the amount of material obtained by crops 

 from the soil as minerals, and the amount of soluble mineral or ash 

 constituent present, and that obtained from the air and soil as 

 gaseous or aerial, or as often termed organic constituents, I present 

 a table which I have compiled from those given by Magnus and 

 Lawes and Gilbert, — and as well as analysis of the soil. The 

 quantity of each constituent is given in pounds weight, and they 

 exist of course in combination though spoken of aa in the free state. 

 Straw and grain are included in the analysis. 



^3 



Pn 



?3 



e3 

 o 



in 





(3 



w 



O) 



s 



? 



o 



EH 







'A 



80468 



10 



94 





182 



51 



171 



50 



184 



56 



102 



113 



289 



77 



373 



124 





Per acre of soil one foot deep, 



soluble in acid — lbs 



Average annual Wheat crop (35 



bushels), lbs. per acre 



Wheat 30 bushels per acre— lbs. 

 Barley, 40 <' «' " 



Oats, 44 " •' «' 



Beans, 34 " *' *« 



Turnips, 10 tons " •' 



Clover, 5000 lbs. per acre . . . . 



7581 



3-73 

 23 

 20 

 16 



29 

 20 

 28 



8983 



12-73 



29 

 30 

 31 

 52 



89 



75 



35794 



4-72 

 9 



12 

 12 

 32 

 60 

 121 



10180 



1-89 

 6 

 7 

 8 



11 

 4 



32 



17920 



61-3 

 102 



88 



90 



6 



c\ 

 O 



11 



4080 

 3891 

 3515 



3777 

 2957 

 4150 



In no part of the Dominion are correct ideas of the chemistry 

 of agriculture more needed than in Nova Scotia, where many farms 

 are quite run out. I have seen thousands of acres lying waste in 

 different parts of the province, and on enquiring the cause from 

 those in the vicinity they said, " the land was spent and not worth 

 the trouble of tillage, though it had at one time been good." 



The rotation of crops and manures which obtain in England are 

 not on that accQunt necessary for Nova Scotia, but the principles 



