274 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
Other products also is destined to render immense services 
to mankind. 
Placing myself at your disposal for any information 
tending to the spread of useful knowledge and internation- 
al courtesy, I have the honor to be your Excellency’s 
Very humble and obedient servant, 
Alexandre Vattemare. 
[Translation.] 
Paris, 20th April, 1857. 
To Mr. Alexandre Vattemare — 
Sir : — The crdstilization of the sugar of the Sorgho, it 
seems, should be easily obtained in all cases where the 
cane can be sufficiently ripened ; and, as the proportion 
of the sugar is an unfailing index of ripeness, it follows 
that we could always be sure of obtaining a good crystal- 
lization of juices whose density exceed 1.075, whilst 
weaker ones could not yield satisfactory results after con- 
centration. 1 attribute this peculiarity to the fact that the 
sugar is preceded in the juice by a gummy principle, 
which seems to be transformed at a later date, for its pro- 
portion diminishes in exact correspondence with the in- 
crease of the sugar. 
The uncrystallizable sugar, or glucose, undergoes the 
same changes ; that is to say, it is more abundant before 
than after the complete maturity ; but its action seems less 
unfavorable to the progress of crystallization. The gum- 
my principle obstructs in two ways; for, besides being a 
serious obstacle to the commencement of crystallization, 
it afterwards renders it almost a matter of impossibility to 
purge the crystals if obtained. However, as I observed, 
this difficulty only presents itself in the employ of unripe 
canes ; for, as soon as the juices obtain a density of 1.080 
and more, they contain little else than crystallizable sugar 
and their treatment presents no difficulty. The lime em- 
ployed, even to a slight excess, is not as detrimental, it 
seems to me in practice, as theory would perhaps indicate. 
Perhaps a slight fermentation, which is inevitable, may 
disengage enough carbonic acid to destroy the uncrystal- 
lizable compound formed by its union with the sugar. 
The fact is that the best crystallizations obtained have 
been had in these experiments in which I feared to have 
used too much lime. I should remark that heretofore my 
operations have been but on a small scale, and it is neces 
sary to be very prudent before applying the experiments 
of the labratory to practical operations ; but at all events 
it seems to me, after all these trials, that the crystallization 
will not meet with serious obstacles wherever the plant at- 
tains a complete maturity. Vilmorin. 
EXHAUSTION OF HAND. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — The following ideas 
are from my agricultural diary; and if they contain any 
errors I should take it very kindly to have them pointed 
out; it being my great desire to induce an article from 
the pen of the Senior Editor on the same subject: 
All soils are formed from the decomposition of rocks 
either p'im.ary or secondary. Vegetation derives two 
classes of elements from all the productive soils, distin- 
guished by chemists by the terms of organic and inorganic; 
the former of which are derived from the atmosphere, 
and such decomposing animal and vegetable substances 
as may be present, the latter are formed in the primary 
rocks, being the mineral substances of which they are 
composed. 
By the decomposition and disintegration of the primary 
rocks, sords are formed ; or, more properly speaking, by 
the transformation of such rocks the materials are sup- 
plied for the formation of the secondary rocks; wliich, in 
their turn are decomposed, the elements of which form the 
basis of most of our soils. 
These inorganic elements consist of potash, soda, lime. 
magnesia, manganese, iron, silica, and alumina. Now 
these elements are distributed with great regularity in the 
primary rocks; as for instance, in analyzing the felspars, 
the micas, &c., we find the alkalies, iron and alumina, al- 
ways present. So that soils derived from this class of 
rocks are capable of supplying plants with a requisite 
amount of either. 
Not so with the soils derived from the secondary rocks. 
For here we find some of those elements predominating 
to such an extent as almost to exclude the others ; for ex- 
ample, in soils derived from standstones there is too great 
an excess of silica for them to be productive. In clay 
soils we find an excess of alumina, and even lime, that 
great ingredient of our prarie soils, can be in excess. — 
The orgamc elements are only four, viz: oxygen, hydro- 
gen, nitrogen and carbon, all of which are formed in the 
atmosphere. Sulphur and phosphorus are also essential 
to the grov/th of plants, and are generally distributed in 
soils; the former in great abundance, the latter more 
sparingly. 
The failing of our lands may be owing to one of three 
causes or to all combined. First, the inorganic elements 
being sparingly present in soils may become exhausted by 
cultivation. Secondly, there may be a deficiency of the 
organic elements to produce the necessary change in the 
inorganic elements so as to adapt them to the wants of 
plants ; and, lastly, there may be a requisite amount of both 
the above-mentioned elements, but the sulphur and phos- 
phorus wanting, which case would be equally fatal to the 
yield of abundant and heavy crops. 
Now, the absence or exhaustion of any of these ele- 
ments may be supplied by a judicious system of manuring, 
hitherto little practiced in this country. 
A description of the best mode of making and applying 
manures on a farm, by an experienced farmer, through the 
medium of your journal, would certainly be appreciated by 
the most of your numerous reaaders. 
Respectfully, J. C. R. 
Cub Castle, Okolona, Miss., 1857. 
Remarks. — The views expressed by “J. C. R.” are 
sound so far as they go ; he fails, however, to notice 
Chlorine as an element of plants, and overlooks all Terti- 
ary and recent strata of rocks as supplying the earthy 
constituents of soils. Primary and Secondary rocks are 
covered in a large part of Asia, Europe and America with 
more recent deposits. In the British Provinces, north of 
the United States, and in the Northern and middle States, 
the so-called Drift formation covers much of the earth, 
and of course, soils are derived in a large degree from this 
extensive deposition. In many districts, however, as in 
Western New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, 
the debris of rocks older, and more or less underlying the 
Drift (or Diluvion, of old authors,) is mingled with the 
latter in the loose earth at the surface of the ground. In 
the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States, where the Drift 
is wanting, Tertiary rocks, which, according to Hitch- 
cock, are some 2,000 feet in thickness are pretty exten- 
sively developed from Georgia to Texas. They abound 
in fossils, and are well adapted, as a general rule, to the 
production of rich soils. Lyell gives an interesting des- 
cription of this system, which he divides into the Eocene, 
Miocene, Upper and Lower Pliocene. 
In that part of Georgia where the writer resides, there 
is neither Drift nor any Tertiary deposit; the soil is formed 
of rocks in situ, which are partly granie, and partly of the 
early debris of granite. As a common feature, such soils 
