THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
191 
ness of the earth, in order that it may the more 
readily withstand the powerful effect of Ion? 
continued drought.?. But when incorporated 
into the soil, it renders it light and spongy and 
the roots ol the plants do not enter into that so- 
lidity with the earth as to be thus enabled in 
withstand its scorching effects. But when ap- 
plied to the surface acts as a renovator and a 
protection to the tender roots, thereby retaining 
moisture, by preventing evaporation. 
I still further contend that by applyingthe un- 
ferraented manure to the surface early in the 
spring, that the decomposition is more gradual, 
and that the different elements it contains are 
evolved more gradually, and the volatile pans 
are absorbed as rapidly as yielded by the grow- 
ing crops, / 
It is again urged that the carbonic acid gas, 
so necessary for the full developement of the 
leaves of the plants, is lost by the application 
to the surface. 
Now, carbonic acid gas is heavier than at- 
mospheric air, and by its specific gravity is 
confined to the surface until it is distributed in 
the surrounding atmosphere, and where it di- 
rectly comes in immediate contact with the 
plant in its earliest-stage. Nor is it thus lost, 
for it is driven off in such small quantities, by 
the very gradual fermentation and decomposi- 
tion, that it is much more lasting in its effects 
upon vegetation and of much longer duration. 
Whereas, on the other hand, if speedy decom- 
position takes place, the carbonic acid gas is 
driven off much sooner, and there is an excess 
over and above the quantity required by the 
plant which must of course be diffused in the 
* surrounding atmosphere. For it is well known 
■' that but a very small quantity is required by the 
plant; for plants exposed to a superabundance of 
carbonic acid gas will survive but a short time, 
t The same rule will apply equally well as re- 
' gards ammonia which also escapes from ma- 
nure during fermentation. But it is very obvl- 
' ous that manure will generate ammonia with- 
I out the heat and moisture, and that heat by 
which ammonia is sent off in such quantities 
|i as is perceptible to the eye, on visiting a stable 
j! yard early in the morning, is thus prevented, by 
I decreasing the bulk and exposing a larger sur- 
i' face to the action of the atmosphere. These 
are my practical opinions and reasons as to the 
proper manner and mode of applying manure. 
; I am full}’^ aware that I differ very materially 
! from the great body of farmers ; and I have been 
thus induced to give my views in full, hoping 
to induce others to point out the fallacy of my 
• mode, if there be any; for it is by repeated ex- 
periments and close observation that we are 
I best enabled to apply general principals to any 
I particular practice ; it is by silting the opinions 
I of each other with freedom and respect, that 
: we often discover and avoid error, and elicit 
i facts. 1 could here give you many striking in- 
1 lustrations, but shall refer only to one single 
I I example. In the summer of 1841, and during 
; the month of June, I cowpenned ray stock at 
I , night for the purpose of manuring a piece of 
I ground for turnips. I suffered the stock to re- 
main on the pen until thoroughly covered with 
f manure. I then removed the pen and plowed 
up the ground, preventing as I supposed, the 
evaporation of the manure. I pursued the 
'same plan with the second pen, breaking it up 
■ as soon as the pen was removed. I again stir- 
red the ground with a shovel plow and harrow- 
ed it, and sowed my turnips about the 25th of 
July. The third pen 1 did not plow up, and it 
was left in that state until September, when I 
plowed up the whole field, together with the 
two first lots, they having missed in turnips. I 
sowed the field in wheat and there was a deci- 
ded difference in favor of the pen wheie the ma- 
nure was left upon the surface. The spring 
following, the field was planted in corn. The 
difference here was very perceptible in favor of 
the third lot ; and this difference is now percep- 
tible, it being in clover, when the first and se- 
cond lot, together with the whole field missed, 
in part, to clover, the third lot was well set. 
Summit Point, Jefferson Co. Va, W, C. 
! 
The 41 ood of Plants. 
From the North Carolina Farmer. 
The practical farmer should understand 
( hough of chemistry to know the compound of 
his lands. With this knowledge he would be 
able to form a correct estimate of the different 
soils, and adopt a suitable crop. 
A succession of crops always impoverishes 
liie land, no matter how well manured it may 
be, unless the farmer understands enough of 
chemistry to supply, in the manure, the parts 
extracted by the crops. This knowledge can 
be obtained in the course of one month, by stu- 
dying one hour each evening in Chaptal’s 
Agricultural Chemistry, or some other good 
work. 
He will find there, the analysis of the differ- 
ent kinds of grain and straw ; and when a defi- 
ciency occurs either in the grain or stalk, it 
points out the correct way to improve and as- 
sist the earth in bringing forth its crop. 
When the science of agriculture is well un- 
derstood, the planter will look alter the health 
of his fields, with the same interest that he will 
his animals in the stable, or his servants that 
work the grounds: the same interests will in- 
duce him to give food to the soil and the com- 
ing ci ops that he may reap the abundant har- 
vest. Unless this be attended to, a portion (and 
not a small one) of the husbandman’s labor will 
be lost. 
But to come directly to the food for plants : 
it must be understood that all plants do not re- 
quire the same nutriment ; but all require wa- 
ter and carbonic acid gas. Tlie roots are 
thrown out for the purpose of collecting the 
water and the kinds of earth in solution which 
forms one or more constituents of the plant. 
The absorbent organs can be likened to numer- 
ous little pumps vt'hich are constantly at w'ork ; 
after the water has been brought up into the 
plant it makes its appearance under each leal 
in the form of a globule or little drop ready 
then to receive the food of the atmosphere. 
The evaporation of water from the surface of 
the earth, which is constantly going on, and 
which condenses each night in the form of dew 
on the under side of the leaves, contains car- 
bonic acid gas, or rather the dew is converted 
into carbonic acid. 
The plant receives this into circulation, and 
decomposes the water and discharges the gases 
during the day from the top of the leaf. This 
is a wise arrangement in nature. The plants 
are so organized that the gases cast from the 
lungs of animals can never be respirable again 
until decomposed and made the lood of plants : 
w^ere vegetation to cease, in a lew years the 
whole atmosphere would be changed into car- 
bonic acid gas, which would not support ani- 
mal life. As it is, animals go on preparing an 
atmosphere for vegetation, and vegetation, in 
turn, restores an atmosphere of nitrogen and 
oxygen. It will be seen, then, that vegetation 
is necessary, not only lor food, but to purify 
the atmosphere and render it wholesome and fit 
for respiration. Hence it is that the large parks 
in London are held sacred and are looked upon 
as the lungs of that great city. 
Yours, S. N. B, 
Sliiid Bridles. 
Look and reflect, use your own intellect. 
Yes, use your own thinking powers, friends, 
they were given you to use and not abuse. 
Blind bridles! truly named, surely. Art never 
invented a more fatal thing to the eyes of horses 
than when she devised this plan of depriving 
the horse of what nature intended he should en- 
joy. But, says one, why are blinders injurious 
to the horse? Because they gather dirt and 
heat around the eyes. Dirt irritates the eye 
and heat produces inflammation. These bri- 
dles so enlrammel the eyes of the horse that he 
is compelled to be straining them constantly to 
see his way. This over exertion of the neive 
soon brings on disease. Eyes were not made in 
vain, Had they been useless, they would not 
have been located in the head. They were pla- 
ced on the corner of the head that he might 
have the advantage of looking in different di- 
rections. Men, in the abundance of their ima- 
ginary wisdom concluded the horse had loo 
much sight, and they wished to curtail it, hence 
the origin of blind-bridles. Think of this se- 
riously and you will abandon the use of so de- 
struc;ive an appendage. Remember that blind 
bridles and diseased eyes are inseparably con- 
nected. Custom hoodwinks the senses of men, 
as much as blind bridles do the vision of horses. 
Improper Education; 
Why do we have so many puny men and 
nervous women 1 Because parents half the 
time do not know how to educate their off- 
spring. If the child is but to school, at an ear- 
ly age, and if care is taken to provide the best 
masters, and if the morals are preserved by 
good examples and religious influence, the pa- 
rents think all has been done that duty requires, 
and that their progeny will have nothing to re- 
proach them for. Fatal error! It is not the 
mental, so much as the physical education of 
your child for which you will be called to ac- 
count. Good health is of more value than 
book-learning, and contentment and happiness 
a better heritage than millions of dollars. But 
no persons can be happy with a sickly consti- 
tution. Half the miserable hypochondriacs 
you know may thank their parents for a diseas- 
ed state of mind. A healthy frame has more to 
do with sound intellect than you think, and the 
shortest road to despondency is through a disor- 
dered system. If you would have your childrea 
grow up able, energetic men, with minds “ equal 
to their fortune,” take care in early childhood 
that they lay the seeds of good constitutions by 
proper exercise. As a general rule, children 
are put to school too soon. The consequence 
is, that the vital power which ought to go to 
strengthen the muscles and enlarge the frame 
is consumed in the sustenance of a brain over- 
taxed by study ; and nothing is more common 
now than to see children with large heads 
whom their parents consider prodigies, but who 
are in every instance we know of, affected with 
fits, headaches, vertigos, or other nervous disor- 
ders. Often children thus abused become in- 
sane; still oftener they die prematurely. In- 
deed, it has grown into a provvtrb that a child is 
“ too smart to live.” In the public schools of 
this city and country this over-taxing of chil- 
dren with study prevails to a lamentable extent. 
We have known (asks to be given to a child, 
and one loo of ordinary ability, which occupied 
nearly all her time when out of school, to pre- 
pare for the ensuing day, leaving little or no 
leisure for recreation. The fact is, teachers 
wish to makeshort cuts to learning; cram where 
they ought to instruct. It parents knew how 
the constitutious of their progeny are weakened 
by such a forcing system, and what a fertile 
source of ill-health, and unhappiness arising 
from ill-health is thus laid up for their victims, 
they would attend more to the physical educa^ 
tion of (heir children, see that they had daily 
exercise, and not attempt to confine them in 
jschool more than four hours a day, until they 
are ten years old. 
Large yield of Corn.— The Highland Mes- 
senger says: — We are informed by Mr. Alexan- 
der Porter, the manager on the farm ofThos, T. 
Patton, Esq., that an acre of corn was planted 
on the farm the last season, with which it was 
designed to contend for the prize offered by the 
Buncombe County Agricultural Society, and 
that a fewdaj's since the corn was gathered and 
measured, and the yield was one hundred and 
thirteen bushels and a half! His farm is on 
Swannano river. 
Here, farmers, is an evidence of what can be 
done. Had the season been good, Mr. Porter 
has no doubt the yield would have been one 
hundred and fifty bushels ! 
