1846. THE CULTIVATOR. 237 
Whatever may be the result of these experiments, it is 
necessary for the future prosperity of agriculture that 
they be made. They will enrich us with a number of 
valuable facts—we shall ascertain w'here We have wasted 
efficacious matters in the common course of farming— 
we shall acquire an exact knowledge of those substan¬ 
ces which are necessary, and of those which are dispen¬ 
sable. 
For a number of years myself and many young talent¬ 
ed chemists have been occupied with the analyses of 
those mineral substances, which are constituent ele¬ 
ments of our plants of culture, and with the examina¬ 
tion of the excrements of man and animals, well as of a 
great number of soils acknowledged as fertile. These 
labors have been laid before the scientific world long 
since, but only a very confined application has been 
made of them in agriculture. 
The farmer is by his position not in the condition to 
procure and to command the efficacious elements neces¬ 
sary for the restoration and increase of the fertility of 
his fields in a right proportion and suitable form. For 
this purpose, science and industry must combine their 
aid. 
I have been fortunate to remove the difficulties which 
are opposed to the application of a mere mixture of the 
elements of manure. If we employ the different ele¬ 
ments of manure exactly in those proportions in which 
they are necessary according to experience, for a rich 
crop of wheat, peas, turnips, potatoes, and if, at the 
same time, we leave them in their common state, they 
do not produce that effect which we might have ex¬ 
pected; the cause of this is, that the different elements 
of manure possess a very unequal solubility, the ammo¬ 
nia evaporates, the soluble elements are carried off by 
the rain, and the effect is more in proportion with the 
amount of those ingredients of the manure which are 
less soluble. 
I have found means to give to every soluble ingredi¬ 
ent of manure, by its combination with others any de¬ 
gree of solubility, without altering its effect on vegeta¬ 
tion. I give, for instance, the alkalies in such a state 
as not to be more soluble than gypsum,* which as is 
well known, acts through many years, as long as a par¬ 
ticle of it remains on the acre. 
The mixture of the manure has been adapted to the 
mean quantity of rain in this country; the manure which 
is used in summer has a greater degree of solubility than 
that used in winter. Experience must lead to further ! 
results, and in future the farmer will be able to calcu¬ 
late the amount of produce of his fields, if temperature, 
want of rain, etc., do not oppose its coming fairly into 
action. 
I must, however, observe that the artificial manures in I 
no way alter the mechanical condition of the fields, and I 
they do not render a heavy soil more accessible to air 
and moisture- For such fields, the porous stable ma¬ 
nure will always have its great value; it can be given 
together with the artificial manure. 
All manure which is to be used during next winter 
contains a quantity of ammonia corresponding with the 
amount of nitrogen in the grain crops which are to be 
grown. Experiments, in which I am at present en¬ 
gaged, will show whether in future times the costs of 
this manure can be greatly lessened by excluding half 
or the whole amount of ammonia, f I believe that this 
can be accomplished for many plants, as for clover and 
all very foliaceous vegetables, and for peas and beans; 
but my trials are not so far advanced as to prove the I 
fact with certainty. 
Giessen University , 1845. 
* Equal parts of carbonate of potash and carbonate of lime. 
I chalk) melted together will dissolve in 460 parts of water. In¬ 
crease of chalk lessens, while a larger proportion of the other in¬ 
gredient increase's the solubility. K. pj. 
t Dr. Krocker, in this laboratory, has determined in the course 
of the last term, the ammonia present in moist, soils of great varied i 
phvscal properties. The'results are still unpublished ; 'but he re-! 
marked to me oiie day that if the ammonia per carnage of the sod. j 
then in hand, be estimated ns constant through a depth of oiu* foot !| 
the ammonia in an acre was almut 8.008 lbs I 
Even in sand destitute of soluble mineral salts, and nearly so of j 
organic matter he found a per cent age that was startling. Indeed H 
INDIAN CORN FOR FODDER. 
Luther Tucker, Esq. —Your correspondent H., of 
Ohio, inquires if there is no easier mode of curing com 
stalk fodder than “ to reap the stalks, bind them in 
small bundles, and stack them up?” I offer my expe¬ 
rience for what it is worth. Three years ago this 
month, I sowed the first corn I ever undertook to raise 
for fodder. The field contained about two acres. I 
began sowing broadcast, and having sowed about half 
the field, I happened to think that it would be as well 
to experiment a little, and accordingly struck out the 
rest in drills, 2-§ feet apart, and sowed the corn thick in 
the drills. By the first of July the weeds were so 
thick among that which was sown broadcast, that one 
could hardly tell what crop was the rightful proprietor 
of the soil, while that which was sowed in drills, hav¬ 
ing been cultivated once or twice, was growing vigo¬ 
rously. So I put the plow in, and turned under the 
whole crop, which was sown broadcast, and then struck 
out the land in drills and sowed again. The rest was 
cut when in tassel, and I experienced great difficulty in 
curing it, and after I thought it was perfectly dry it 
was put in the barn, and in a week I had to take it all 
out and spread it again. The second planting, how¬ 
ever, was not in tassel till frosts came, and indeed, it 
was a little nipped by frosl before it was cut; but the 
cold weather prevented its heating, and after lying three 
days after cutting, it was put in the barn, and kept per¬ 
fectly well all winter. Since then I have followed this 
plan, and have had no farther accident. I plant from 
5th to 10th July, in drills 2| feet apart; keep the weeds 
under till the corn shades the ground, after w*hich they 
give no trouble; cut about the last week of November, 
with a stalk knife, (grasping an armful, cutting them 
off and laying them in the rows.) I leave them thus for 
three or four days, and then either put them in the barn 
or stack them for the winter. 
GRAFTING GRAPE VINES. 
Another correspondent inquires about grafting grape 
vines, and as I have had some experience in that also, 
I will give it, and think I can convince him that it re¬ 
quires no great skill or nicety. In January, 1844, 1 was 
setting out foreign vines in a green-house, and thinking 
I might gain time by grafting, I went into my vineyard 
and selected twelve Isabella vines of not less than an 
inch in diameter at the surface of the ground. These I 
took up with the greatest care and planted just in front 
of my green-house. I then carried the stems through 
the fouudation and cut them off inside, about three 
inches under ground; split them and inserted two scions 
in each. I did not bind them, but simply pressed 
the earth tightly about them, and every one took 
They showed plenty of fruit the next year; but I only 
allowed them to bear a few bunches, which they ri¬ 
pened well. This year they are growing with wonder¬ 
ful vigor, and are covered with fine bunches of grapes, 
while the young vines planted at the same time will 
not be ready to bear these two years. Since then I 
have grafted vines in every month from February till 
June, and with equal success, and therefore conclude 
that if grafted under ground there need be no difficulty 
about it. H. W. S. C. 
Oat lands , Burlington , N. J., May 20, 1846. 
the sum of his results is that the ammonia is in nearer relation to 
the moisture than to anything - else. 
I found ammonia in the glaciers that come down from heights of 
14,000 feet above the level of the sea—from near the summit of 
Mt. Blanc. Even at that height the ammonia is still in quantity that 
may be weighed. Every rain and snow storm brings this ingre¬ 
dient to the earth. Every soil that can retain its moisture will 
also relam the ammonia that descended with it Hence one cause 
of superiority of u soil containing much decayed vegetable matter 
or much humus. It enables it to hold moisture, as well as 
furnish a. source of carbonic acid A rod dipped in muriatic 
i acid and held near the surface of a handful of moist soil will 
i cause white fumes to rise, occasioned by the combination of 
the ammonia with the muriatic acid. A gentle breath directed 
j along the surface of the earth experimented with, will render the 
fumes more apparent 
E. N. IL 
