THE CULTIVATOR. 
19 
important branch of national industry. They were to 
mice their pupils—not chemists—not botanists, but sci- 
ntific farmers, for in that the public were interested and 
vould support them. As to the experiments they would 
ind it necessary to make, they were few and very simple. 
For instance, here was the carbonate of soda in one glass 
vessel, and the carbonate of lime in another—take and pour 
spirits of salt on them, and they would observe carbonic 
acid gas arise, which extinguished a lighted taper when 
put into the vessel. They would also perceive that the 
smoke of the extinguished taper floated on the top of the 
gas, thereby showing how much was in the vessel. This 
gas, they were aware, performed most important func¬ 
tions; but it was not necessary to give the boy more in- 
formation than was requisite to fix in his mind the name 
and property of the gas. Then as to phosphoric acid— 
here was a piece of phosphorus, which they would ob¬ 
serve, when he burned it under a glass, sent up white 
fumes; all they had to do, therefore, was to tell the boy 
that those white fumes were phosphoric acid; that the 
same was in his bones, and in the food which he eats— 
and he would then easily remember what phosphoric acid 
was. If they did not happen to have phosphorus by 
them, they might use lucifer matches, which were easily 
procured, and which on friction being applied to them, 
sent up the same sort of white vapor as did the phospho¬ 
rus which the boy had seen burned. They could also 
connect carbonic acid with the daily life of the pupil, by 
telling him that what was produced when charcoal was 
burned, was what he breathed. He would then go and 
tell his father that this same substance which he throws 
off from his lungs, was what the leaves of plants sucked 
in; that plants took it to form starch, and that animals eat 
the starch to form it. After making an experiment to 
show that liquid manure was an important substance if 
applied to plants, as it greatly promoted their growth, the 
Professor then went on to say that the more simple the 
teacher could make his experiments, the better—they 
should teach no more philosophy than was absolutely 
necessary; but at the same time, it must be strictly cor¬ 
rect. He would advise them to confine themselves to 
facts, not to announce the principles. He would also 
press upon them, in endeavoring to fix facts on the boy’s 
mind, to call forth all his senses—his sense of sight for 
instance. Then as to smell, ammonia might be used; and 
for taste, common salt, alum and soda, which were per¬ 
fectly harmless. As to touch, sal ammoniac would be of 
use. They would observe that the little piece which he 
had just broken off, bent; and he knew of no other sub¬ 
stance which a boy was likely to meet with that would 
bend in like manner. 
As to the expense of making the experiments, it would 
not amount to more than five shillings a year, as the ma¬ 
terials could be procured at a very cheap rate. With re¬ 
gard to the apparatus, all that is necessary could be got 
for thirty shillings from Messrs. Griffin of Glasglow, who 
had, at his request, prepared a set of apparatus. Then, 
as to the time it would occupy to teach the science; why, 
that was a point on which some misapprehension might 
readily arise. The boys who attended school generally 
did so for three or four years. Now all that he asked 
was one hour a week—that was enough to learn all that 
was necessary to be taught on the subject; but if they 
could give him two hours he should like it the better, as 
then there would be time to spare. The children also 
would learn much without teaching, from seeing the ta¬ 
bles he had alluded to, and also from experiments. He 
did not wish that this one hour a week should interfere 
with the usual course of instruction, although it might 
not necessarily be new or additional time to what was 
now given to teaching. In fact, he did not wish any of 
them to teach in one particular way or another—he left 
that to themselves, merely taking the liberty of giving 
his opinion in the matter. As to the practical teaching 
of the science, that could be done in various ways. For 
instance, they might on a Saturday afternoon go with the 
boys to a farm in the neighborhood and describe the op¬ 
erations of the farmer. After telling them all about the 
rotation of crops—-that a green crop followed after grain 
and so forth, the teacher might then say let us go now 
and see how the farmer works. This, he thought, might 
be of great benefit to the scholars.” 
SUMMER FALLOWS. 
If ancient usage were in all cases to be considered suf¬ 
ficient evidence of the propriety of a practice, the ex¬ 
pediency of fallowing would not now be questioned. 
The custom, if it did not originate with the Romans, it 
is certain was introduced by them wherever they exten¬ 
ded their conquests. The practice seems to have origi¬ 
nated in an idea that the land, after several years crop¬ 
ping, required rest , and that by remaining for one or 
more seasons without any crop being taken, its exhausted 
energies would become so far renovated that successive 
harvests might again be taken. 
In England, there are several kinds of fallows, as 
“ naked fallows,” and <£ green fallows.” Naked fallow¬ 
ing, as now understood, implies the plowing and clean¬ 
ing of the land through one season, with a view of bet¬ 
ter preparing it to produce crops. 
By green fallows, is merely meant the cultivation of 
the land in some hoed crop. In England, turneps, man¬ 
gel wurzel, or some other root-crop, usually constitute 
the green fallow. The effect of the latter, is in one respect, 
that of cleaning the land, the same as the other kind. In 
the cultivation of the vegetables, the soil undergoes a 
thorough working, and is deeply perforated and di¬ 
vided by the roots; the tops and leaves thickly shade the 
ground, so that the combined effect is to pulverize the 
land and clear it from weeds and fowl growth. 
In England, the chief advantage of naked fallows, is 
thought to be for stiff clay soils, or those which have be¬ 
come foul. The exposure of the soil to the sun, by 
which it receives a much greater degree of heat than it 
otherwise would, is by some in that country urged as one 
of the greatest arguments in favor of the practice. The 
course there recommended, is to begin in the fall, as soon 
as the crop for the season is removed; first throwing the 
ground into ridges in such a manner as to turn off the 
water as quickly as possible; in which state it is left for 
the action of the winter frosts’. The next spring it is 
crossed plowed, and subsequently worked over as often 
as is necessary to secure the requisite degree of pulveri¬ 
zation and mellowness, and the entire extirpation of grass 
and weeds. 
The growth of weeds and grass—particularly couch 
grass, (Triticum repens )—is frequently a serious obstacle 
to the cultivation of grain crops; and where the root- 
culture, as it is called, either from the nature of the soil, 
or other cause, Cannot be practiced, the only effectual re¬ 
medy seems to be in a well-managed summer fallow. One 
mode which is recommended in some cases for clearing 
lands of foul growth, and which has also been practiced 
with much advantage, is to pare off, with an implement 
called a “ breast plow,” about two inches of the surface; 
which after being allowed to dry in the sun, is burnt in 
heaps on the ground. The operation of the fire destroys 
all vegetable life—seeds, roots, &c.—and the heaps of 
sods are reduced to ashes and calcined earth, which are 
spread evenly over the ground. If the soil is much fill¬ 
ed with couch grass, there will remain a considerable 
portion of the roots, even after two inches of the top 
have been taken off and burnt. To eradicate these roots, 
the next step should be to plow the land thoroughly, by 
fine, narrow furrows. If the couch roots appear very 
numerous, or the nature of the soil is not adapted to root 
crops, it will be hardly advisable to put in any crop till 
the ground is well cleaned. In accomplishing this, an 
implement called a ec grubber,” is found useful and effect¬ 
ive. It is made something in the form of a triangular 
harrow, with long curved teeth. It has wheels to regu¬ 
late the depth, and handles by which it is guided. By 
the use of this implement, in connection with the plow, 
when the ground is in a proper state of dryness, the 
couch roots are drawn to the surface, and may be raked 
together and burnt. This course constitutes an excellent 
preparation of the ground for any crop; though it is 
thought more beneficial for stiff clayey soils, than for 
light ones. It has been practiced some by Mr. Sotham, 
on the farm of Mr. Corning, near this city. We shall 
probably describe it more at length, and speak more ful¬ 
ly of its advantages, in a future number. 
It is well to observe, that there is a wide difference 
between a proper fallow, and leaving the land as it often 
