1848, 
THE CULTIVATOR 
109 
steadiness, taking no notice of obstacles that would 
throw our short plow out of the ground. Its long and 
twisted mould-board raises the slice, pulverizes it com¬ 
pletely, and leaves it in its place with absolute regu¬ 
larity. The plowman, by means of its long handles, 
makes it move easily in a perfectly straight line, and 
the u work when done, resembles a ruffle just come 
from a crimping iron, J> as Mr. Colman describes it. 
Taking for granted a superiority which two years 
trial has convinced me of, tlie question arises in what 
cases can an American farmer be justified in meeting 
the expense of first cost, say $20a$25-, and of the addi¬ 
tional force required to move it. For although two 
horses are in all cases sufficient, yet in a tough sward 
they must be much more powerful animals than our 
farmers usually employ. I should say then, that where 
the common system prevails, of going through a rota- 
tation of corn and potatoes, grain and grass, with only 
two plowings, and those only 4u5 inches deep, our 
farmers have, in the common plows, as efficacious an 
instrument as can be contrived. But on the contrary, 
whenever an improved agriculture is introduced, roots 
grown extensively; wherever, in a word, first-rate 
plowing is required, and thorough tillage, the Scottish 
plow, or some analogous instrument, must be used. 
I have often thought whether some compromise 
might not be effected, whereby we might combine the 
perfection of the one with the lightness of the other ; 
but I have not felt satisfied that it can be done. The 
slender shape of the Scotch plow requires that there 
should be great strength, and consequently, weight of 
wrought iron about it. Its parts are already adapted 
to move with the least possible friction that will effect 
the object; and although one of our plows does not 
present more than half as much surface of iron to the 
furrow slice, it is my belief that if it were loaded with 
the same weight of the other plow, it would be much 
heavier of draught. 
1 THESE IATUEE ANI> ACTIOW.- 
The subject of Manures, what they are?—what con¬ 
stitute their active principles ?—how they act in pro¬ 
moting vegetable growth?—as well as the best mode 
■of preparing and multiplying them, is one that has 
4>een frequently discussed—filled many pages in our 
agricultural journals—and occupied the attention of 
some of the strongest minds devoted to the study of 
agricultural science. These facts we may adduce as 
evidence that the right understanding of this subject is 
regarded as the foundation of all correct and profita¬ 
ble farming. Not only is this remark true when ap¬ 
plied to our day—it was so two thousand years ago. 
We learn from Pliny that the Roman farmers decreed 
immortality to Sterculius for inventing manures, while 
they themselves devoted much of their attention to their 
preparation. To this end, the mineral as well as the 
animal and vegetable kingdom were called into requi¬ 
sition. The directions left on record for preparing 
their compost heap, selecting a shallow basin, and ad¬ 
vising to cover the top, when completed, with tivigs 
und branches of trees wvtk their foliage, convince us 
that they were aware the sun and the rain would dis¬ 
sipate their active principles. The value they placed 
upon human ordure, and the liquid excrements of ani¬ 
mals, the use of fish and other substances as manures, 
satisfies us that they possessed much of the practical 
skill for which the Belgians of the present day have 
been so justly celebrated. 
When I commenced farming operations, I had given 
but little attention to the subject of manures, and re¬ 
garded it as of comparatively little moment; but as I 
progressed, it has risen in importance, untiljit is with 
me the absorbing subject about which, although I have 
learned many things, I am more anxious to receive 
instruction than on any other topic connected with 
farming. 
Manures may be said to be the elements of fertility, 
containing both the inorganic salts, and the organic 
elements of vegetable growth. In common language, 
they are the food of plants. How plants take up and 
digest this food—first requiring it to be dissolved in 
water, that by their open mouths at the termination of 
their roots they may drink it in—then conveying it in 
appropriate channels up through the trunk and branch¬ 
es, to be elaborated in the leaf, where it appropriates 
to itself the elements that enter into its structure, and 
give out to the atmosphere such a,s are not essential to 
its growth—is the interesting study of the vegetable 
physiologist. On this department of the vegetable 
kingdom it is not our purpose at present to remark— 
but rather to inquire what are the elementary substan¬ 
ces that contribute most to the growth and fertility of 
plants? With these, we must not fail to be familiar, 
if we would be wise in the adaptation of means to the 
end, by which only canwe expect success in this inter¬ 
esting department of human labor. 
Chemistry teaches us that four elementary principles 
enter into vegetable structure, and hence are termed 
organic substances—they are Carbon, Hydrogen , Oxy¬ 
gen, and Nitrogen. The first three are furnished by 
the atmosphere in sufficient quantity to meet the de¬ 
mand of the growing plant—the remaining elementary 
principle, Nitrogen, that enters into every part of the 
vegetable structure, and hence may be regarded as es¬ 
sential to vegetable as it is to animal life; while it ex¬ 
ists in the atmosphere, is not furnished in sufficient 
quantity for the perfection of vegetable growth. And 
if we would obtain vegetable products rich in nitro- 
genized principles, we must surround tjke growing plant 
with animal or vegetable manures ^containing an addi¬ 
tional amount of these principles. In illustration of 
this position, we find wild plants to contain less of ni- 
trogenized principles than cultivated ones—and as the 
value of all vegetable food for animals depends on the 
amount of these protein compounds, wild plants are 
decidedly less nutricious. 
It would seem, then, that one of the great problems 
for the agriculturist to solve, is how to furnish plants 
with the requisite supply of Nitrogen with the least 
expense? And the question, too, for the skilful far¬ 
mer is to learn in what substances he can find the most 
nitrogen, and how he can preserve it in the volatile 
form in which we find it in nature, to apply to the soil. 
The great number of substances used as manures would 
seem to render this subject extensive and complex. 
In the suggestions I have to make, I shall endeavor 
to show that the amount of nutriment which each ma¬ 
nure can furnish to the support of vegetable life, will 
be in exact ratio to the nitrogen which it contains,—in 
other words, that manures are valuable to the farmer 
in proportion to the nitrogen which they contain, or 
have the power of forming nitrates. 
It has long been known by our practical farmers, 
that our most common manures possessed very differ- 
