370 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Dec. 
Table , showing llie amount of the more important 
substances removed fron the sail by crops. 
Yield per hectarp 
in kilogrammes. 
! 
£> 
bo 
O 
'£ 
Ash—kil. 
JO, 
§ 
o 
Is 
Cw 
t/j 
o 
s 
Potash—kil, v 
Lime and Mag¬ 
nesia—kil. 
1 
o 
3 
co 
Wheat,. 
(grain, . 
2000 
36.8, 
35.0 
16.9 
10.5 
6.0 
0.5 
{ straw,. 
5000 
15 0 
255.0' 
92 
42.1 
12.4 
158.6 
— 
— 
-r 
— 
1 7000 
51 81 
260.0 
26.1 
52.6 
18.4 
159.1 
( grain, . 
1600 
30.6 
27* 
131 
9.3 
4.0 
0.6 
Kye,... 
(straw,. 
3S00 
13.3 
152.0 
4.0 
29*6 
10.0 
101.1 
5400 
43.9 
179.7 
17.1 
38.9 
14.0 
101.7 
Barley,. 
fgrain, . 
2300 
39.3 
63.3 
21.8 
13.2 
5.4 
18.4 
{ straw,. 
4000 
12.6 
180.0 
7.2 
47*2 
16.2 
96.3 
6300 
51.3 
243.3 
29.0 
60.4 
21.6 
114.7 
Oat 
f grain,. 
2000 
37.4 
70.0 
17 5 
11.2 
7.7 
29*4 
as,... 
\ straw.. 
4000 
12.0 
240.0 
7.7 
62.8 
24.0 
130.0 
6000i 
49.4 
310.0 
25.2 
74.0 
31.7 
[159*4 
Hog 
(grain . 
2000 
822 
63.8 
21 S 
2S.7 
8.7 
0.4 
Beans, . 
\ straw,. 
3000 
36 0 
150.0 
15.0 
36.0 
54.0 
15.0 
5000 
118.2 
213.S 
36.8 
64.7 
62.7 
15.4 
( grain, . 
1500 
53.1 
37.7 
11.4 
16.6 
6.0 
0.6 
i eaSj.,. 
\ straw,. 
3000 
53 7 
150.0 
11.3 
40.5 
54 0 
GO 
4500 
106.8 
187.7 
22.7 
57.1 
600 
6.6 
I? n p4 ^ 
( roots, . 
40000 
96.01384.0 
23.0 
172 6 
43 8| 
21.5 
tseeubj .. 
\ tops, . . 
10000 
28.0 j 1SS.0 
12.2 
75.2 
39.1 
5 13:2 
50000 
124.01572.0 
35.2 
247.8 
73.91 
34.7 
Potatoes, 
120000 
! 82.01,204.0 
1 23.11 
I105.H 14.7 
1 11.4 
Clover hay. __I 6000l130.SI3Up.0l 24.61105.7'120.91 20.7 
Meadow hay, ....1 40001 53.2'24.641 13.3' 57.91 61.91 77.6 
find five times as much potash in a crop of beets as in 
the cereals, and the quantity is high in ease of pota¬ 
toes and meadow hay; lime is very large in clover, 
and silica is abundant in the cereals, especially in the 
straw and chalf. 
Now we perceive that practice has taught some facts 
which this table does not account for. Is it not true 
that we can reap two good crops of oats from a given 
soil where we can one of wheat ? yet how closely the 
composition of the two plants agree. Again every 
body knows that a fair erop of rye ean be obtained 
from a soil where wheat would not pay the expenses of 
cultivation, yet the table reveals no correspondingly 
great differences. Compare wheat and clover. The 
latter contains as much of every ingredient except si¬ 
lica, and indeed 2£ times more nitrogen. 2 times more 
potash and 6 times more lime and magnesia than the 
former. We should expect them to be able to grow at 
least two crops of wheat to one of clover ; but we can 
easier remove three crops of clover than one of wheat. 
It may be objected that these are unfair statements, 
because soda, chlorine, sulphuric acid, &c.; are not ta¬ 
ken into account. But it must be remembered that 
these bodies are almost always present in every tolera¬ 
ble soil; in fact buckwheat, white clover, and spurry, 
that grow on the poorest soil, contain a larger percent¬ 
age of these bodies than any of the grains. 
It is obvious then, that chemical analyses alone can¬ 
not guide to a profitable mode of culture, cannot in¬ 
form us what kind and amount of manure is wanted on 
a given soil, in order to produce a given plant, or se¬ 
ries of plants to the best advantage. In th® first place, 
analysis cannot serve as a. practical guide in. learning, 
the nature of the soil; and secondly, if it could dodhis, 
it cannot enable us to adapt the soil to the wants of 
the plant. 
Not alone the chemistry, but also the physiology' and 
anatomy of the plant must be studied, would, we arrive 
at safe conclusions*. 
Each species of plant must be separately investigat¬ 
ed ; deductions drawn from observations and experi¬ 
ments upon one kind of plant, do not necessarily hold 
true of others. 
The causes why plants manifest so- different relations 
to the soil, may be some or all of the following : 
1. Although it may be said with sufficient truth,, that 
all the mineral food of the plant is- derived from the 
soil, and though some plants flourish well when they 
are obliged to acquire all their organic nutriment from 
the atmosphere; yet most of our cultivated crops are 
greatly benefited at certain stages of growth, by find¬ 
ing stores of organic food in the soil. In fact, we may 
say that such stores are necessary to the successful cul¬ 
tivation of some crops. 
2. Extent of leaves and roots. Those plants whose 
leaf-surface is small, and whose roots are few and short, 
must gather their nourishment from a smaller and 
more easily exhausted space, than such as have these 
organs largely developed. 
3. It is well known that much difference exists in 
the structure of the stomata or pores through which 
leaves and roots absorb their food. This cannot be 
without influence on the rapidity and luxuriance of 
their growth. 
4. Water is the vehicle which carries into plants all 
the food that they receive from the soil ; therefore the 
structure of the plant, in so far as it affects the absorp¬ 
tion and evaporation of water, is of influence on the 
ether conditions of its growth. 
5. It is true that much more of certain organic sub¬ 
stances is needed to develop some crops, (ammonia in 
case of wheat) than the mature crop contains. It is 
possible that the same occurs with some mineral in¬ 
gredients. 
The natural history, the chemistry, in short the whole 
science of each agricultural plant, must be made the 
subject of careful investigation. The knowledge of the 
general conditions of vegetable growth has arrived at 
a pretty high state of culture—we must henceforth 
seek to learn those special conditions which determine 
the utmost development of individual species. Science 
and Practice, the laboratory and the farm, have this 
business to perform together. Every plant can be put 
into such circumstances as will make it tell what it 
needs for its successful growth. 
Within a few years the right path has been struck, 
and already some advancement has been made, and I 
may shortly find opportunity to communicate to your 
readers, some details concerning the production of 
