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From this view of the case, we will at once see the error of the opinion so often expressed, that private farmers cannot afford to make experiments; an opinion which has had a very great influence in retarding the progress of agricultural science. It is not necessary, in order to try an experiment, that a farmer should risk his whole crop, or even any considerable part of it; it is far better that he should not that he should experiment on so small a scale that total failure cannot seriously affect him.

which the seed from which they sprung was obtained, in form, in texture, in the abundance richness and flavor of their fruit, in their liability to disease, and in fact in almost every particular which can affect their value to man.” When this principle was stated, it was dismissed for the time, with the intention of resuming its consideration in this place. Let us see if it will admit of any practical application in agriculture.

One of the most common misfortunes which disappoints the wheat-grower's hopes in eastern Having made these general remarks upon the Virginia, is the rust. This I believe is generally application of scientific principles to practical pur-considered, a diseased condition of the stalk proposes, I will now attempt to illustrate them, in one duced by a peculiar condition of the atmosphere. or two cases more immediately connected with If it be true that this disease is owing entirely to agriculture. the influence of the atmosphere, then any attempt

In one of the back numbers of the Register, the to remedy it must be hopeless. But is this certainquestion is asked, "what is the proper distance atly the case? May it not be, that whilst a particular which to place hills of corn from each other," and condition of the atmosphere, or a particular kind of in connection with this question, the statement is weather, is the immediate cause of its developement, made that, "the results of experiments are dis-a predisposition to the disease exists in the plant cordant," and that "no satisfactory answer has as self? And may not this predisposition to the disyet ever been given." In attempting to settle such ease be of a hereditary character? The fact that a matter as this by experiment, there are several the rust is now more common than it was formercircumstances to be taken into account. The ly, seems to favor such a supposition. If such most important are, 1st., that a plant in order to should be the case, then the most effectual means to thrive, and more especially to mature its seed of preventing the disease, would be to provide well, should be open to the action of air and sun-seed-wheat from a stock which had never been light, and 2nd., that adjacent plants should not be affected with the rust. compelled to draw their nourishment from the same There is a striking similarity in all these particportion of soil. The reason for each of these di-ulars, between plants and animals. We know rections have been given in previous chapters of that in the case of man, certain diseases, or rather, this essay. Bearing these things in mind, we will to state the case more accurately, a predisposition at once see why experiments have given discor- to certain diseases, is transmitted from parent to dant results, and why no satisfactory general an-child, whilst the immediate cause of the disease, swer has been given to the question proposed, or in each particular case, is entirely of an adventi can ever be given. The corn cultivated in differ-tious character. The consumption is of this cha ent parts of this country is not all of the same racter. If we place two children of the same conspecies, and the different species differ from each sumptive parent, children, so far as we can see, other in their height, in the size of their stalks, equally predisposed to that disease, the one in in the number and size of their leaves, &c. If lavorable circumstances for its developement, and we have two species of corn, one of which grows the other in unfavorable circumstances, the one twice as high as the other, in order that they may will die, whilst the other will survive. Or if we enjoy an equal amount of sunshine throughouttake two children of different parents, one of whom their whole length, and for an equal portion of the has inherited a predisposition to consumption, day, the taller species must be planted nearly whilst the other has inherited a sound constitution, twice as far apart as the shorter one. Then again, and place them both in circumstances favorable soils differ much from each other in their texture; to the development of that disease, the one will some are mellow and deep, whilst others are light, die, whilst the other will live to a good old age. and rest upon a stiff sub-soil. Plant the same So far as we can see, the same law obtains in the species of corn in each of these soils, and from the vegetable as in the animal kingdom in this parmanner in which the root grows, it will be at once ticular; at any rate, such is the conclusion to apparent, that in the first, the tendency will be to which observation and experiment would lead us. strike its roots down, whilst in the other, there will Why may not the rust be a disease of this characbe an equal tendency to spread them out near the ter; depending for its development upon a particu surface. The roots of two adjacent plants, if we lar condition of the atmosphere, but the predisposuppose those roots to be of the same length, must sition to which, is deep seated in the very conrun together much sooner in the one case than institution of the plant? I do not mean to assert that the other. The proper distance at which adjacent hills of corn should be placed from each other will depend upon both the particular species of corn cultivated, and the nature of the soil in which it grows, and in performing any experiments which shall afford valuable information respecting the matter in question, both of these circumstances must be carefully noted. If this has not been done, the results of different experiments will of necessity be discordant.

In the 20th chapter of this essay, I have stated the principle, that "plants, as a general thing, resemble their parent plants, i.e. the plants from

such is the case, for I am not sufficiently acquainted with the fact of the case, to make up a decided opinion, though all the facts with which I am acquainted would favor this view of the matter. I mean simply to suggest the question, and in case those better acquainted with the matter should think that this is the fact, to point out the proper remedy.

Again; "plants as a general thing resemble their parent plants in the richness and abundance of their seed and fruit, as also in the time of ripening that seed." Some years since I tried an experiment to ascertain to what extent this was true.

!

In order to bring the subject of selecting seed with great care, because the offspring will partake of the character of the seed from which it springs, and also to point out some of the precautions to be observed in order to do this successfully, let me refer to a fact stated in one of the back numbers of the Register. In the No. for Oct. 1828, there is the

"Many years ago, a farmer in this quarter, who

same manner as did his neighbors, was known to have a yield of a third more to the acre. Upon inquiring as to the cause, the unsatisfactory answer was given-"I sow barrel seed." The neighbors purchased of him their seed wheat, and the first year had a yield equal to his, but selecting their seed as formerly, the second and third crops were but little if any better, than was raised by them previous to their purchase of seed. They again purchased, and their fourth crop was

were like their second and third. How to solve this apparent mystery, caused many a neighborhood consultation and discussion. The vender of the seed saw too inviting a prospect to make money from the sale of seed wheat to induce him to disclose the manner of its preparation, and he struggled to keep it concealed. It was ultimately discovered however, and was as follows. When you are ready to get out your wheat, place a barrel or box in your stack-yard, open at one end, before you pass the bundle to the treading floor. give it one or two strokes a cross the open end of the barrel or box, by which the best matured grains will be shattered off, then winnow and used for seed. Thus prepared it will be far superior to the seed prepared by running it through a coarse sieve, for it is known to every observant farmer, that many of the largest grains of both wheat and rye are unripe or diseased, and yet they do not shatter out as easily as those which are perfectly ripe.”

At the time, I made no notes of the experiment, why then should the matter be suffered to rest and of course cannot be perfectly acurate in my where it does! statements; but yet I shall not vary far from the truth. The plant on which the experiment was tried, was the species of bean called in Thorburn's catalogue, "refugee or thousand-to-one bean," an excellent species of snap. Having selected a row of beans at the time when they were first setting, on one half of the row, I suffered those pods which set first to ripen, carefully removing those which following article. set afterwards; on the other half of the row, I removed all the first pods as fast as they set, leav-cultivated the same variety of wheat and in the ing none but two or three of the last that set to ripen. When fully ripe, the two varieties were gathered and carefully kept seperate from each other. The next spring I planted both varieties at the same time, and side by side, but no two different species of beans could have differed more from each other than these did. The first variety were fit for use at least three weeks before the others; the plants of the first were low and stiff, whilst those of the other were tall and slender, in one or two instances having something the appear-equal to the first, but their filth and sixth crops, ance of vines; the beans when ripe differed in shape, size, and even in color; those of the early variety being pink, whilst those of the late variety were deep purple. But the greatest difference was in the amount of the yield, the early variety averaging from 6 to 10 pods to each plant, whilst the other variety averaged, I think, at least from 30 to 40. And yet each variety preserved the original characteristic of the refugee bean, viz. that of having a tender pod, and thus affording a good snap bean. Had not circumstances prevented, I should have pursued this experiment, and from the results which I did obtain, I have no doubt, that in the course of a few years I should have obtained two entirely distinct varieties, one of which would have afforded the earliest snap bean which could be raised, though its yield would have been by no means abundant, and this, by the way, is the fact with respect to every variety of early beans and peas that I have ever seen, whilst the other would have afforded a late snap, and yielded most abundantly. Just how far other plants might be affected by a similar treatment I am unable to say; but if the general principle which I have stated be correct, and it is a principle based upon the results of many experiments, performed on many different kinds of plants, and by many different experiments, every plant will be affected to a greater or less extent, and doubtless all to such an extent as to materially affect their value. Very often, the seed of early and late varieties, or of some prolific variety of a plant, is obtained from a distant part of the country, with great trouble and at great expense, and after all, is found not to succeed well in our climate; would it not be a much easier and in every respect a much better plan, to select some variety which possesses all the qualities excepting those of being prolific early or late, and then obtain varieties which shall be what we wish them in this respect, by such means as those referred to above? I know that some farmers have given a certain amount of attention to this matter, but I doubt whether those who have given most attention to it, have ever pursued the matter as far as it might profitably be pursued. The results have in every instance been of the most desirable kind, and this method seeras to be one of the easiest and most certain methods of improvement open to the agriculturist;

Taking these statements as true, and I see no reason to doubt their correctness, let us see what a careful attention to this matter will be worth to the wheat grower, counted in dollars and cents. Seed wheat selected in this way would cost him nothing more than the price of the labor necessary to strike the bundles upon the barrel, before passing them to the thrashing machine, above the price of as much wheat measured without any selection from his whole crop. Let us put this at 10 dollars, and this I am certain is five times as much as it would cost. If his ordinary crop is 1000 bushele, by pursuing this plan, with the same amount of labor and from the same quantity of land, he will obtain 1333 bushels. Estimating this at $1 per bushel, the market price as given in the last number of the Register, we have

Crop by improved cultivation worth
Crop by ordinary cultivation worth

$13334 1000

Gain

3334

10

Deducting price of labor in selecting
seed

Clear gain

3231

If his ordinary crop is one of 5000 bushels, his clear gain will of course be 1616 dollars. About this calculation there can be no error, if the data

on which it is founded be correct; for these of respects prove the value of the substance as a macourse I am not answerable, I take them as I find | nure, or the best modes of applying it. I applied them stated by a practical farmer, and I see not to a variety of vegetables in my garden, and reason to doubt their correctness. Is not this mat-also to a small portion of a field of corn of about ter then worthy of the attention of farmers? five acres, at my farm in the vicinity of this city. It would be easy, did it seem desirable, to mul-The vegetables in my garden have grown with tiply instances of the application of the principles, unusual richness and luxuriance, and have most stated in the preceding chapters of this essay, to evidently felt the effects of the application. Of practical purposes; but having stated the princi- the results at my farm I can speak more satisfacples themselves, together with the evidence on torily, because there I can compare the portion which they rest, I now leave it with those farmers which has, with another portion of the same crop, who may have given the essay a careful perusal, in the same field, which has not received the pouto make the applications for themselves. If by drette. This crop is upon a strong, rich soil, what I have written, I shall have given any infor- which had been slightly manured in the hill from mation to my readers, or if I shall have only called the fold-yard at the time of planting. At the first attention to that which they knew before, but hoeing, and when the plants by reason of the unwhich they suffered to be amongst their neglected favorable season were extremely backward, I diknowledge, and in this way shall have contributed rected my farmer to apply to a corner of the field, in any degree to the advancement of the cause of where the crop was the least promising, a handful scientific agriculture, I shall feel that I have not of poudrette to each hill, covering it at the same written in vain. And in conclusion, let me re-time with a thin coat of earth. This was faithfulmark, that whilst it is beyond a question, that the ly done until the poudrette was consumed. The prosperity of this "our good old commonwealth" remainder of the field received, a part the usual is indissolubly connected with the prosperity of her agriculture, at the same time it is true, that our systems of agriculture are far from what they ought to be, and far from what they will become, when once attention is thoroughly awakened to the subject.

URATE AND POUDRETTE.

dressing of plaster, and a part of ashes. The plants to which the poudrette was applied, were the first to change color--throwing off the sickly, yellow hue, and adopting a deep green. At the period of the second hoeing, the same plants retained not only the appearance of better health, but had obtained greater vigor and more size than any others of the same crop. They have held the same distinction throughout the season; and it is now plainly visible, although the entire crop is a fair one, that when we come to harvest, we shall gather a greater weight of stalks and more grain from the portion where this manure was applied, than from the same space at any other point in the field. We have certainly no experience proving that the same results could have been reasonably expected from the application of 1—On what particular grains or garden vegeta-any other of the various manures in common use. bles the manure was used, the quantity applied, and the result:

From the New England Farmer. New York, 21st. Sept., 1839. SIR-The New York Urate and Poudrette Co., finding that gentlemen who had purchased their manures had been experimenting with the articles, some advisedly and others mistakenly, it became desirable for many reasons to learn

2-To know the precise manner and result of each trial:

3-How the urate and poudrette compare with other manures in their effect, and

4-Generally, whether it was not desirable to the farmer and gardener to have the contents of sinks and privies made into inodorous manures.

In answer to their circular sent to Mr. Linn, of Schenectady, they have received a letter of so interesting a character, that we ask the publication of it at as early a day as your arrangements and convenience will permit.

Amended instructions, the result of information received, will be published in a few days for gratuitous distribution among those who have or may wish to use the manures.

(COPY.)

Schenectady, Sept. 19, 1839. The New York Urate and Poudrette Company. GENTLEMEN--In answer to your "circular," I would say, that I obtained from your company a barrel of poudrette last spring, intending to test its value as a manure, by a few close and accurate experiments. It came to hand, however, so late in the season, that I was unable to apply it as I intended, or to arrive at results which would in all

With us, plaster has long been considered the grand restorative for this crop, and ashes, with many farmers, almost a specific; and indeed that both substances are very useful as manures on most varieties of soil, is universally conceded. Mills to grind plaster for manuring purposes, are as common throughout this part of the country as those devoted to grain; and I have seen boats loaded with leeched ashes,toiling their way from the far west, in order to enrich farms on Long Island.

In this experiment, poudrette was applied side by side with plaster and ashes, under circumstances in favor of the latter, and yet they have most indisputably yielded the palm to the former; and all this is not without reason. Heat and moisture are the sources of vegetation: poudrette, if it have it not in itself, will generate more heat, and for a longer period, than either plaster or ashes, and will absorb and retain more moisture. It seems, also, to decompose inanimate vegetable substances in the soil with which it is mixed, and so to diffuse and incorporate itself with the soil as to change its color around the plant to which it is applied. Like most other manures, (only more sensibly and rapidly,) it imparts of its qualities to every substance with which it comes in contact, and by the aid of its own and borrowed heat and moisture, assimilates all to itself and thus exercises, although applied in most inconsiderable quantities, a certain and immediate influence on vegetation.

I regret that I did not receive the article so as facture in the city of New York. Many of the to apply it at the time of planting. I am not sure persons who have used the articles, have found, that the results would have been more successful, from practical experiments, that the former direc and except for the purposes of experiment, Itions may be amended advantageously, and it is should be content to use it hereafter on most crops, doubtless the case that many new methods may as I have done this season. be discovered, which it is hoped will be communi

Desiccated manures have long been appreci-cated for public benefit. ated in Europe. There, one ton of them have been estimated to be equal in fertilizing properties to thirty-six tons of barn-yard manure. At this rate, there is a large balance on the score of economy in favor of the former: and when it is remembered that the manures, as prepared by your company, are wholly inodorous, and may be conveyed in barrels to the most remote parts of the country as commodiously as flour, and at a trifling expense, our agriculturalists should be moved by every consideration connected with cleanliness, rural economy, the productiveness of the soil, and the right use of the means which providence places before them as incitements to industry, to promote the use of substances, which, left undisturbed, are worse than useless-scattering in our large cities and towns disease and death, and which, when submitted to your alchymy, spreads health and verdure, and blesses and rewards both citizen and husbandman.

Urate is the product of the liquid part, and poudrette of the substantial part of the sinks or pri vies, both of them reduced, by a different process, to a dry and inodorus substance, and used as the best of all manures known to agriculturalists and horticulturalists, being an animal manure of the richest and purest kind, and the most powerful of any application that can be made to the earth.

I shall be pleased to receive your "improved instructions" for using the manures, of which you speak, and to know at how early a day this fall I may order a few barrels* for future experiments. Very respectfully, yours, &c. A. L. LINN.

The following is a copy of the improved instructions alluded to in the foregoing:

Manures.

Urate. The urate may be used in its dry state by spreading it on the land as you would lime or ashes, or, alter having been dissolved in water, may be used through a watering pot, or by a cask on cart wheels, in the same manner as the streets in the city of New York are watered in summer.

For all kinds of small grains, such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, flax, and others of the like kind, it may be sowed dry upon the soil, in the propor tion of 12 to 18 bushels per acre, according to the quality of the land, and then harrowed in.

For corn and potatoes, and such like, it is best to mix the urate in an equal quantity of dry soil, and put in the hill about a gill or handful, sprinkled around the seed corn and potatoes as is usually done with ashes.

For beets, turnips, or other vegetables sowed or planted in drill, the urate is to be prepared in like manner and sowed in the drill.

For grape vines, fruit trees, flowering trees, flowers, also for garden vegetables, such as cauliflower, cabbage, melons, cucumbers and the like, urate may be dissolved in water, in the proportion of one pound to a gallon of water, and poured on the subject; one application is sufficient; and for articles not herein enumerated, it may be sowed dry on the surface of the ground.

Where the land retains water during the winter, urate must be used only in the spring, in order that its salts may not be absorbed in too large a quantity of water.

The attention of the public has recently been directed to the use of urate and poudrette. It has long been known in France as the most efficacious of all manures, and the experiments made during the past and the present year, viz: 1838 and 1839, in the use of poudrette in the northern and eastern states, but more especially in and around the city of New York, have awakened the attention of both farmers and gardeners. Where the land is dry or does not retain water The Royal Academy of Agriculture in England, during the winter, urate may be used in the auhave caused experiments to be made of the res-tumn-if, however, the sowing takes place shortly pective power of the different marures, and upon before the hard frosts, it is better to use urate only trials so made, it appears beyond a doubt that ma- in the beginning of spring. nure made from sinks and privies, is superior to any other productive agent for agricultural purposes. Is it necessary to add, that it is worse than Jabor lost, to cultivate worn out or poor soils without the use of manure? He who expects to be liberally rewarded for his labor must give liberally what nature requires. The wise man has said, "he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

Amended Directions.

Directions for their use were given by Peter Barthelemy, (who was one of the first discoverers in France of the present system of preparing the articles,) bow and in what manner they should be applied, and who recently introduced their manu

The company have several thousand bushels for sale at the present time.

As a general rule, more urate is required upon the same quantity and quality of land in autumn than in the spring; if used in the spring, it is bet ter to apply the urate in a damp day, or immedi ately after a heavy rain, if it cannot be applied shortly before the rain, as it is a light substance, liable to be blown from off the land by high winds.

There is a great advantage in soaking corn, oats, and all other grain, for twelve hours only, in a solu tion of urate, prepared as above directed, before planting or sowing it, and then rolled in lime or plaster, the corn or grain will start sooner, be stronger, and less liable to attack by worms of birds: but care should be taken not to suffer it to remain longer than about twelve hours in the solution, else you might destroy the germinating quality of the grain. It has also been found ben eficial to soak timothy and clover seed in urate or poudrette for about four to six hours, and then rolled in lime or plaster, the seed comes up better

and grows stronger than other seed sown at the [ liable to be blown off the ground by high winds, same time in the same field.

Poudrette.-Poudrette is not dissolved in water before being used, as is urate, but it is to be used in a dry state, or by mixing it with dry soil in hills or drills, or sown in broad-cast on the land, as you would lime or ashes. Experiments in this country, thus far, have proved the following methods as the most advisable in its application:

For Corn.-A fier the furrows have been struck, sprinkle in the place where the hill is to be, before planting, a handful of poudrette, equal to about a gill, then deposite the corn, (double that quantity of poudrette has destroyed corn and burnt it up,) then cover up the corn and press the earth down over it with the foot or hoe.

For Potatoes.-The same quantity, namely a handful or gill, may be used very advantageously; and it has so happened, that when the quantity was increased nearly double, no injury resulted, but rather improved the potatoes: a large handful, however, is sufficient.

Compost. It is worse than useless to attempt to

if sowed on the surface when the ground is not damp; therefore, it is considered best to sow the grain and harrow the land once, and then sow the manure in broad-cast and cross harrow the land the second time.

The difference of the season between spring and autumn, and the state of the atmosphere, are to be considered before using either urate or poudrette; damp weather is always to be preferred. Neither of them contain any seed of weeds of any description. An application of 35 bushels to the acre of urate or poudrette once in every three years is sufficient.

Urate and poudrette may be sent to any part of the country in barrels or bags-barrels are to be preferred when it is liable to get wet. Orders may be given, post-paid, directed to "The New York Urate and Poudrette Company," box No. 1211, post office, New York.

DITIONS OF THE HOLY LAND.

Extract from Addison's 'Sketches of Jerusalem.'

make compost by mixing urate or poudrette with ANCIENT AND PRESENT AGRICULTURAL CONany thing but dry soil; if mixed with other manures, they operate on the other manures until those manures are consumed, before they are beneficial to plants; and in some instances it may be, that the results of the use of the urate and poudrette in the first year of their first application, will not be as satisfactory to the farmer as he will think he had a right to expect; this arises from the fact that the land contains a considerable quantity of some former manure upon which urate and poudrette will first act; at the very next season, however, the farmer will find a crop far superior to his expectation, provided he will put no new manure of any description to the land lately manured with urate or poudrette.

Hecatæus, a Greek historian, who flourished 549 years B. C., speaks of the great fertility of the land belonging to the Jews; and Polybius, B. c. 170, states that the eastern part of the country, about Tyre, furnished abundant supplies to the Diodorus describes the inarmy of Antiochus. habitants, fifty years B. C., as generally living upon flesh and milk; he speaks also of the pepper which was produced upon the trees, and of the abundance of honey which, according to a later historian, the country people used as a beverage, mixing it with water. Pliny also celebrates the palm trees, and the oil and the balsam; and other writers enthusiastically speak of the land as "the fortunate country," "the country abounding in pasture."†

This, however, must be further explained by saying, that it applies to manure placed or dunged in the hill, or where the land is in a high state of cultivation, from having been highly manured in They describe the two Galilees as covered with broad-cast, which would give the poudrette an op- all sorts of trees, and the soil as everywhere so portunity of feeding upon or consuming it. Ex-rich and fertile, that the most lazy were encourSamaria perience has proved, this year, that where there aged to cultivate it from its fruitfulness. was a moderate application of lime, or barn-yard is celebrated for its kind and genial soil, its sweet manure applied to the land in broad-cast, it did not waters, its abundance of trees, fruit, and cattle, and appear to affect the influence of the poudrette on also for the delicious milk it produced, in consethe crop. quence of the quantity of grass. Gennessareth, too, is spoken of as a delightful region, in which all kinds of trees flourished, the nut, the palm, the fig, the olive, and the vine; and the valley of the Jordan has been widely celebrated as "a garden environed with hills," "a celestial region," delightful for its trees, fruits, and odoriferous balsam.

The quantity of poudrette must vary from 15 to 35 bushels per acre according to the quantity of the land, and the crop cultivated: less than 15 bushels to the acre may not be very satisfactory, and more than 35 is useless.

On Long Island, the following has been adopted For wheat, by a practical farmer with success. he used to apply 20 wagon loads of 30 bushels each, equal to 600 bushels of horse manure, which cost him $20, besides carting 20 loads. He now applied 40 bushels of poudrette which cost him $16, and can carry more than sufficient for one acre in a load.

For rye, 450 bushels of horse manure, and now 25 hushels of poudrette.

For oats, 350 bushels of horse manure, and now 20 of poudrette.

For buckwheat, 200 bushels of horse manure, and now 15 of poudrette.

Indian corn, one gill in the hill.

Urate and poudrette are light substances, and

At a subsequent period, a. D. 313, when the country had much declined from its flourishing state under the Jews, it is still celebrated by Eusebius for its oil, corn, wine, vegetables of all kinds, honey, palms, fruit trees, cattle and beasts of burthen; and later still, towards the close of the fourth century, Hieronymus a native of Palestine,observes "That the celebrated land of Judea excels all land in fertility, no one can doubt, who hath marked well the country from Rhinocorura to Mount Taurus and the river Euphrates, the power of the cities, and the pleasantness of the climate.”

* Ammianus Marcellinus, lib. ix. c. 104. Josephus. Tacitus. Ammianus Marcellinus.

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