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222 AGRICULTURAL. DANIEL LEE, Id. D., Editor. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1859. BONES, PHOSPHATES, SUPER-PHOSPHATES. Neither man nor beast could walk or stand without bones ; nor could either have bones unless the earthy matter that imparts strength and bev erage for muscles to the skeleton, existed in the daily food of animals. As their food grows on, or in the ground, we are able to trace the earth of bones back from the seeds, stems and leaves of cultivated and other plants, to the soil whence it is derived. If God permitted wheat, corn, rice, oats, peas, and common grass to grow with out the presence of bone earth in their tissues and seeds, no milk could possibly support a child, colt, pig, calf, or lamb ; while all adult mamma lia, being suddenly deprived of tho material ne cessary to renew the constant waste of osseous particles in their systems, would also perish.— Hence, if there is anything in the ground which a sensible person ought to study, it is that small part of it which forms not only all human bones, but the internal skeleton of every other animal, from the back bone of a whale down to the spine of a mouse or pin fish. In his Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry, vol ume first, page 289, Prof. Johnston says:— “ Earth of Bones is a name given to the white earthy skeleton that remains, when the bones of an animal aro burned in an open tire until every thing combustible has disappeared. This earthy matter consists chiefly of a peculiar phosphate of lime, composed of fifty-one and a half per cent, of lime, and forty-eight and a half of phos phoric acid." We cite the above to fix the fact in the read er's mind that the phosphate of lime as it exists in bones and in a mineral form, has only one and a half per cent, more lime than phosphoric acid. In the same volume, page 292, in treating of “ Acid or Bi-Phosphate of Lime," he says : “ When burned bones are reduced to a powder, and digested in sulphuric acid, diluted with once or twice its weight of water, the acid combines with a portion of the lime and forms sulphate of lime (gypsum), while the remainder of tho lime, and the whple of the phosphoric acid are dissolved. The solution therefore contains an acid phosphate of lime ; one in which tho phosphoric acid ex ists in a much larger quantity than in the earth of bones. The true bi-phosphato, when free from water, consists of seventy-one and a half phosphoric acid, and twenty-eight and a half lime. It exists in the urino of most animals, and is therefore an important constituent of liquid manures of animal origin." Let us now see what some of the best com mercial superphosphates, or bi-phosphates, (for these terms are used synonymously) contain : Mr. Hoyt, in his primmer of testimonials, fur nishes the analysis of Dr. Jackson, of Boston, who found 25.2 per cent, of phosphoric acid, and 23.1 per cent, of lime in his superphosphate.— Dr. Pigqot, of the Maryland Institute, found 23.15 per cent, of phosphoric acid, and 20.01 of lime in the sample sent him for analysis. Take the average of these two analysis, and they show by tho facts furnished by Mr. Hoyt him self, that his superphosphate is just one-half be low the common so-called subphosphato of lime, or simplo bone earth, which contains 48} per cent, of phosphoric acid. Both figures and words are valueless to readers unless their true meaning is known. Dr. Jackson found within two per cent, as much lime as phosphoric acid, and two and a half per cent, of carbonate of lime. Now, lime will not exist as a carbonate in the presence of free phosphoric acid ; so that one has only to add pulverised chalk or lime-rock to a solution of superphosphate to reduce it to to the condition of a simple insolublo phosphate of lime. The analysis of Dr. Piggot does not prove tho absence of all superphosphate, but simply, that it was not present to the extent of more than six or seven per cent. This places it very far above Mr. Mapes’ superphosphate. From what we had seen and heard in favor of Hoyt's Superphosphate among farmers on Beach we procured a barrel of Mr. Stovall for experimental purposes. Sometimes it happens that the samples of a commercial manure sent to chemists for analysis aro much better than the article sold by the ton to purchasers under the same name ; and without being asked to do so by any one, we have examined Mr. Hoyt's to some extent in the labaratory with the following results: Two hundred grains dried at tho temperature of boiling water, lost 24 grains in weight; show ing the prcseuco of 12 per cent, of water, and no more than we should find in a like quantity of flour or wheat dried in the same mauner. The 186 grains of dry superphosphate were put into a glass flask with about five ounces of distilled water, and boiled some 25 minutes. — The water was then carefully poured off through a filter, and five ounces more poured on the su perphosphate and boiled as before. This was passed through the filter; and another five ounces of distilled water used to extract what ever of gypsum, or soluble phosphoric acid, might remain in the fertilizer. It takes about 480 parts of water to dissolve one of gypsum ; and where much sulphuric acid is consumed in the manufacture of the superphosphate of lime, a good deal of water must be used to dissolve all the sulphate of lime in the manure. The water containing the soluble substances extracted from the superphosphate, was evapora ted until the gypsum begau to precipitate; when as much alcohol was added as there was of the filtrate (water holding salts in solution, and passed through the filter) which after a time threw down all the gypsum. This salt of lime is insoluble in alcohol, even when diluted with it 3 volume of water. Thrown upon a filter, washed with alcohol, dried and weighed, we found 11 grains of the sulphate of lime. The filtrate from which the gypsum had been separated, was evaporated to perfect dryness, and weighed 21 grains ; from which 8 grains of organic matters were separated ; leaving 19 grains of common salt, and phosphates soluble m sircrxKJßßX sxs&o &n sxrssxss. in water, in the 200 taken at the beginning.— There is more salt present than is desirable in a close and cheap analysis ; but there is not, prob ably, as much (nearly 8 per cent.) as was found by Dr. Piggot. If we call the salts 5 per cent., or 10 grains, it leaves 9 grains, or 4} per cent, of superphosphates While these operations were in progress, we placed 200 other grains of the fertilizer in a cru cible, and subjected it to a high heat for several hours, until all the bone black or animal coal, and ground bones as well as pulverized charcoal and swamp muck, were burnt out. The loss in weight was 12grains; of which 24 must be set down as water, leaving 48 grains of organic and combustible matter. Neither in burning the aqueous extract, nor the manure directly, was there a discharge of ammonia, or the smell of it, beyond what the combustion of the gelatine in the bone dust might furnish. The ash obtained from the superphosphate was treated with near ly an ounce of hydrochloric acid diluted with water ; boiled, and allowed to stand 24 hours, to dissolve all that was soluble. Warmed and thrown upon double filters, we collected, heated to a red heat, (after being well washed), 40 grains of sand. This 20 per cent of sand is not very ex traordinary, when it is remembered that small bones in cities where they are collected, are thrown about in the dirt, and not washed before they are ground for manure. On neutralizing the hydrochloric acid with caustic ammonia, a copious precipitate of phos phate of lime was obta : ned; showing that, while boiling water would separate but little phosphoric acid from this so-called soluble super phosphate, boiling acid brought out an abundant supply. We suspect that the oil of vitriol costs too much in northern cities to justify its free use in tho hundreds and thousands of tons of ma nipulated guano, phosphates, green sand, marl and fish manures, now thrown upon the market. There must be imported from Sicily or else where, more sulphur ; and more sulphuric acid must be manufactured. This fast generation cannot wait for its father’s bones to decay slow ly in the earth before it sells them in com and cotton. Science is invoked to drive rotation with greater speed; and the progressive farm ers demand stronger acids, and more caustic al kalies. Once they had a horror of aqua fortis; now Mr. Dickson and others purchase and plow in over their broad cotton, corn and wheat fields, nothing but the most concentrated chemical re agents. If they are not good chemists, they ought to be. Mankind are just beginning to suspect (nothing more) that knowledge is bet ter than ignorance. When this idea is fairly developed in the pop ular understanding, then Chemistry in its appli cation to Agriculture will stand at the head of all professions. A wise community may prosper with but few lawyers, and fewer doctors ; while the time will never come when it can dispense with its grain, its bread, its meat, and its clothing. Chemical laws are God’s laws. They never change ; they despise all shams ; they will last forever. They alone reveal the wonderful se crets of fertility ; they show the true relations that subsist between soils and plants, tillage and crops, manure and abundant harvests. Among tho numerous readers of The Field and Fireside, wo want a class of real students —persons who are willing to study agriculture as a profession. The upshot of tho whole mat ter to become a genuine agricultural student, consists in a desire to see things as the Creator has made them. An insight into nature and her laws gives great pleasure and great power to a sound and cultivated mind. Let the Bone and Muscle of the land know what makes bone , and what makes muscle. Give the masses this knowledge, and the improvement of hus bandry will follow as certainly as the revolution of the earth from west to east causes the sun to rise in the east and set in the west. Tho Far mer should labor in unison with Nature ; and therefore he should know her laws first, and then obey them. — m -■ American Stock Journal. —Attention is di rected to the announcement, in another column, of the second volume of the American Stock Journal , for 1860. Those interested would do well to notice. — The Cause of Sandy Cotton. —The Journal of Commerce ascribes this increasing annoyance to the insufficiency of labor on the plantations. Here is what it says: The reason for the alarming increase of sand in cotton is to be found in the high price, the steadily increasing demand for consumption, and the small amount of labor available for its pro duction, compared with the total sent to market. In former years there was no such pressure to make a large crop as at present, and planters had not only opportunity, but every inducement to take great pains in picking and preparing their cotton for market. The field hands on each plan tation were sufficient to pick each boll as it opened, and thus the cotton reached the gin in a much cleaner state. With a slack demand which enables the consumer to make nice selec tions of favorite qualities, there was every in ducement to be careful of appearances, and the planters gave their product far more manipula tion 'that it receives at present. So regardful were they of appearances, that all who were considered thrifty, or who took any pride in ob taining full market rates for their crop, were ac customed to spread it out in thin layers on plat forms prepared for that purpose, to give it the benefit of the dew, as that alone would turn it to the clear brightness which was the favorite hue with buyers. When the cotton was ginned, to cleanse it from the seeds, the fibre was taken from the teeth of the gin and blown into the packing room, by a strong current of air through a long flue or box with a grated bottom, which separated all the loose dirt and heavy waste.— As soon however, as the consumer began to tread impatiently on the heels of the producer, the latter became not only more careless in pre paring his crop, but so eager to meet tho demand by increasing hs producion. that his physical force was entirely inadequate to keep up the old system. The Terrell Professorship of Agriculture. —The Hon. Board of Trustees, at its recent meeting, made some alterations affecting the Terrell Professorship of Agriculture, which are not undeserving of notice. Under the new or ganization of Franklin College, the professorship of chemistry is abolished, and the duty of teach ing it is imposed on the professor of agriculture, apparently on the ground that the great agricul tural interest of Georgia is not of sufficient im portance to justify the employment of the whole time and study of one man for its improvement, although his services are had without the cost of a dollar to the State, or the College. We regret this step backward, oecause its practical effect may be to compel the professor of agriculture either to vacate the agricultural chair in the State University, or vacate his editorial chair in the agricultural department of this paper. The agricultural editor of The Field and Fire side had been seven years editor of the South ern Cultivator, when Dr. Terrell gave $20,000 to endow a chair of scientific agriculture in con nection with Franklin College ; and that this ed itorial association with the agricultural press might be extended indefinitely, the Hon. Board of Trustees passed the following, among other resolutions offered by the Hon. Charles J. Jen kins: “ Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the Terrell Professor of Agriculture to deliver every year, in such place, and at such times as may be designated by the Prudential Committee, with in the College grounds, to the students of the College, and such other persons as may choose to attend, a course of lectures upon the subjects enumerated by the donor, as herein before quot ted; but said Prof essor shall not be subject to per form police duty in the Institution; and shall re ceive as a salary, the sum of twelve hundred dollars per annum, or any larger sum that may accrue as interest on said bonds, payable semi annually, as the interest may be collected. “Resolved , That in accordance with the sugges tion of the donor, Dr. Daniel Lee, of the State of New York, be, and he is hereby unanimous ly appointed to till the Terrell Professorship of Agriculture—to enter on his duties on the 15th of January-, 1855. lit solved, That the communication of Dr. Ter rell be entered on the minutes of the Board, and filed in the Secretary’s office, and that a copy of this report and the resolutions be transmit ted to Dr. Terrell, and another to Dr. Daniel Lee.” We learn from Senator Toombs, who was pres ent and participated in the action of the Board, from Mr. Dougherty and other members, that the subject of police duty on the part of the Terrell professor was not discussed; and this fact gives us reason to hope that the Board will not deny the Agricultural professor a fair hear ing in the matter. Nothing would give him more pleasure than to have the Chemical Laboratory of the State University placed under his charge, with the privilege to build up a School of Ana lytical Chemistry in its application, not only to agriculture, but to the Mining and Manufactu ring interests of the South. It has not one in dustrial interest which applied chemistry can not promote. And while the Terrell professor is willing to undertake to study and teach both its principles and its practice, he prays that the Hon. Board will not wholly repudiate its own solemn act, “ transmitted ” to him while a citi zen of another State, to the effect that, if he would accept the chair of agriculture, he might rely on being exempt from police duty in the college. This exemption is important, and was secured by Dr. Terrell for a good and suffi cient reason. No one pretends that the College has suffered from the want of the police servi ces of the agricultural professor during the last five, or fifty years; nor can his services in that lino be more important hereafter. Wise and good men who make laws, will not break them for trivial purposes. Keeping Farm Accounts. —A correspondent of the Farmer and Gardener, a new and valu able agricultural journal recently started at Philadelphia, thinks that if every farmer kept a systematic account of everything seen and done on the farm, the agricultural papers would be come two fold more valuable than they now are, as the notes of such observations as might be made could be more readily telied upon and com municated, than if made from memory ; and farmers who now never think of writing for the papers, would take a pleasure in so doing. — Vintage of Ohio. —Mr. Longworth, of Cin cinnati. thinks the vintage of Ohio will be lar ger this season than for several years. The av erage yield will be about 400 gallons to the acre. Within twenty miles around Cincinnati, it is es timated the crop will amount to 800,000 gallons; so that the wine crop of Ohio the present year may bo safely estimated at over one million of dollars in value. ——•■m ■ Corn Meal Pudding.— Boil a quart of water, put in a little salt, stir in corn meal while boiling till quite stiff. Take it off the fire and stir in cold new milk till thin enough to level itself.— Beat up three eggs and stir them in the batter. Butter a pudding dish, put in the mixture, and let it bake an hour and a half. Serve with good, rich sweet cream and sugar. - Cholera-Infantum, Ac. —The National Intel ligencer, at the request of a correspondent, pub lishes the following simple cure for cholera-in fantum, cholera, diarrhoea, colic, and all diseases of the ahmentary organs generated in the sum mer season, by the use of fruit or otherwise. He says: “ I am as much opposed as any allo pathic or homirpathie physician can be to any species of quackery or empiricism. This is the result of many years of positive personal expe rience in my own family—with myself, with my children, with my neighbors, and with my friends and acquaintances. It ought to be every where known. How many children’s lives it will save, if adopted! It is simply this—one fourth of an ouuce of pulverized cloves—one fourth of an ounce of pulverized cinnaqjon— one-fourth of an ounce of gum guaiacum; mixed with one pint of old and pure whiskey.' ‘To be well shaken before taken.’ Dose for an adult, one-half of a wine-glass, or a large teblespoonful, filled up with water; for a child, proportionably. It never fails. One single dose at the incep tion of any such disease, if not complicated with other maladies, will always, withiu an hour, cure. If such disease be chronic, or has run on for some time, then hourly or daily three or four times.” AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT. Oxford, Ga., Nov. 26, 1859. Mr. Editor: —l am not in the habit of writing on agricultural subjects, but when I see such a vast quantity of land in my native State that needs improving, I am induced to give you my experiment with L. S. Hoyt’s superphosphate of lime the present year. I purchased from Messrs. Thos. P. Stovall A Co., Augusta, Ga., last spring one ton of Hoyt’s superphosphate of lime, and used it for cotton at the rate of 200 lbs. per acre on very thin gray and red stiff laud, that was nearly exhausted from long cropping. In order to satisfy myself with regard to its paying at the price I gave for it, which was fifty dollars per ton, I left a few rows unmanured through the field, on that portion which was gray or sandy and red stiff land. The result was far beyond my expectation.— The unmanured portion was cultivated the same as the manured portion, and yielded about three hundred pounds seed cotton per acre—not more. The manured portion, side by side with the un manured, produced three times as much, and at least nine hundred pounds of seed cotton per acre. I can safely say that for the fifty dollars I laid out for the fertilizer, I have got back one hun dred dollars in cotton, besides leaving the land much improved. When a planter can loan his money out at one hundred per ceut. interest upon his own farm, and at the same time improve his land, he is do ing a first rate business. This fertilizer, accord ing to chemical analysis, is rich in phosphoric acid, lime and potash—three very important ele ments necessary to briDg cotton to a high state of perfection; and if the land has been exhausted of those elements from long cropping, they must be replaced in order to make a good crop. It may be well for me to give my mode of ap plying the fertilizer, as a different mode of ap plication might produce a different result. I opened a wide deep furrow, drilled the fertilizer like drilling cotton seed, at the rate of about 200 lbs. per acre, running a deep scooter furrow through to the fertilizer to mix it with the soil, and bedding on it, which remained so until I was ready to plant. We had a few weeks drouth, and my neigh bors’ cotton seemed to fade from the drouth ; my cotton remained of a dark green color. I made an experiment with oats also, and the re sult was about the same it is for cotton. It is finely pulverized, does not require seiv ing nor mixing with dirt to apply it; is not of fensive to handle, easily taken up by plants, and a hand can drill it as fast as a horse and hand can lay off the rows. If it is applied every other year, I have no doubt but the land would finally become rich, as it contains a large amount of inorganic or earthy food for plants, more than is taken up by two years’ cropping. Yours, truly, David Dickson. Mr. Dickson has our best thanks for his inter esting and instructive communication. It came to hand after our editorial on Bones and Phos phates was in type, and it serves to confirm the opinion expressed some six or seven weeks, since in this journal, to the effect, that phosphoric acid will prove to be an exceedingly valuable manure for cotton. If the article used by our corres pondent was the same as that examined by us, he is entirely right in believing that its inorganic food of plants will not all be taken up by two years’ cropping; for some three-fourths or more of this indispensable acid is in an insoluble state. Time and the elements, however, slowly dissolve it. The general use of soluble bones in England, in place of insolublo bones, com menced in this wise: Sixteen bushels of ground bones were applied to one acre, and two bushels of bones, dissolved by oil of vitriol, were put on an adjoining acre. Tillage, soil and crops were alike. The result was in favor of the dis solved and assimilable bones, although only one eighth of the others. Os course the sixteen bushels of ground bones would in ten years render a far greater service than the two bushels treated with acid. We be lieve it practicable to export, in perpetuity, a bale of 400 lbs. of cotton from an acre every year, and apply only 100 lbs. of manure a year to the land. The manure, however, must not be sand, nor swamp mud, nor charcoal, but precise ly those things consumed in forming the seeds of this plant; and all the seed must be saved and restored to the soil that produced them.— In 400 lbs. of cotton sent to market, there are not six pounds of earthy matter and nitrogen, if both were separated and carefully weighed. Over 98 per cent, of cotton is carbon and the el ements of water. Hence, a very little manure of the right kind will make 900 lbs. for Mr. Dickson or any body else on an acre. His cot ton plants did not obtain 50 lbs. of anything whatever from his 200 lbs. of manure. Four-fifths of the matter in cotton seed is nearly worthless for manure. Read carefully our “philosophy of improving soils.” — The Antiquity of Agriculture. —Tho anti quity of the husbandman’s art is certainly not to be contested by any other. The threo first men in the world were a gardener, a plough man, and a grazier; and if any man object, that the second of these was a murderer, I desire he would consider, that as soon as he was so, he quitted our profession and turned builder. It is for this reason, I suppose, that Ecclesiasticus forbids us to hate husbandry; because (he said) the Most High God has created it. We were all bora to this art, and taught by nature to nour ish our bodies by tho same earth out of which they were made, and to which they must return, and pay at last for their sustenance. Behold the original and primitive nobility of all those great persons who are too proud now not only to till the ground, but almost to tread upon it. We may say what we please of cities, and lions rampant, and spread eagles in fields d'or d'argent; but if heradlry were guided by reason, a plough in a field arable, would be the most noble and ancient arms. All these considerations make me fall into the wonder and complaint of Columella how it should come to pass that all arts and sciences, metaphysics, physic, morality, mathematics, logic, rhetoric, Ac., which are all, I grant good and useful faculties, (except only metaphysics, which I do not know whether it be anything or no,) but even vaulting, fencing, dancing, flirting, cookery, carving and such like vanities, shall all have public schools and masters; and yet that w T e should never see or hear of any man who took upon him the profession of teaching this so so pleasant, so virtuous, so profitable, so honor able, so necessary art. THE STUDY OF SOILS.-CHAPTEB V. The Philosophy of Improving Soils. BY THE EDITOR. It is a grave mistake to suppose that all soils can be improved with equal facility and profit. The best way to impart a high degree of fertili ty to any given area of earth, is a problem often very complex and difficult of solution. In some cases a little gypsum scattered broadcast over a clover or pea field, operates like magic to in crease the crop; in others, this fertilizer produces no effect whatever. The same is true of bone dust, common salt, lime and potash. More com pound fertilizers, like the dung of sea-birds, call ed guano , and stable manure, seldom, if ever, fail to improve the productiveness of land for one or more crops. Why this difference in fa vor of the latter ? While lime adds to the soil only one element, the excrements of domestic animals applied to it contain not only lime, but some twelve or four teen other ingredients equally necessary to form cultivated plants. Now, unless a part of a thing is equal to the whole, the excrements of ani mals, no matter whether of birds, swine, sheep, neat cattle, or of the human species, must ever be more reliablo to augment the productiveness of the earth than any one, two, or three simple elementary bodies, consumed in the formation of any crop. When a part of the necessary ingre dients are present in the soil in an available con dition, then the addition of the lacking ingredi ents, whether few or many, will effect the de sired purposo. While this statement is strictly true, it does not militate in the least against the use of lime, bones, gypsum, salt, marl, greensand and other popular fertilizers, whenever it can be done at a profit. In the very nature of the case, experiment or personal experience must decide this question for the farmer. Science can do no more for him than to establish general and cor rect principles to guide his practice and re searches. But the agriculturist should weigh carefully all the facts that science and the large experience of thousands of other cultivators of the soil have recorded for his instruction and benefit. In an able and interesting address before the Maryland State Agricultural Society, delivered at its third anniversary exhibition in October, 1850, the Hon. Willoughby Newton, of Virginia, gave the following as the results of his experi ence in the use of guano: “In the effect of guano, especially the Peruvi an, I have nevor been disappointed. I have used it now for four years with entire satisfac tion, having each year been induced to enlarge my expenditure, until last year it reached $800; and for the crop of wheat this fal 1 it exceeds SI,OOO. I have observed with astonishment its effects in numerous instances on the poor ‘ for est land,’ alluded to in a former part of this ad dress. What the turnip and sheep husbandry have done for the light lands of Great Britain, the general use of guano promises to do for ours. Lands a few years ago deemed entirely incapable of producing wheat, now produce the most luxu riant crops. From 15 to 20 bushels for one so wn, is the ordinary product on our poorest lands from the application of 200 pounds of Peruvian guano. I may remark, that it is not usual in eastern Virginia to sow more than a bushel of wheat to the acre; and that I deem amply suf ficient.” Wo regret that Mr. Newton does not state what quantity of wheat this “ poorest land ” in eastern Virginia would yield without guano or manure of any kind. In the absence of such in formation, it is probably safe to assume that 5 bushels are about the average; if so, the gain is from 10 to 15 bushels by the use of 200 pounds of Peruvian guano. It is a philosophical ques tion of great practical importance in farm econo my to solve, In what way does nature operate to make 200 pounds of manure produce 15 bushels of wheat, including, of course, the plants that bear this amount of seed ? Science, associated with practice, enablee us to answer this question in a clear and satisfac tory manner. Assuming the highest gain, or 15 bushels, the weight of that amount, at GO pounds per bushel, is 900 pounds. From this 12 per cent, must be subtracted for water in merchant able wheat, which reduces the quantity to 792 pounds. Os this, 95 per cent, in round numbers, is water or its elements oxygen and hydrogen, and carbon or coal. The other 5 per cent, is organized nitrogen and incombustible matter, called ash. This 5 per cent, is nearly 40 pounds in weight, and similar in every respect to the elements contained in the guano applied to tho soil. If we may safely assume that growing wheat plants can obtain most of their carbon from the carbonic acid in tho utmosphere, and water from tho same source, there is no difficul ty in understanding how 200 pounds of a highly concentrated manure should supply 40 pounds of raw material for making this grain, and have 160 left for the benefit of the straw. To yield 900 pounds of wheat, requires from 1,200 to 1,- 800 of straw and chaff. As guanoed wheat usually contains less straw in proportion to the grain than wheat grown on ordinary rich land, probably 1,500 pounds of straw and chaff are a fair estimate to 900 of seed. Os tho combusti ble partof this straw and chaff, over 99 parts in 100 are carbon and the elements of water. The amount of nitrogen in straw is about one-third of one per cent. Guano supplies nearly all the wants of the stems of wheat-plants in minerals, except soluble silica or flint. Potash is sometimes lacking in this fertilizer to a degreo that impairs its value for growing wheat. As a crop of wheat is not taken year after year from the light sandy soils in Virginia and Mary land, soluble silica has an opportunity to accu mulate to some extent between the large de mands on the soil for this element. The power of wheat, corn, oats, and other cereal grasses, to extract carbon from the atmosphere, is one of the most pregnant facts in practieal agriculture. If the essential elements of grain can be so much concentrated that 200 pounds of manure will produce 900 of wheat, the fact is of inestimable importance to the human family, and especially to all owners of arable land, no matter how ste rile it is by nature or poor by excessive cropping. Anxious to encourage investigations in this di rection, we copy a few additional remarks from Mr. Newton’s address: “ I applied last fall $350 worth of guano, partly Peruvian and partly Patagonian, on a poor farm in ‘the forest,’ which cost a few years ago $4 an acre, and reaped 1,089 bushels from 78 sown. Forty-six were sown on a fallow, (both guano and wheat put in with a cultivator, followed by a heavy harrow,) and yielded 790 bushels, or over 17J per acre for one of seed. A considerable part of this was dressed with Patagonian guano, and was much inferior to tho other portion. A lot on which fifteen bushels was sown, and dressed with Peruvian guano, was thrashed separately, and yielded 301 bush els, or over 20 for one. The cost of the farm was $1,520, and I have good reason to expect with a favorable season, from the crop now sown and dressed with guano, a bushel of wheat