Part 38
Neither will _travelling_ chemists be able to make a.n.a.lyses as accurately and as cheaply as those who work in their own laboratories, where their apparatus is not liable to the many injuries consequent on frequent removal. The cost of sending one hundred samples of soil to a distant chemist, would be much less than the expense of having his apparatus brought to the town where his services are required.
[How may a farmer obtain the requisite knowledge?
When are the services of a consulting agriculturist required?]
_The way in which an a.n.a.lysis should be used_ is a matter of much importance. To a man who knows nothing of chemistry (be he ever so successful a farmer), an a.n.a.lysis, as received from a chemist, would be as useless and unintelligible as though it were written in Chinese; while, if a chemist who knew nothing of farming, were to give him advice concerning the application of manures, he would be led equally astray, and his course would be any thing but _practical_. It is necessary that chemical and practical knowledge should be combined, and then the value of a.n.a.lysis will be fully demonstrated. The _amount_ of knowledge required is not great, but it must be _thorough_. The information contained in this little book is sufficient, but it would be folly for a man to attempt to use an a.n.a.lysis from reading it once hurriedly over.
It must be studied and thought on with great care, before it can be of material a.s.sistance. The evenings of one winter, devoted to this subject, will enable a farmer to understand the application of a.n.a.lysis to practical farming, especially if other and more compendious works are also read. A less time could hardly be recommended.
[Is there any doubt as to the practical value of a.n.a.lysis?
How should samples of soil for a.n.a.lysis be selected?]
Where this attention cannot be given to the subject, the services of a Consulting Agriculturist should be employed to advise the treatment necessary to render fertile the soil a.n.a.lyzed.
Every farmer, however, should learn enough of the principles of agriculture to be able to use an a.n.a.lysis, when procured, without such a.s.sistance.[AQ]
Nearly all scientific men (all of the highest merit) are unanimous in their conviction of the _practical_ value of an a.n.a.lysis of soils; and a volume of instances of their success, with hardly a single failure, might be published.
Prof. Mapes says, in the _Working Farmer_, that he has given advice on hundreds of different soils, and _not a single instance_ can be found where he has failed to produce a profit greater than the cost of a.n.a.lysis and advice. Dr. T. C. Jackson, of Boston, the late Prof.
Norton, of Yale College, and others, have had universal success in this matter.
a.n.a.lysis must be considered the only sure road to economical farming.
_To select samples of soil for a.n.a.lysis_, take a spadeful from various parts of the field--going to exactly the depth to which it has been plowed--until, say a wheel-barrow full, has been obtained. Mix this well together, and send about a quart or a pint of it (free from stones) to the chemist. This will represent all of that part of the farm which has been subject to the same cultivation, and is of the same mechanical character. If there are marked differences in the kinds of soil, separate a.n.a.lyses will be necessary.
[Give an instance of the success of treatment according to a.n.a.lysis?]
When an a.n.a.lysis is obtained, a regular debtor and creditor account may be kept with the soil; and the farmer may know by the composition of the ashes of his crops, and the manures supplied, whether he is maintaining the fertility of his soil.
Prof. Mapes once purchased some land which could not produce corn at all, and by applying only such manures as a.n.a.lysis indicated to be necessary, at a cost of less than $2 per acre, he obtained the first year over _fifty bushels of sh.e.l.led corn per acre_. The land has since continued to improve, and is as fertile as any in the State. It has produced in one season a sufficient crop of cabbages to pay the expense of cultivation, and over $250 per acre besides, though it was apparently _worthless_ when he purchased it.
These are strong facts, and should arouse the farmers of the whole country to their true interests. Let them not call the teachings of science "book-farming," but "prove all things--hold fast that which is good."
FOOTNOTES:
[AQ] See Author's card in the front of the book.
CHAPTER II.
TABLES OF a.n.a.lYSIS.
a.n.a.lYSES OF THE ASHES OF CROPS.
No. I.
------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+--------
Wheat.
Wheat
Rye.
Rye
Straw.
Straw.
------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+-------- Ashes in 1000 dry parts
20
60
24
40 ------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+-------- Silica (_sand_)
16
654
5
645 Lime
28
67
50
91 Magnesia
120
33
104
24 Peroxide of Iron
7
13
14
14 Potash
237
124
221
174 Soda
91
2
116
3 Chlorine
11
5 Sulphuric Acid
3
58
10
8 Phosphoric Acid
498
31
496
38 ------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+--------
No. II.
------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+---------
Corn.
Corn
Barley.
Barley
Stalks.
Straw.
------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+--------- Ashes in 1000 dry parts.
15
44
28
61 ------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+--------- Silica (_sand_)
15
270
271
706 Lime
15
86
26
95 Magnesia
162
66
75
32 Peroxide of Iron
3
8
15
7 Oxide of Manganese
1 Potash
261
96
136
62 Soda
63
277
81
6 Chlorine
2
20
1
10 Sulphuric Acid
23
5
1
16 Phosphoric Acid
449
171
389
31 ------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+---------
No. III.
------------------------+-----------+--------+--------+----------
Oats.
Oat
Buck
Potatoes.
Straw.
Wheat.
------------------------+-----------+--------+--------+---------- Ashes in 1000 dry parts
20
51
21
90 ------------------------+-----------+--------+--------+---------- Silica (_sand_)
7
484
7
42 Lime
60
81
67
21 Magnesia
99
38
104
53 Peroxide of Iron
4
18
11
5 Potash
{262}
191
87
557 Soda
{ }
97
201
19 Chlorine
3
32
43 Sulphuric Acid
104
33
22
137 Phosphoric Acid
438
27
500
126 Organic Matter
750
Water.
No. IV.
------------------------+---------+--------+----------+--------
Peas.
Beans.
Turnips.
Turnip
Tops.
------------------------+---------+--------+----------+-------- Ashes in 1000 dry parts
25
27
76
170 ------------------------+---------+--------+----------+-------- Silica (_sand_)
5
12
71
8 Lime
53
58
128
233 Magnesia
85
80
48
31 Peroxide of Iron
10
6
9
8 Potash
361
336
398
286 Soda
91
106
108
54 Chlorine
23
7
37
160 Sulphuric Acid
44
10
131
125 Phosphoric Acid
333
378
67
93 Organic Matter
870 Water.
------------------------+---------+--------+----------+--------
No. V.
--------------------------+--------+----------+--------+----------
Flax.
Linseed.
Meadow
Red
Hay.
Clover.
--------------------------+--------+----------+--------+---------- Ashes in 1000 dry parts
50
46
60
75 --------------------------+--------+----------+--------+---------- Silica (_sand_)
257
75
344
48 Alumina (_clay_)
37?
Lime
148
83
196
371 Magnesia
44
146
78
46 Peroxide of Iron
36?
9
7
2 Potash
117
240
236
267 Soda
118
45
19
71 Chlorine
29
2
28
48 Sulphuric Acid
32
23
29
60 Phosphoric Acid
130
365
58
88 --------------------------+--------+----------+--------+----------
No. VI.
Amount of Inorganic Matter removed from the soil by ten bushels of grains, etc., and by the straw, etc., required in their production--estimated in pounds:
-------------------+--------+-----------+----------+----------
1200 lbs.
1620 lbs.
Wheat.
Wheat
Rye.
Rye
Straw.
Straw.
-------------------+--------+-----------+----------+---------- Potash
2.86
8.97
2.51
11.34 Soda
1.04
.12
1.33
.20 Lime
.34
4.84
.56
5.91 Magnesia
1.46
2.76
1.18
1.58 Oxide of Iron
.08
.94
.15
.88 Sulphuric Acid
.03
4.20
.11
.05 Phosphoric Acid
6.01
2.22
5.64
2.49 Chlorine
.79
.30 Silica
.14
47.16
.05
42.25 -------------------+--------+-----------+----------+---------- Pounds carried off
12
72
11
66 -------------------+--------+-----------+----------+----------
No. VII.
-------------------+-------+----------+-------+----------
1620 lbs.
700 lbs.
Corn.
Corn
Oats.
Oat
Stalks.
Straw.
-------------------+-------+----------+-------+---------- Potash
2.78
6.84
1.69
12.08 Soda
19.83
Lime
.12
6.02
.39
3.39 Magnesia
1.52
4.74
.64
1.59 Oxide of Iron
.57
.02
.78 Sulphuric Acid
.36
.66
1.41 Phosphoric Acid
4.52
12.15
2.80
1.07 Chlorine
1.33
.02
1.36 Silica
.06
19.16
.18
20.32 -------------------+-------+----------+-------+---------- Pounds carried off
9
71
6
42 -------------------+-------+----------+-------+----------
No. VIII.
-------------------+--------+---------+----------+----------
Buck
660 lbs.
2000 lbs.
Wheat.
Barley.
Barley
Flax.
Straw.
-------------------+--------+---------+----------+---------- Potash
1.01
1.90
2.57
11.78 Soda
2.13
1.18
.23
11.82 Lime
.78
.96
3.88
11.85 Magnesia
1.20
1.00
1.31
9.38 Oxide of Iron
.14
.20
.90
7.32 Sulphuric Acid
.25
.01
.66
3.19 Phosphoric Acid
5.40
5.35
1.25
13.05 Chlorine
.01
.40
2.90 Silica
.09
3.90
28.80
25.71 -------------------+--------+---------+----------+---------- Pounds carried off
11
14
40
100 -------------------+--------+---------+----------+----------
No. IX.
--------------------+----------+----------+----------+---------
1120 lbs.
1366 lbs.
Beans.
Bean
Field
Pea
Straw.
Peas.
Straw.
--------------------+----------+----------+----------+--------- Potash
5.54
36.28
5.90
3.78 Soda
1.83
1.09
1.40
Lime
98.98
13.60
.81
43.93 Magnesia
.28
4.55
1.30
5.50 Oxide of Iron
.10
.20
.15
1.40 Sulphuric Acid
.16
.64
.64
5.43 Phosphoric Acid
7.80
5.00
5.50
3.86 Chlorine
.13
1.74
.23
.08 Silica
.18
4.90
.7
16.02 --------------------+----------+----------+----------+--------- Pounds carried off
17
68
16
80 --------------------+----------+----------+----------+---------
