The Elements of Agriculture A Book for Young Farmers, with Questions Prepared for the Use of Schools by George E. Waring (e reader for manga .txt) 📕

the value of analysis 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 analysis from reading it once hurriedly over. It must be studied and thought on with great care, before it can be of material assistance. The evenings of one winter, devoted to this subject, will enable a farmer to understand the application of analysis to practical farming, especially if other and more compendious works are also read. A less time could hardly be recommended. SECTION 5 (ANALYSIS) CHAPTER I Pg 238

 

[Is there any doubt as to the practical value of analysis?

How should samples of soil for analysis 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 analyzed.

Every farmer, however, should learn enough of the principles of agriculture to be able to use an analysis, when procured, without such assistance.[AQ]

Nearly all scientific men (all of the highest merit) are unanimous in their conviction of the practical value of an analysis 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 analysis and advice. Dr. T. C. Jackson, of Boston, the late Prof. Norton, of Yale College, and others, have had universal success in this matter.

Analysis must be considered the only sure road to economical farming.

To select samples of soil for analysis, 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.

SECTION 5 (ANALYSIS) CHAPTER I Pg 239

 

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 analyses will be necessary.

[Give an instance of the success of treatment according to analysis?]

When an analysis 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 analysis indicated to be necessary, at a cost of less than $2 per acre, he obtained the first year over fifty bushels of shelled 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.

SECTION 5 (ANALYSIS) CHAPTER II (TABLES OF ANALYSIS) Pg 240

 ANALYSES 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 ------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+---------

SECTION 5 (ANALYSIS) CHAPTER II (TABLES OF ANALYSIS) Pg 241

 

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.| ------------------------+---------+--------+----------+--------

SECTION 5 (ANALYSIS) CHAPTER II (TABLES OF ANALYSIS) Pg 242

 

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 | 11½ | 66 -------------------+--------+-----------+----------+----------