Page 1 |
Previous | 1 of 16 | Next |
|
|
Loading content ...
70L. XXIH. INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, SEPT. 22,1888. NO. 38 r-ntm lor the Indiana Farmer. SOIENOE AND FARMIHG. •rofessor Staler Shows by Numerous Interesting Illustrations How Science is Benefiting Agriculture, 1, Influence of Science T/po* Modern Industry— Pro- rtn in the Art of Weather Foretelling—The Chemist In Shown the Effect of Different Crops Upon the Tilie of Soil for Tillage—The Supply of the Guano ui Other Natural Manures Exhausted—Science ^has Cimi to the Bescne of the Farmer With Artificial ul Mineral Fertilizers—The Establishment of Experimental Stations in Different Farts of the Coun- lt.7 by tee Government Would Greatly Help the I Science of Agriculture. [Copyrighted by the Author.] t I The influence of science on modern in- |hstry is felt In all the arts. In some of iem, as in medicine, the effect has been tamediate and profound; indeed,we may ^revolutionary in its nature. In others, jin mining, the influence of this branch 1 learning, though less conspicuous, has m extremely influential. Practical :owledge in such work is so interwoven ill the results of pure learning that it is I'd to separate the profits which are due each, but even the men who work most : tradition in the under earth have oed to prize the knowledge which •as from the school and the laboratory dto'avail themselves of "it. In other spartments, as in agriculture, the effects ' pure science are less conspicuous; in- ;*di we may say that they have been less 3cient than in any other division of hu- aa industry. The reasons for this fail- -tof the farmer to profit by research in -«measure in which his fellow laborers J other fields have benefited by it are "fly seen. The conditions under which ■'works have been the subject of aprac- -<*1 experiment on a large scale for a -nger time than those in any other detriment of industry. They depend in -'main on the nature of organic life, on ~9 original composition of soils and on ^uncontrollable element of climate. fctfd as are these conditions it is easily !/8een tnat tn6 methods of a laboratory f pure science in general have already ^emuch to help the tiller in his tasks that there is a promise of larger profits •J we time to come. From the biologist ^breeder of animals has learned how to r1 w"h a number of destructive diseases, i of Pasteur have alone been : to enable him to deal with cer- Ueryserio^ ma.la.dies. The method ^ Teflon to prevent the ravages of lections disease has enabled the sheep r^M-sof Australia to contend against *,malady which promised to make their IT*? ^profitable. By similar studies r^"16 leases which affect silk worms <thaSiaff°rded an admirable protection -in|L,?teresta of those engaged in that *roin try' and u hls conclusions con- w8 hydrophobia are borne out by eJ^ he wiU remove one of the "*Mch now beset life. The scien- *^ch fftm6nt of the ordlntu7 diseases the aH animals has vastly redounded ^onk tsge of our stock breeders. ;mfit }h M y9t the farmer has but little U.T,[°m the gain in skill oftheveteri- :,*ilih!there can be no doubt in time ■; ETa *Me to take fuller advantage of =«ritaacn study of the principles of ln- fres r,rr! Wbich ^^ begun by Mr. Darwin ^.DW1?90' profit ^ the near future. ^'ifio researches were of a purely '''••ten, nature and ye' following in his W. pra°tical * ■ • Wnit>quiri, *l4sh the men are now at work lesastothe conditions under ^Ute"8 8°odand evil features ofani- i'««Q.raMPerpetUated whlch Promiseln "*■ heed *° °0me to S1™ to the Drao' !m:_6r admirable resources in the 1 of his art. Thirty years ago if we had searched the fields of science in order to find an occupation where investigators were amusing themselves with inquiries into matters not likely to prove profitable to the agriculturist, we should probably have chosen the science of meteorology. The sailor, it is true, has already had hts gain from the extension of inquiries as'to the laws of atmospheric movement but the laws of the winds of the ocean currents seemed matters very far away from the interests of the farm. Rapidly, however, the knowledge gained in these purely uncommercial inquiries took shape in the art of weather foretelling. Already over a large part of the United States the tiller of the soil may learn with an approximation to certainty the character of the weather he has to expect for a day or two after the time of the Signal Service announcements. Although this system leaves much to be desired,much which we may hope to compass from the extension of our abstract knowledge concerning the laws of the atmosphere, the profit which it has already given to the farmer, may be measured by millions of dollars annually. A close study of the facts will probably show that this gain in information was worth some cents per acre in each year to every farmer who makes avail of it. He can plan his labor, the work of seeding, of harvest and tillage, with the better discretion if he knows with the chance of about ten to one what the morrow's sky is iikely to give to him. It is, however, chiefly in matters which concern the management of the soil that science has done service to the tiller. The progress of chemical knowledge has enabled us to determine with accuracy the amount of waste which is brought about by crops of different character and the methods »by which the loss can most easily be replaced. As yet the chemist can do little to determine the actual value of soil for tillage. So much depends upon the mechanical condition of the earth that even where the chemist finds those substances which should give fertility the tiller may have a scant harvest to repay his pains. It is mainly through the development of artificial manures that chemical skill has come to the aid of the farmer. At the beginning of this century we appear to be in face of a very grave problem concerning the future of agriculture. It was recognized that all cropping means the inevitable exhaustion of the soil in certain of its most important components, Potash, soda and above all, phosphate of lime were recognized as substances, never present in large quantities in any soil, and liable to exhaustion with long continuous culture. Barnyard manure, ashes, bones and other long used restorers of fertility were evidently not to be had in sufficient quantities to meet the growing needs of refreshment. It seemed possible that the fields of Europe and of America might in a few centuries undergo that sterilizing process which had lowered the fertility of many Asiatic lands. Great areas in Persia and India have evidently become reduced in tillage value by long continued cultivation without the advantage of refreshment, which we now obtain from our access to mineral manures. This is a fate which necessarily awaits nearly all soils when they depend solely on domestic manures for the restoration of the rarer elements removed by the crops. The guano deposits found on oceanic islands in regions of scanty rainfall for a time afforded a means of restoring the most essential materials which cropping removes from the soil. These supplies were made serviceable for some decades, but unhappily, though the store of guano was large, the demand was so great that in a few years the material was exhausted, At this stage the laboratory gave its great est contribution to agriculture by showing that certain minerals, which exist in large quantities in many lands, afford materials by which, at relatively small cost, the plants may be supplied with potash, soda and what is more important, with the rarer element phosphorus. To the combined work of the geologist and chemist we owe this precious gift of mineral manures. As yet we are at the beginning of the scientific inquiry which will show us the full measure of these resources in the way of mineral fertilizers. It is scarcely more than a score of years since they began to find a place in our agricultural processes. The South Carolina deposits, which for more than a decade have been the principal source of supply, abounded in the fields and along the shores which had been tilled for a century, and yet the value of the material was not recognized until a cbemist.guided by a pnrely scientific curiosity, undertook to determine what was the composition of the peculiar nodules which met his eye. To this inquiry, guided by no commercial motives whatsoever, we owe the discovery of this resource, which has afforded many million tons of phosphatic matter. At the present time in this country alone the manufacture of artificial manures, which have these phosphates for their most essential ingredient, amounts to a value of more than $30,000,000 annually, and it Is evident that the industry is but.at the beginning. It seems likely that the best gifts of science to agriculture will consist in the extension of our knowledge concerning the sources whence supplies of rock manures may bo drawn. Asyetin the United States we have had but one important source of such materials brought to knowledge, viz: that of South Carolina and some of the neighboring States. There is much reason, however, to suppose that a careful search will show us such materials to exist in many other regions. It is clearly of much importance to our agricultural interests that all the information which can be obtained should speedily be brought to public knowledge. At present the financial prosperity of this country depends intimately on the ^large exports of food products which we make to other lands. Our grain exports go mostly from the newly occupied lands in the Mississippi Valley and on the Pacific coast. As is well known these soils when first used for agriculture contained a store of plant food which had been in preparation during many thousand years, and which we rapidly convert into grain and send to foreign lands. With each crop the yield diminished until, in a score or two years, the soil no longer brings the half of its original return. Much the same condition exists in our cotton culture. Our large annual product is now in good part due to the fact that, by artificial manures drawn from geological deposits, the tiller is able to maintain the fertility of his fields. An inquiry such as this which is designed systematically to search the underground realm for sources of artificial manures cannot be undertaken by individual enterprise, nor should it be left to chance research. It needs the systematic effort extended over the fields until the whole country is covered, such as can only be afforded by the services of the National Geological Survey. It is one of the advantages which we may anticipate from the extension of that Survey, over the whole of the area of this country, that it will determine the sources of supply by which our soils may be made to endure the tax we put upon them. There is yet another line in which agriculture may hope to receive in the years to come important aid from government action. The system of experimental stations has long been advocated in Congress and it seems likely that such establishments will be set in operation at the next reunion of that body. The advantage of such stations is that they may undertake preliminary experiments concerning the tillage of new crops; of variations in the method of treating the soil without reference to immediate profit. Such experiments are beyond . the reach of the ordinary farmer, desirable as it is that in establishing these stations the "log rolling" motive, which so far, prevails in Congress, may lead to the founding of a weakly provided station in each of the several States, when in fact we need for this country probably not more than a half dozen establishments, carefully placed with reference to its diversities of climate, of soil and therefore of natural products. One such station for New England, another for the Middle Atlantic States, a third for the Gulf, a fourth for the States of the upper Mississippi region, a fifth for the area of the great continental plains, a sixth for the Pacific coast or perhaps two for that region would serve better, if well endowed and maintained, to accomplish the end in view, than 40 smaller stations scattered one in each State. It will be impossible on sudden demand to afford men,even if the resources of Europe should be drawn upon, who should be fit to conduct the experiments at such stations in a skillful and trustworthy manner in a way to combine the work of the practical man with that of the pure investigator. As this undertaking should be in the real interest of the tiller, and not for the gratification of State pride, it is well that the will of those who are to profit by it, if profit is to be had, should be heard from before the plans are completed. If very many stations are founded the danger is that the annual appropriations will not be sufficient to maintain any of them in an efficient condition for the work which they should do. Sow the Best and Cleanest Seed. Wheat, rye and grass seed are the principal crops sown in the fall, and with these, two items are important: One is to use clean seed, and the other is to have seed of the very best quality. It is true, that trashy seed can be sown either broadcast, or with a drill, but at the same time, when trash is being sown, good seed is not, and it h. more difficult to secure a good wheat stand with trashy, unclean seed. It is very important to secure a good stand, both in grass and grain, if the best yield is to be obtained, and it is important that grass seed be sown early to obtain this. In a majority of cases in sowing unclean seed, more or less weed seed is sown, and this is something always to be avoided. A strong, vigorous plant is an important item in securing the best yield, and good seed is necessary to obtain this. It is not only necessary that the seed should contain sufficient vitality to germinate, but that the plant it sends forth should be strong and vigorous, and be able to make a good start to grow.# If this is done, the seed must be of the best quality. Good soil, well-prepared, good seed, properly sown, and thorough cultivation in good season, are what may be termed the true essentials of a good crop, and generally in proportion as these are given, will be the results secured. Each is important in it- sel', and a failure to give either will affect the result. The difference in the cost between good seed, and that of a poor qual-, ity, is a small item it comparison with the risk in the results to be secured. In addition to this, the use of poor seed aids very materially to lower the quality of the product, and to cause the seed to run out, while on the other hand, a very careful selection, and usiDg of the very best will aid very materially to gradually improve 1 it.—Prairie Fanner.
Object Description
Title | Indiana farmer, 1888, v. 23, no. 38 (Sept. 22) |
Purdue Identification Number | INFA2338 |
Date of Original | 1888 |
Subjects (LCSH) |
Agriculture Farm management Horticulture Agricultural machinery |
Subjects (NALT) |
agriculture farm management horticulture agricultural machinery and equipment |
Genre | Periodical |
Call Number of Original | 630.5 In2 |
Location of Original | Hicks Repository |
Coverage | United States - Indiana |
Type | text |
Format | JP2 |
Language | eng |
Collection Title | Indiana Farmer |
Rights Statement | Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or not-for-profit purposes. |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Date Digitized | 2011-01-19 |
Digitization Information | Original scanned at 300 ppi on a Bookeye 3 scanner using internal software. Display images generated in CONTENTdm as JP2000s; file format for archival copy is uncompressed TIF format. |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Subjects (LCSH) |
Agriculture Farm management Horticulture Agricultural machinery |
Subjects (NALT) |
agriculture farm management horticulture agricultural machinery and equipment |
Genre | Periodical |
Call Number of Original | 630.5 In2 |
Location of Original | Hicks Repository |
Coverage | Indiana |
Type | text |
Format | JP2 |
Language | eng |
Collection Title | Indiana Farmer |
Rights Statement | Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or non-for-profit purposes. |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Digitization Information | Orignal scanned at 300 ppi on a Bookeye 3 scanner using internal software. Display images generated in CONTENTdm as JP2000s; file format for archival copy is uncompressed TIF format. |
Transcript |
70L. XXIH.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, SEPT. 22,1888.
NO. 38
r-ntm lor the Indiana Farmer.
SOIENOE AND FARMIHG.
•rofessor Staler Shows by Numerous Interesting Illustrations How Science
is Benefiting Agriculture,
1, Influence of Science T/po* Modern Industry— Pro-
rtn in the Art of Weather Foretelling—The Chemist
In Shown the Effect of Different Crops Upon the
Tilie of Soil for Tillage—The Supply of the Guano
ui Other Natural Manures Exhausted—Science ^has
Cimi to the Bescne of the Farmer With Artificial
ul Mineral Fertilizers—The Establishment of Experimental Stations in Different Farts of the Coun-
lt.7 by tee Government Would Greatly Help the
I Science of Agriculture.
[Copyrighted by the Author.] t
I The influence of science on modern in-
|hstry is felt In all the arts. In some of
iem, as in medicine, the effect has been
tamediate and profound; indeed,we may
^revolutionary in its nature. In others,
jin mining, the influence of this branch
1 learning, though less conspicuous, has
m extremely influential. Practical
:owledge in such work is so interwoven
ill the results of pure learning that it is
I'd to separate the profits which are due
each, but even the men who work most
: tradition in the under earth have
oed to prize the knowledge which
•as from the school and the laboratory
dto'avail themselves of "it. In other
spartments, as in agriculture, the effects
' pure science are less conspicuous; in-
;*di we may say that they have been less
3cient than in any other division of hu-
aa industry. The reasons for this fail-
-tof the farmer to profit by research in
-«measure in which his fellow laborers
J other fields have benefited by it are
"fly seen. The conditions under which
■'works have been the subject of aprac-
-<*1 experiment on a large scale for a
-nger time than those in any other detriment of industry. They depend in
-'main on the nature of organic life, on
~9 original composition of soils and on
^uncontrollable element of climate.
fctfd as are these conditions it is easily
!/8een tnat tn6 methods of a laboratory
f pure science in general have already
^emuch to help the tiller in his tasks
that there is a promise of larger profits
•J we time to come. From the biologist
^breeder of animals has learned how to
r1 w"h a number of destructive diseases,
i of Pasteur have alone been
: to enable him to deal with cer-
Ueryserio^ ma.la.dies. The method
^ Teflon to prevent the ravages of
lections disease has enabled the sheep
r^M-sof Australia to contend against
*,malady which promised to make their
IT*? ^profitable. By similar studies
r^"16 leases which affect silk worms
|
Tags
Comments
Post a Comment for Page 1