Annual report of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station

              fcLorth Carolina State Library
Raleigh
LV* ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA
AGRICULTURAL
Experiment Station
For 1879.
Printed by Order and at Expense of the
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
RALEIGH, N. C:
the observes, state printer and binder.
July, 1879.
Labokatory of the North Carolina
State Experiment Station,
Chapel Hill, N. C, 1879..
To His Excellency Gov. Thomas J. Jarvis,
Chairman of the Board of Agriculture.
Sir :—In obedience to a resolution of the Board of Agri-culture,
adopted at their meeting in April last, I beg to
submit herewith a report on the work of the Experiment
Station since its establishment. I sincerely hope that this
report will be satisfactory to your Excellency, to the Board
of Agriculture, and to the farmers of the State for whom the
Department was created.
Very respectfully,
ALBERT R. LEDOUX,
Chemist.
N. C. State Board of Agriculture,
1879.
His Excellency THOS. J. JARVIS, Goveknoe, (ex-offioio,)
Chairman of the Board.
Col. THOMAS M. HOLT, (ex-officio,)
President of State Agricultural Society.
Col. Wm. M. CHEEK, (ex-officio,)
Master of State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry.
KEMP P. BATTLE, L.L. D., (ex-officio,)
President of State University.
Prof. W. C. KERR, (ex-officio,)
State Geologist
Capt. JAMES R. THIGPEN, of Edgecombe.
Maj. JONATHAN EVANS, of Cumberland.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR 1879
Gov. THOMAS J. JARVIS,
Col. THOMAS M. HOLT,
Hon. KEMP P. BATTLE.
OFFICERS
OF THE
STATE EXPERIMENT STATION
FOR 1879.
Director,
albert r. ledoux, a. m., ph. d.,
Graduate of the University of Gcettkigen, Member of the Geraia*. ©feemical Society
of Berlin, of the American Chemical Society, of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, of
the New York Academy of Sciences,
of the North Carolina State
Board of Health,
AND
Chemist to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, to the Worth Carolina
Geological Survey, to the North Carolina State Board of Health.
ASSISTANTS : .
GEO. WARNECKE,
W. B. PHILLIPS, Ph. B.
J. C. TAYLOR, B. S.
Laboratory in Smith Hall, University of North Carolina,
CHAPEL HILL., N. C.
PREFACE.
The present report was called for by the Board of Agri-culture,
as the following extract from the minutes of their
meeting of April 16th, 1879, will show
:
" The State Chemist is authorized to prepare and
have published 5,000 copies, in pamphlet . form, op an
Annual Report, embodying the various reports of the
Station up to its publication."
It is a source of great satisfaction to me that this first
"Annual Report" is entirely a North Carolina production.
Not only was the chemical work done in the State, but the
drawings, cuts, printing, binding and the paper used, are
all the products of North Carolina skill and industry.
The work of the Station has only appeared, hitherto, in
fragmentary, detached portions, from no one of which could
a just estimate of its value or operations be made. In the
following pages will be found as complete a review of two
years' work as space would allow.
In looking back to-day over my two years and a half of
labor in North Carolina, there is not a single shadow over
the prospect. I have received from the hundreds of farmers
whom I have met, nothing but encouragement. I have
been aided by a majority of the papers in the State by kind
words or sound advice, while from those journals which
have criticised the work of the Station I have learned much
that I trust has been, or shall be, utilized for the good of
the State. I have nothing but grateful feelings to express
towards the Board of Agriculture, under whose wise super-vision
I have worked, and to the Trustees, President and
Faculty of the University for their interest and co-operation.
It is a most agreeable duty to testify also to the efficiency
of my assistants. They have been not only unusually pains-taking
and accurate in their work, but have submitted
X PREFACE.
without a complaint to much extra labor, working fre-quently
after hours and until late at night, when analyses,
calculations or correspondence were pressing.
The present report is intended to be useful to our farmers,
as far as possible, hence many explanations and forms of
expression are adopted which may seem useless to scientific
readers.
In answering letters or writing reports upon various sub-jects,
I have not pretended that the material was always
original. While all the analyses, recorded as the work of
the Station, were made in our laboratory, I have availed
myself of every aid obtainable—whether from writers^ other
chemists or practical farmers—to make my reports and
letters as full, useful and accurate as possible. I am par-ticularly
indebted to Prof. Geo. Thurber, editor of the
American Agriculturist, and to Prof. S. W. Johnson, Director
of the Connecticut Experiment Station, for many kindnesses
and much valuable advice.
Our field of labor in North Carolina is large ; the Experi-ment
Station is young. To make it a success—an increasing
means of usefulness to our people—I need the co-operation
of every farmer ; the aid of every newspaper, while honest
criticism will be welcome from any quarter.
For the future no special promises need be made. Results
appear best from the vantage-ground of achievement.
It shall be my aim to perform faithfully whatever duties
the Board of Agriculture see fit to impose. Quod Deus bene
vertat.
ALBERT R. LEDOUX.
Chapel Hill, N. C, July 15th, 1879.
CONTENTS.
Page.
North Carolina Board of Agriculture, V
Officers of Experiment Station, VI
Preface, IX
Report of Director, 1
What is an Experiment Station? , 3
Establishment of North Carolina Station, 9
Law Creating Department of Agriculture, 9
Law Concerning Fertilizer Taxes, 10
Amendments to Law, , 14
Law Concerning Poison Cases, , 14
History of Station, 16
Analyses of First Year, 20
Analyses of Second Year,.. 20
Expenses of Station, 22
Relatien of Station to University of North Carolina, 23
Detailed Report, 24
Seed Examination 24
Seed Examinations in detail, 29
Dodder, {Cuscuta trifolii) , 33
Soft Meadow Grass, (Rolcus lanatus. ). 35
Poison Cases, 38
Instructions to Coroners, 39
Correspondence of Station, 41
Directions for Vinegar Making, 41
Grain-plant Louse, 43
Savannah Lands, 44
Utilizing Bones,.. , . 47
Bleaching, 50
Starch and Sugar in Potato, 51
Tobacco Culture, 53
Partial list of Subjects of Letters Received, 57
Composting, 59
Will it Pay? 59
Formulae and Directions, ..... , 60
Field Experiments, 64
Silica vs. Ammonia, 65
Popplein Silicated Phosphate, , . . . 67
Report of James Norwood, 73
Report of J. R. Hutchins, 77
XIV . CONTENTS.
Page.
Report of W. F. Stroud .. 79'
Report of C. W. Johnston, '. 80
Report of J. B. Mason, « 81
Tabulated Results, 84
The Sugar Beet in North Carolina, 85
History of Sugar, 85
Chemistry of Sugar,. . . . .... — 86
Sources of Sugar,. 87
History of Sugar-Beets, * , 90
Cultivation of the Beet, .... , 91
Analyses of the Beet, . . . . 101
Conclusion, ..102
Analyses of Pine Straw, 104
Description of Trees, 104
Analysis of Long-leaf Straw, 106
Analysis of Short-leaf Straw, .106
The Cow-Pea, 108
Green Manuring 109
Description of Cow-Pea, 110
Analysis of Cow-Pea—Black, 112'
Analysis of Cow-Pea—Yellow, 113
Analysis of Cow-Pea Vines,.. . . , ; 115
Value of Cow-Pea as Food, , 117
Comparative ftf utrisive Values, 117
Value of Cow-Pea Vines as Fodder,. 119
Value of Cow-Pea Vines for Fertilizing Crop, 120
Cotton Seed Oil Mill 121
Analysis of Cotton Seed, 121
Marls 122
Analysis of Marl from Edgecombe, '.
. . . , 122
" " " " Elizabethtown, 122
" " " Goldsboro, 123
" " " " Greene county, 123
" " " " Jones county, 124
" f " " Pollocksvi'lle, 124
" •* Phosphatic Marl, 124
Mineral and Well Waters, 125
Mineral Water from L. W. Humphrey, 125
" Chapel mil, 125
;t " " " " , 126
" " " Iredell county, 126
" u containing Barium Salts, „ 126
" " from Alamance, :
t
126
" " containing Lithia, 126
CONTENTS. XV
* Page.
Something about Drinking Waters, 126
Analyses for State Board of Health, 135
Minerals and Ores, 138
Green Feldspar, 138
North Carolina Gummite, 138
North Carolina Lignite, 138
"Potash Rock," * 138
Manganese, 138
Gold Ore, 139
Copper Ore, 139
Lime Stones, 139
Miscellaneous, 140
Soils, 140
Alkaline Soils at Chapel Hill, 140
Fennel, 141
Herring Refuse, 141
Candy—Adulterated, , .143
Boiler Incrustation, 143
Extracting Sassafras Oil, 144
" Yitative Compound," 146
Chemicals and Fertilizers, 149
History of Artificial Fertilizers, 149
Use and action of Artificial Fertilizers, 151
Chemical Analysis, 151
Analysis of Chemicals,. 157
. Instructions for Taking Samples, , 157
Analyses of Chemicals—detailed, , , 158
Adulterated Sample, 159
Fertilizer Analysis, 163
Instructions for taking samples, 166
Letter from Dr. Yoelcker, 169
Valuation, 171
Cost of Fertilizers, 175
Ingredients in Fertilizers, ..176
Table of North Carolina Values, 177
Table of Massachusetts Values, 179
Table of Connecticut Values, 180
Analysis and Valuation of Fertilizers, 1877, 1878 and 1879, 181
Table for 1877, 182
. Table for 1878, 185
Table for 1879, 189
Improvement in Fertilizers, 194
Brands which have paid the tax for 1879, 195
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
WHAT IS A STATE EXPERIMENT STATION?
Ever since the curse fell upon our progenitor, Adam till-ing
of the soil has been the chief occupation of every nation
whose name is worth remembering : the more civilized it
was the more farmers it had. Every one of the long line
of agriculturists from Adam down has felt in his heart, at
times, the need of certain kinds of knowledge, intimately
related to his work, which would help him materially did
he only possess it.
The farm, which has sent forth so many thinking men into
all walks of life—men great in military science, literature,
the legislative hall, the pulpit—could not fail to furnish
men also, who, in their native-born profession—agriculture
—thought over, and wondered at the marvelous forces of
organic life, as shown in seed and bud and flower, whose
growth we can, nevertheless, so strangely modify and influ-ence
to suit our wants.
No calling in life deals with mightier forces, nor contends
with a greater multitude of inscrutable powers.
To be in any measure a master of the Science of Agricul-ture,
a man must be at once a Botanist, Chemist, Geologist
and Meteorologist. Who can, in this short life of ours, in
this especially hurrying, competitive straggle for supremacy
in which we Americans live—who can grasp even one of
the Sciences, in all its multiplicity of detail, and turn its
theoretical deductions into the hard dollars and cents of
'practical results ?
The outline—the ground work—we can and should ac-quire,
but only the specialist can learn to analyze a seed, a
plant, a fertilizer or a soil ; only he can forecast the storm
with certainty, or reveal to us the economic value of the
rocks and marls and minerals which our country holds as a
sealed book in her keeping, where only geology can read
4
the page and, translating, give us a glimpse of the connected
beauty of the story.
Therefore, have the needs of the farmer called forth some
of the noblest intellects of every age—men who gave their
time and money and painstaking labor to the solution of
some of the problems, which most affect the farm and the
farmer.
As, in the busy community of the hive, that one upon
whom the perpetuation of the species depends—the queen—
is protected and fed and jealously guarded by the faithful
subjects:—so has the farmer oftentimes received the life-long
services of scientific, thinking men, who deemed it an
honor to lavish of their wealth or give of their time to the
solution of problems, pregnant with momentous conse-quences
to that industry which nourishes us all and by
whose will we live. The world is ready enough to praise
the men who have thus labored ; the labors of men now
gone or still at their posts of honor are not likely to be for-gotten.
With private enterprise and self-sacrificing science, push-ing
on in their investigation of the problems of Agricul-ture,
official Government action could not long remain
wanting ; or if it did, its place was filled for the time being
by well organized, powerful Agricultural Associations. The
farmers, though last of all the trades or professions to band
together for mutual protection, have shown their power
wherever such organization has been effected.
What has not the Royal Agricultural Society of England
done for that favored nation? What a mighty influence did
the " Physiocrats " or agricultural adherents of Dr. Francis
Quesney, exert in the French Constitutional Convention of
1790? while the " Granger movement," of but yesterday, in
our nation's history, is fresh in our minds. Before its steady
march State governments fell from the hands of unprinci-pled
men, and arose reclothed with proper dignity. Tre-mendous
monopolies, with their enormous money power,
were compelled to lift their iron heel from the neck of agri-
culture, and even railroads began to study the interest of
the public and allow the farmers to settle the schedule of
freight rates.
The farmer is not an aggressive man ; but when he leaves
the field for a time and devotes himself to the welfare of
his State or country, or rises to put down abuse in his
government or to obtain proper recognition for his service
to the State, he " means business."
No wonder then that Empires and Kingdoms and States
have legislated in favor of the farmer ; rather wonder
that so little has been done by Governments to foster that
industry which, above all others, fosters Governments.
Legislation for the farming classes has been of various
kinds. In this country, we are familiar with the workings
of our Agricultural Colleges and our National and State
Departments of Agriculture. So in Europe, the broader
education of the farmers' sons and Agricultural Bureaus for
the collection and dissemination of useful reports and sta-tistics,
have had their part in the important work.
At the present it is my intention to follow briefly, the
course of but one result of agricultural legislation—Experi-ment
Stations—rather than give a more comprehensive re-view
of the whole field.
Although the private experiments of Lawes and Gilbert,
at Rothamstead, England, were commenced in 1843, and
although the work done by them ranks with the highest,
yet the experiment farm at Rothamstead cannot be consid-ered
here, as I wish to confine myself to stations supported
by State or Government aid.
Germany then will bear off the palm, the first Govern-ment
Station having been founded in 1851, in Saxony.
Thence the good work spread, until up to to-day there have
been founded in
Germany 75 Experiment Stations.
Austria 16
Italy 10
Sweden 6 Experiment Stations.
Russia 3 a a
France 3 a a
Switzerland 3 a it
Belgium 2 u a
United States 2 it it
Holland 1 a it
Denmark 1 a u
Scotland 1 a a
Spain 1 a it
These figures alone show us that, whatever may be the
opinion we hold as to the value of such Stations, Germany,,
where the idea first took shape, has not only kept up her
first Station, but increased the number up to seventy-five (75) t
Let us look now at the work of the Stations.
A glance at the map, with the names before us, will show
that Germany has judiciously distributed her seventy-five
Experiment Stations over her whole area. The special
work done at each is, therefore, influenced by the especial
needs of its locality.
The various duties of these (European) stations, I will
now give. I will write them in the order of their relative
importance, as shown by the number of stations which are
devoted principally to each.
I.
The control of the trade in commercial fertilizers.
IL
The control of the sale of seeds.
III.
The control of the sale of feeding stuffs.
IV.
Experiments on the cultivation of various plants and
crops, and experiments with manuring.
V.
Chemical and technical investigations.
VI.
Investigations of animals in health and disease, and feed-ing
experiments.
VII.
Physiological examination of plants.
VIII.
Examination and investigation of soils.
IX.
Examination of wines and experiments with the vine.
X.
Study of the diseases of plants, and ravages of insects.
XL
Examination of milk and milch kine.
XII.
Propagation and preservation of forests.
XIII.
Cultivation and improvement of fruits.
XIV.
Experiments in reclaiming and cultivation of swanps,
moors and barrens.
JSbrth Carolina State Library
Raleigh
8
XV.
Silk culture.
XVI.
Manufactures relating to agriculture.
XVII.
Experiments relating to the sugar industry. .
XVIII.
Experiments on fermentation and the manufacture of
spirits.
i
XIX.
Examination of and experiments with beer.
XX.
Culture of the olive (at Rome.)
These are the chief points in the work of the European
Experiment Stations. Of course, few confine themselves
entirely to any one series or kind of investigation, while
new investigations are constantly begun, as suggested at
any particular season or by any peculiar need.
The income of the European Stations is from one or all
of three sources, viz :
Government appropriations, fees for certain analyses for
private parties, donations from Agricultural Societies, &c.
The expenses range from about $11,000 per annum down-wards.
No wonder Germany is cultivated like a vast garden, with
such incentives and such protection and aid as her seventy-five
Experiment Stations afford.
Turning to our own country, we find but two (2) State
Experiment Stations, one in Connecticut and one in North
Carolina. The former was organized in 1875, and located
9
at New Haven. The success of this Station was assured
from the start by the hearty co-operation of the farmers of
the State. The work has been divided between fertilizer
analysis, seed testing, analysis of feeding stuffs and answers
to correspondents.
In 1869 a meeting of farmers was held in Frankfort, Ger-many,
and passed a resolution which resulted in the estab-lishment
of an Experiment Station at Darmstadt. This
resolution expresses so clearly the relative importance of
the needs of the farmer, and hence the relative importance
of the work of an Experiment Station, and what such a
Station is, that I cannot refrain from translating it here :
—
" Resolved, That we respectfully request the establishment
of a Station which first above all things shall exercise a real,
practical control over the sale of manures, over the sale of feeding
stuffs and the sale of seeds : At the same time the Station shall be
a place to which all agriculturists may direct their questions, and
receive explanations and advice on all subjects which come up in
their daily experience in the field; where they can obtain counsel,
and be guided by the light and the results of the most recent achieve-ments
of science. This Station shall also institute any prac-tical
experiments which may be necessary to solve questions
of general agricultural interest and value."
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATION.
The history of the forces which brought about the estab-lishment
of the Experiment Station at Chapel Hill are well
known in North Carolina ; they are those which established
the Department of Agriculture. The law creating a " De-partment
of Agriculture, Immigration and Statistics, and
for the Encouragement of Sheep Husbandry," contains the
following provisions
:
Sec. 7, (9). The Board are especially charged with the en-forcement
and supervision of the laws and regulations which
10
are, or may be, enacted in this State for the sale of commer-cial
fertilizers and seeds.
Sec. 8. That no manipulated guano, superphosphate, or
other commercial fertilizer, shall be sold, or offered for sale
in this State, until the manufacturer, or person importing
the same, shall first obtain a license therefor, from the Treas-urer
of the State, for which he shall pay a privilege tax of
five hundred dollars per annum for each separate brand or
quality, (and he shall also pay a tax of fifty cents per ton for
every ton sold.*) Any person, corporation, or company, who
shall violate the provisions of this act, or who shall sell or
offer for sale any such fertilizer, contrary to the provisions
above set forth, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon
conviction, shall be fined and imprisoned at the discretion
of the court.
Sec. 9. And every bag, barrel, or other package of such
fertilizer as above designated, offered for sale in this State,
shall have thereon a plainly printed label or stamp, which
shall truly set forth the name, location and trade-mark of
the manufacturer, also the chemical composition of the con-tents
of such package, and the real per centage of any of
the following ingredients asserted to be present, to-wit:
soluble and precipitated phosphoric acid, potassa, am-monia—
or its equivalent in nitrogen, together with the date
of its analization, and that the privilege tax provided for in
section eight has been paid ; and any such fertilizer as shall
be ascertained by analysis not to contain the ingredients
and per centage set forth as above provided, shall be liable
to seizure and condemnation, and when condemned shall
be sold by the Board of Agriculture for the exclusive use
and benefit of the Department of Agriculture. Any mer-chant,
trader, manufacturer, or agent, who shall sell, or offer
for sale, any commercial fertilizer without having such labels
and stamps as hereinbefore provided attached thereto, shall
be liable to a fine of ten dollars for each separate bag or
*This clause was repealed March, 1879.
11
barrel or package sold or offered for sale, to be sued for be-fore
any Justice of the Peace, and to be collected by the
sheriff, by distress or otherwise, one-half less the cost to go
to the party suing, and the remaining half to the Depart-ment;
and if any such fertilizer shall be condemned as
herein provided, it shall be the dut}^ of the Department to
have an analysis made of the same, and cause printed tags
or labels expressing the true chemical ingredients of the
same put upon each bag or barrel or package, and shall fix
the commercial value thereof, at which it may be sold.
And any person who shall sell, or offer for sale any such
fertilizer, in violation of the provisions of this section, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Sec. 10. The Department of Agriculture shall have power
and authority, at all times, to have collected samples of any
commercial fertilizers offered for sale in this State, and have
the same analyzed ; and such samples shall be taken from
at least ten per cent, of the lot from which they may be
selected.
Sec. 11. It shall be lawful for the Department of Agricul-ture
to require the officers, agents, or managers of any rail-road
or steamboat company transporting fertilizers in this
State, to furnish monthly statements of the quantity of fer-tilizers,
with the name of the consignor or consignee, deliv-ered
on their respective lines, at any and all points within
this State. And said Department is hereby empowered to
compel said officers, agents, or managers, to submit their
books for examination, if found expedient ; and any such
agents, officers or managers failing or refusing to comply,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
Sec. 12. The Department of Agriculture shall establish,
in connection with the Chemical Laboratory of the Univer-sity
at Chapel Hill, an Agricultural Experiment and Fer-tilizer
Control Station ; and the Board of Trustees of the Uni-versity,*
with the approval of the Department of Agriculture,
shall employ an Analyst skilled in agricultural chemistry.
*See amendments, page 14.
12
It shall be the duty of said chemist to analyze such fer-tilizers
and products as may be required by the Department
of Agriculture, and to aid so far as practicable in suppress-ing
fraud in the sale of commercial fertilizers.
He shall also, under the direction of said Department,
carry on experiments on the nutrition and growth of plants,
with a view to ascertain what fertilizers are best suited to
the various crops of this State, and whether other crops
may not be advantageously grown on its soils, and shall
carry on such other investigations as the said Department
may direct.
He shall make regular reports to the said Department of
all analyses and experiments made, which shall be furnished
when deemed useful to such newspapers as will publish the
same. * * * *
Sec. 13. The Geological survey is hereby made and con-stituted
a co-operative department with the Department of
Agriculture, and the Geological Museum and the collections
therein, shall, at all times, be accessible to the said Depart-ment.
The Geologist shall, as far as practicable, prepare
illustrations of the agricultural industries, products and re-sources
of the State, and arrange and care for such collec-tions
as the said Department may make for this purpose.
He shall also prepare abstracts of the Survey, from time to
time, as may be required for the use of the Department, in
their hand book, and circulars for publication, in illustra-tion
of the advantages of this State, and in promotion of
. the general purposes of immigration. In return for such
service the State Geologist may have all his samples of marls, soils,
minerals, and other products, analyzed by the chemist, at the Lab-oratory
of the Experiment Station, free of charge.
Sec. 19. Every person, firm or corporation, who shall sell
or offer for sale any commercial fertilizer of whatever nature,
shall give in, under oath, to the Register of Deeds of his
county, on the first Monday of January, April, July and Oc-tober
of each year, the number of tons of such fertilizer, he
or they may have sold, for himself on commission, or as
13
agent, during the preceding quarter, subject to the provis
ions, pains and penalties contained in schedule B of the
Eevenue Laws of the year one thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven, (for which he shall pay a privilege tax of
fifty cents per ton, to be collected by the sheriff :j* Provided,
That no person shall be liable to such tax on fertilizers pur-chased
from another person, on which this tax has already
been paid : And provided further, That no dealer or agent
shall be required to pay the purchase tax as imposed in
schedule B of the Revenue Act.
Sec. 20. Any farmer, trader or other person who shall
haul or bring into this State any commercial fertilizer, in
violation or evasion of section 8 of this act, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined
not less than ten dollars or imprisoned for not more than
thirt}7 days for each offence ; and any farmer or other person
who may buy without the State any commercial fertilizer
on which the privilege tax of five hundred dollars, as pro-vided
in section 8 of this act, has been paid, shall be required
to report all such purchases to the Register of Deeds for his
county, and pay the privilege tax of fifty cents per ton, as
required of dealers, or be subject to the same pains and pen-alties
as herein imposed upon dealers in fertilizers : Provided,
That no county, town or other corporation shall be allowed
to tax any of the privileges or subjects herein taxed by the
State : [Provided, That the provisions of this section and sec-tion
17 of this act shall not apply to any of the counties in
this State west of the Blue Ridge.)f
Sec. 21. It is hereby made the duty of the said Depart-ment
of Agriculture to receive from any manufacturer or
de&ler in fertilizers any specimen quantities, not less than a
fourth of a ton, contributed by such party, and have the
same sent to different sections of the State for actual experi-ment
by practical farmers ; and the person so experimenting
shall be required to make a careful report of the results,
*This clause repealed.
fRepealed.
14
which shall be registered in the office of said Department,
and a certified copy of the same shall be transmitted to the
contributor.
AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE, IMMIGRATION AND STATISTICS, AND FOR THE
ENCOURAGEMENT OF SHEEP HUSBANDRY, RATIFIED MARCH
12TH, 1877.
\
Sec. 2. Section 12, (twelve) of said act shall be amended
by interchanging in the last clause of the first paragraph
the words, " Board of Trustees of the University," and the
words, " Department of Agriculture."
Sec. 4. Sections 19 and 20, (nineteen and twenty) are
hereby repealed : and it shall be the duty of the Treasurer,
on the certificate of the Auditor, to return to the sheriffs who
have paid into the treasury the tax of fifty cents a ton, col-lected
under said sections, the amount of such payment to
be repaid by such sheriffs to the parties from whom they
collected the same.
The General Assembly of 1879 passed on March 14th,
" AN ACT SUPPLEMENTAL TO AN ACT CREATING A STATE BOARD
of Health." Section 14 of that act is as follows :
When the county superintendent of health shall, in the
course of his investigation required at coroner's inquest,
think it necessary to subserve the ends of justice that a
chemical analysis of the viscera or fluids of the body be made,
he shall carefully pack up and seal the suspected article in
a proper receptacle in the presence of a witness and forward
it to the chemist of the Agricultural Station for analysis.
(Such analysis shall be made free of charge, and be returned
to the coroner of the county, such analysis having prece-dence
over other matters of investigation not of a similar
character, then in the laboratory of the chemist.) Analysis
for purposes connected with the hygienic duties of the super-intendent
of health shall in like manner be made by the
said chemist, upon requisition signed and approved by the
15
secretary of the State board of health. Such analysis will
include soil, drinking water, articles of food, air, &c, to be
packed for transmission by direction of the chemist of the
Agricultural Station.
It will be seen from these extracts that the law requires
of the Station analyses for the Department of Agriculture
proper, analyses for the Geological Survey, analyses for the
State Board of Health, and analyses in cases of suspected
poisoning. The Board of Agriculture, moreover, has the
power to order any work begun or discontinued, to order
investigations of any character or experiments in any di-rection
which they deem necessary.
Thus it will be seen that to carry out the requirements of
the law, to meet the expectations of the people of the State,
hard work must be done in more than one direction ; and
I can safely affirm that of no one Experiment Station in
Europe, or State Chemist's laboratory in America, is so much
and such varied work required. Nowhere is there offered
a broader field for labor.
The Experiment Station is still in its infancy and the
following pages will show, in many cases, what has been
done in getting ready for work in all departments.
16
HISTORY OF THE STATION.
In accordance with the requirements of the law creating
a " Department of Agriculture, Immigration and Statistics,
and for the Encouragement of Sheep Husbandry," Gov. Z.
B. Vance, K. P. Battle, L.L. D., President of the State Uni-versity,
Col. T. M. Holt, President of the State Agricultural
Society, Prof. W. C. Kerr, State Geologist, and Capt. S. B.
Alexander, Master State Grange Patrons of Husbandry, met
in the city of Raleigh on March 12th, 1877, and completed
the organization of the Board of Agriculture by the elec-tion
of two prominent practical agriculturists, Capt. James
R. Thigpen, of Edgecombe, and Maj. Jonathan Evans, of
Cumberland, as additional members of that body. The
Board thus constituted, elected a Commissioner, Secretary
and Chemist.
Arriving in Chapel Hill, where the Experiment Station
was located by sec. 12 of the law, I entered into my duties
as Chemist on April 19th, 1877.
I first made an examination into the facilities afforded by
the University laboratory. I was given a table in the quan-titative
analysis room among the students, and gas, water,
balances, reagents, bottles and some apparatus were placed
at my disposal. Although the equipment of the laboratory
was sufficient to enable a student to acquire a general
knowledge of chemical analysis, yet my especial work re-quired
special apparatus and reagents. Moreover, it was
necessary that no one else should use the reagents employed
by me. In analyses, to whose accuracy a Chemist must be
able to testify, it is absolutely necessary that no one else
should use his apparatus and reagents. On this account the
Board of Agriculture authorized me to purchase such chemi-cals
and apparatus as were necessary to begin prosecuting
fertilizer and other analyses at once. While waiting for the
17
supplies to arrive, I prepared a circular on "the "Analysis
and Valuation of Fertilizers," explaining, as simply as pos-sible,
what was meant by "Analysis," and how commercial
values are deduced from analyses. This pamphlet was cir-culated
as widely as possible, and awakened considerable
discussion in the papers, and among farmers and others.
The system of collecting samples of fertilizers, now used,,
was arranged by the Commissioner of Agriculture and has
continued to work satisfactorily.
With the new apparatus and reagents, early in June 1877,
I completed and published the analyses and valuations of
twenty-three of the twenty-nine brands then sold in the
State. This publication created a great stir among manu-facturers
and farmers. Several prominent men, in the
trade, gladly hailed the control as relieving them from com-petion
with "frauds and deceivers;" but one company made
any serious opposition.
During the Summer I purchased, in person in New York
city, additional apparatus and chemicals.
The farmers of the State soon found out that the Station
had been established and began to ask questions, by letter,
on all conceivable subjects relating to agriculture and agri-cultural
chemistry.
Letters were written during the Summer, for the State
papers, giving directions for making vinegar, for utilizing
bones, for making " home fertilizers," &c, &c. .
In August 1877 the laboratory work was recommenced.
Fertilizers were analyzed to the number of fifteen, and the
results published in September.
In view of the large number of analyses which were re-quired
by the law creating the Department, and desiring to-make
the Station as useful as possible, the Board of Agri-culture
allowed me to employ Mr. W. B. Phillips, of Chapel.
Hill, as an assistant chemist. Mr. Phillips is a graduate of
the University of North Carolina, class of 1877, having,
North Carolina State Librar7
Raleigh
18
taken the chemical course and was the recipient of the first
prize for proficiency in chemistry.
With this aid sugar beet analyses were next undertaken—
the samples (twenty-one in number) representing ten coun-ties.
The result of the analyses were published in a pam-phlet
of fifty pages, entitled " The Sugar Beet in North Car-olina."
During the Winter our time was occupied with analyses
for the Geological Survey—consisting of soils, marls, min-eral
waters, &c; with a few fertilizer analyses ; with the ex-amination
of the Savannah lands of Harnett and Columbus
counties, &c, &c. The. results of the investigation were
published from time to time.J
In February, 1878, the analyses of commercial fertilizers
were recommenced and the results published as fast as ob-tained.
A number of samples of marls and several mineral waters
were analyzed during the Spring.
Up to April 19th, 1878, when the first year of the Station
ended, there had been made one hundred and thirty-two
analyses, as follows:
Seventy analyses of fertilizers.
Twenty-two " of sugar beets.
Ten " of soils.
Six " of marls.
Five " of mineral waters.
Ten " of miscellaneous.
Duplicates are not included.
The correspondence of the Station had, in the mean time
increased so rapidly that fully one-half of my time was
taken up in answering letters, and laboratory work necesa-rily
went very slowly. I therefore obtained, with the sanc-tion
of the Board of Agriculture, the services of Mr. J. C-Taylor,
who has not only a knowledge of chemistry, being
JThese investigations and«reports will be found further on in detail.
19
a graduate in the Scientific Course of the University of N.
C, Class of '77, but could write rapidly in short hand from
dictation. I was thus enabled to work in the laboratory and
keep up my correspondence at the same time.
During the Spring a series of field experiments was begun
with " Popplein's Silicated Phosphate," the results of which
have been published in a phamplet entitled " Sillica vs. Am-monia."
In June 1878 the fourth lot of analyses of fertilizers were
all finished, being forty-two in number. These were col_
lected and published in pamphlet form.
The Board of Agriculture having decided that the Sta-tion
should endeavor to exercise a control over the chemi-cals
used in composting, and over seeds, and having allowed
me to employ an additional assistant, I secured the services
of Mr. Geo. Warnecke, of Germany. Mr. Warnecke has
devoted himself for eight years to the study of chemistry,
making specialties of seed testing, organic and agricultural
analyses. Mr. W. came to Chapel Hill from the Connecticut
Experiment Station, where he had been for two years. We
thus began work in September 1878 fully equipped as an
Experiment Station.
The Trustees of the University, at this time, set apart three
large rooms, with smaller rooms adjoining, for the exclusive
use of the Station. The main room being supplied with
tables, gas and water.
The Station was thus enabled, thanks to the liberality of
the Board of Agriculture, to offer to the farmers of the
Stale complete and free protection ayainst frauds in commercal
fertilizers, chemicals and seeds, if they would cnly avail them-selves
of it; to make free analyses of ores, soils, marls, mineral
and mineral ivaters through the Geological survey; to
investigate subjects of agricultural interest, and to furnish a
place where every farmer could send for solution questions
and problems which met him in following his calling, and
20
which needed chemical or other scientific knowledge to
answer and solve.
The analyses of sugar beets for 1878 first occupied our
attention, while intervals in the work were filled up with
analyses of the cow pea (vines and peas), an investigation
into the relative fertilizing properties of the long-leaf and
short-leaf pine straw, &c, &c. The regular work of the
Geological Survey went on, during the Fall and Winter,
consisting of analyses of limestones,. marls, minerals, ores,
waters, soils, coal, &c, &c. With the concurrence of Gov-ernor
Vance, the State Geologist sent to the Station an assay
furnace, the property of the Survey, with which we have
made a number of assays of gold and other ores. Early in
November, samples of chemicals began to come in—such as
nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, &c, &c.* These
chemicals have, as a rule, been of good quality ; but our
analyses have been the means of exposing one or two very
palpable frauds, as will be seen further on. In the Spring,
samples of seeds began coming in, and have not yet ceased.
Some of them were good, others bad.f
The publications of the Station number about two hun-dred
pages, all told—-exclusive of the present report—and
consist of reports, circulars, directions for composting, &c,
&c. They have all met with appreciative attention on the
part of the farmers of the State.
I think nothing shows more clearly the interest taken in
our work than the number of letters addressed to the Sta-tion.
The number of analyses made during the second year,
ending with April, 1879, is two hundred and thirty-two.
The total number for the two years and two months ending-to-
day (June 7th), is three hundred and seventy-eight.
These are distributed as follows:
*See "Chemicals."
fSee " Seed Tests."
21
Commercial Fertilizers, 150
Sugar Beets, 62
Chemicals used in composting, 31
Marls, 27
Minerals and Ores, . 24
Mineral and other Waters, 21
Soils, 21
Seed Tests, 16
Cow Peas, 2
Cow Pea Vines, 1
Candy (adulterated), 2
Pine Straw, . 2
Herring Refuse (from fisheries),... 1
Slag, 1
Blue Mud (from Edgecombe), 1
Vitative Compound, 1
Coal, 1
Soap, 1
Alloy, 1
Boiler Incrustation, 1
Bat Guano,. 1
Limestone, 1
Clay, 1
Fennel, 1
Adulterated Drug (magnesia), 1
Chemical examinations to detect evidence of "Nephretis"
or other organic disease, 1
Buttermilk (supposed to have poisoned a family), 1
Examination of method of improving South Carolina
phosphate marl, . 1
Experiments on removing coating, or outer skin, of the
long gray moss, 2
Experiment to determine how the odor can be removed
from goods bleached by burning sulphur, without
wetting the goods, 1
Total number of analyses and investigations...... 378
22
The details of these analyses have been published in part.
Those of public interest will be found under their proper
heads in the body of this report.
THE EXPENSES OF THE STATION.
As shown by the law, the Department of Agricul-ture
is supported by a license tax paid by manufac-turers
of fertilizers. The average income of the Depart-ment
from this source since its establishment has been about
$15,000 per annum. Of this sum the Board of Agriculture
appropriated for the Experiment Station during the two
years ending with April 15, 1879, the sum of $7,670.62, as
follows
:
A. R. Ledoux, Director, 2 yrs. at $2,000,... $4,000 00
"W. B. Phillips, Assistant,.... 849 83
Geo. Warnecke, " 562 50
J.C.Taylor, " 210 00
Total salaries for two years, $5,622 33
Apparatus and Reagents
—
From April 12th, 1877, to April 15th,
1878, $ 706 07
From April 15th, 1878, to April 15th,
1879, 652 93
Total for Apparatus and Reagents for two years,... 1,359 00
INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.
Stamps, Express, Charges on Samples, Repairs, Sec., &c.
From April 19th, 1877, to April 15th,
1878, $ 154 62
From April 15th, 1878," to April 15th,
1879, 244 67
23
Total Incidental Expenses for two years,. 399 29
SPECIAL APPROPRIATION.
Amanuenses, 75 02
Books, periodicals, &c, 24 98
Total, 100 00
Printing and stationery, 190 00
Total Expenses of Station for two years, $7,670 62
Average Expenses of Station per year $3,835 31
RELATION OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION TO THE UNIVERSITY
OF NORTH CAROLINA.
This is clearly defined in the law as amended.
The Director of the Station is elected by the Board of Ag-riculture
and approved by the Trustees of the University.
He is, however, not charged with any duties connected with
the instruction or government of the University, but simply
does his work in one of the college laboratories. The officers
of the Station are always glad to see visitors who desire to
learn of its workings, and especially welcome the students
of chemistry, and are always glad to explain to them any
points in agricultural anatyses, describe the workings of
any of the apparatus used, or to aid in any manner in ad-vancing
the cause of education in the University and in the
State at large. The students have shown much interest,
and on one or two occasions they have been addressed by
the Director on the work of the Experiment Station and on
the Methods of Agricultural Analysis.
24
DETAILED REPORT.
Having given an outline of the work of the Experiment
Station, it now remains to present such details as are of
general interest and importance.
SEED EXAMINATIONS.
The subject of seed investigation is rapidly attracting the
attention of farmers in Europe and America, and interest is
being awakened which has resulted already in building up
an entirely new branch of scientific investigation. Foremost
in this field of research stands Dr. Friedrich Nobbe, Profes"
sor in the Royal Academy of Agriculture and Director of
the Experiment Station of Tharand, Saxony. To him we
owe the directions and methods of examination which have
been adopted at the North Carolina Station, at the Connec-ticut
Station, and in a large number of European institu-tions
of similar aim.
In ordering that this work should be taken up by our
Station, the Board of Agriculture have shown their desire to
keep pace with the demands of modern agriculture, and to
give the people of North Carolina every aid and incentive
to improved farming, that science can suggest.
The very first essential to the successful cultivation of any
crop is that the seed should be genuine, that it should be
free from the admixture of other seeds—especially those of
weeds—and that it should be capable of germinating
(sprouting). No one who has not studied the subject would
imagine the need that these points be determined by careful
examination. Every farmer thinks he can decide for him-self
whether the seed meets the first of above mentioned re-quirements—
whether it is what it is represented to be—but
he will often be badly deceived.
The most common mode of deception in this direction is
to sell one kind of grass seed for another. Thus in Con-necticut
the familiar Agrostis vulgaris has been gathered be-fore
perfectly ripe and sold as " Blue Top " grass at $2.00 a
25
t
<b
bushel ; while later the same seed was sold at $1.00 per
bushel as ordinary " Red Top/'* Again, it is common to
find clover seeds, for example, a mixture of two or more
varieties, but sold as * red-clover." Again quantities of the
flowers or chaff of different grasses are found in many
samples from which the seed has been entirely removed, but
no one would know it without a special examination. For
example, in the accompanying cut, Fig. 1, we have a sample
of Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata.) The seed and flower
given in natural size, (a), are rarely, in
commerce, separated, but the seed is en-tirely
concealed by the flower ; so that
were the seed entirely gone the flowers
might still be sold as Orchard grass
seed and no one be the wiser until the
time arrived for the grass to appear
(b) shows the seed and flower magnified.
There are factories in Europe, notably
h ™ at Prague and at Hamburg, where seed
Fig. 1. are manufactured out of quartz. The
quartz is ground and sieved and stained with various dyes
to imitate almost exactly in size and color almost any kind
of seed, especially clover. These artificial seeds are sold to
seed dealers in England (and possibly America) at $3.50 per
cwt. As much as 15 tons have been purchased at one time
by an agent of an English house ! Specimens of these
colored stones are among the collection of the Station and
the most practiced eye would fail to detect a sample of clover
seed adulterated 25 per cent, with the artificial article.
The first care when a sample of seed comes to the Station
is to see if it is really what it is sold to be. If not, what
per cent, of the real seeds are present.
Having determined the character of the seeds, the second
Note.—The cuts illustrating this article were made by Mr. T. C. Harris,
of Raleigh, from drawings made from nature by Mr. J. C. Taylor, of the
Experiment Station.
* See Report of Ct. Experiment Station, 1878, p 47.
26
step is to determine what are the impurities present in the
sample. These are usually dirt, chaff, and the seeds of
other plants or weeds.
Dr. Nobbe has shown the farmers of Europe that much
of the seed they buy, instead of being grown with proper
precaution, is gathered by women and children in old fields,
along the highways, in the woods or anywhere else. The
dealers buy these collections and sell again to England,
Germany, France and Austria. Dr. Nobbe found on exam-ining
these commodities that they contained over 41 per
cent, of impurities on an average, these impurities being
oftentimes the seeds of worthless grasses, poisonous plants
and weeds. One sample of the orchard grass (Dactylis glom-erata)
contained the seeds of 39 other species, mostly weeds.
To identify seeds sent to the Station, and to detect and
name the seeds of weeds, &c, which the sample may con-tain,
the Station has secured from Dr. P. Hennings of the
Botanical Institute of the University of Kiel, Germany, a
collection of 800 specimens of seeds of grasses, grains, weeds,
&c. Mr. Geo. Warnecke and Pres. Battle have also donated
a large number of seeds to the Station, so that our collec-tion
numbers nearly 1,000 samples, making one of the largest
seed collections in this country. These specimens are ar-ranged
in small glass tubes, labeled with the botanical and
common name of each, and are arranged in order in a
handsome case. With this collection
iEI **ai
we can identify nearly all seeds sent
(Q to the Station to be named, or found
J*T 6S J8 as imPurn^ies in samples sent to be
1S& Fig. 2 shows a sample of pure red
^W clover seed (Trifolum pratense) mag-nified.
Fig. 2.
27
Fig. 3 shows a sample of red clover
seed (Trifolium prepense) magnified, with
the impurities as received at the Sta-tion.
These impurities were plantain,
knotiveed, sorrel, bedstraw, &c.
Fig. 3.
Fig 4 shows a sample of Buckwheat
{Polygonum fagopyrum) with impurities
.
These impurities were mostly goose-grass,
wild water pepper, knotweed, and
morning glory.
The third and most important inves-tigation
to which every sample of seed W
sent to the Station is subjected, is a test
of its germinating power. Impurities Fig. 4.
may be detected with the eye, but seed which have lost their
power of sprouting—of re-producing their species— areoften
not to be distinguished by the eye, even when assisted by a
microscope, from perfectly sound seeds. We find in the
older agricultural works tkat "seeds of flax and hemp re-main
good for four years, wheat for three years, rye, clover,
corn, (maize) timothy, oats and barley but two years." Later
researches have shown that no fixed rules can be given.
Much depends upon the temperature, the moisture and the
character of the place where the seed was stored. Thus we
hear of millet seeds that had lain in the hand of a mummy in
the dry vaults of Thebes in Egypt for over 2000 years, which
sprouted at once on planting, and yie]ded a thrifty plant,
while samples of millet seeds but two years old have been
examined 'at the Station and found nearly all worthless.
Many causes may render seeds either entirely incapable of
germinating or of producing strong healthy plants. These
causes are natural or artificial. The natural causes have
been alluded to already; they are age, location, climate, &c.
28
The artificial causes are such as are produced by man for
the purpose of deception. Clover seeds which have started
to mould or to sprout prematurely are sometimes heated till
the fungus is destroyed—and the seed killed. A few years
ago there was a loud call by our " Senators and Represen-tatives
in Congress assembled " for tomato seed. The Com-missioner
of Agriculture, then in office, made a contract
with a Baltimore house to furnish the seed at short notice.
They came, were sent through the land, but not one came up.
An " investigation " ensued, when it was found that the seed
were obtained from a factory where canned tomatoes were
put up and had all been cooked. A test in advance would
have discovered the fraud, and saved the National Depart-ment
of Agriculture a good deal of unpleasant ridicule.
The plan of proceeding in seed-testing can best be ex-plained
in a general outline. In the first place, it is essen-tial
that the sample, sent shall be a fair one—fairly repre-senting
the lot from which it was taken. The sample being
received, it is thoroughly mixed and a certain quantity
weighed out. The investigator, seated at a table, with the
weighed portion before him, separates the pure seeds from
the impurities, and then weighs the former. Next, by
means of the microscope and our seed collection, the name
and character of the pure seed, and of any foreign seeds
present, are determined and noted down. Four hundred
seeds are then counted out, one by one. They are divided
into equal portions of 200 each and soaked in water until
they cease to swell. One portion is then placed in a
" Nobbe's Sprouting Apparatus," and the other (which serves
as a check, being a duplicate) is placed within several folds
of bibulous paper.
The conditions of moisture, temperature, access of air, &c.}
which experience has found best suited to a successful ex-periment,
are carefully preserved. The apparatus and paper
are examined each day, and all seed removed which have
sprouted. At the end of from ten to fifteen days the experi-ment
is discontinued ; the seeds still remaining in the ap-
29
paratus are examined, and a certain allowance is made, in
reporting the result, for those which still seem hard and
sound, but have not germinated.
The above outline serves well enough to illustrate the
general mode of proceeding ; but in some cases various de-vices
have to be resorted to—such as conducting the test in
moist sand, &c, &c.
The first three of the following tests are given in detail to
illustrate the method of proceeding :
SEED EXAMINATIONS, 1879.
Station No. 279. March 7th, 1879.
Sample of seed sent to the Station to be tested, by Leak, Everett & Co.
,
Rockingham, 1ST. C.
:
Examination showed sample to be Millet (Panicum miliaceum.)
Sprouting Experiment—Began Feb. 21st.
Sprouting Apparatus, (200 pure seed taken,)
March 1st, sprouted seed taken out, 23
" 7th, " " " " 11
44 " hard seed in Apparatus, 149; -*-3= 50
Seed capable of germinating, 84
Pure " " " •« .......42 per cent.
Check.
Filter paper, (200 pure seed taken.)
March 1st, sprouted seed taken out, 13
7th, " " " " ..10
" " hard seed in filter paper 158; -i-3= 53
Seed capable of germinating, 76
Pure " " " "
38 per cent.
Average 40 per cent.
Station No. 280. February 22nd, 1879.
Sample of seed sent to the Station to be tested, by S. M. Stone, Wake
Forest, N. C, and marked " Clover seed." Said to be seven years old.
Examination showed sample to be White Clover, ('
' Trifolium repens") It
contained
:
Pure seeds, 97 per cent, by weight.
Impurities, 3 per cent, by weight.
100
o
Sprouting Experiment
200 pure seed taken—begun Feb 7 th, 1879.
February 16th, sprouted seed taken out, 3
21st, " " " " 3
" 22nd, hard " remaining in apparatus,
Seed capable of germinating, 6
Pure " " " " 3 per cent.
Station No. 281.
Sample of seer1 sent to the Station to be tested, by S. M. Barbee, Jr.,
and marked " Old Clover Seed."
Examination showed sample to be Red Clover, (Trifolium pratense.)
Pure seed, 90.6 per cent, by weight.
Impurities, ........... 9.4 per cent by weight.
100.00
Sprouting Experiment—Begun March 16th.
Sprouting Apparatus (200 pure seed taken.)
March 23rd, sprouted seed taken out, 109
" 24th, " " " " 19
" 26th, " " " " ' 15
" 26th, hard seed in apparatus 8; -j-3== 3
Seed capable of germinating, 146
Pure " " " " 78 pp. cent.
Check.
Filter paper (200 pure seed taken.)
March 23rd, sprouted seed taken out, ...119
" 24th, " " " ** 25
" 26th, «« " " " 4
" " hard seed in filter paper 3; -4-3= 1
Seed capable of germinating, 149
Pure " " " " ..74. 5 percent.
^ Average 73.75 per cent.
Station No. 282. March 26th, 1879.
Orchard Grass {Dactylis glomerata), sent to Station by S. M. Barbee, Jr.,
Chapel Hill.
Pure Seed, 91.4 per ct. by weight.
Impurities, ... 8.6 " '*
100.0
Pure seed capable of germinating 85.25 per cent.
31
Station No. 283. March 26th, 1879.
Timothy {Phleum pratense), sent to Station by S. M. Barbee, Jr. , Chapel
Hill.
Pure Seed, 67.4 per ct. by weight.
Impurities,.... 32.6
100.0
Pure seed capable of germinating 62.50 per cent.
Station No. 284. March 26th, 1879.
New Clover Seed {Trifolium pratense), bought of Buist, Phi] a.; sent to
Station by S. M. Barbee, Jr.
Pure Seed, 94.1 per ct. by weight.
Impurities, 5.9 " "
100.0
Pure seed capable of germinating 78 per cent.
Station No. 294. March 7th, 1879.
Cabbage Seed (Brassica oleracea, var. capitata), sent to Station by A . G.
Corpening, Fonta Flora, N. C.
Impurities,.... None.
Pure seed capable of germinating 100 per cent.
Station 297. March 18th, 1879.
Clover Seed, bought of Peter Henderson, N. Y. ; sent to Station by Rev.
J. W. Primrose, Manson, N. C.
Examination showed sample to be a mixture of two kinds of clover,
viz ;
Red Clover {Trifolium pratense), 87 per cent.
Swedish Clover {Trifolium hybridum), < 13 "
100
Pure Seed, , 97.5 per ct. by weight.
Impurities, 2.5 " "
100.0
Pure seed capable of germinating 93 per cent.
Station No. 299. March 19th, 1879.
Spanish Chufas sent to Station by H. C. Olive, Apex, N. C.
Impurities, None.
Tubers capable of Germinating, 100 per cent.
32
Station No. 301. March 28th, 1879.
Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata) sent to Station by G. D. Green, Wil-son,
N. C, bought of Buist, Philadelphia.
Impurities, None.
Pure seed capable of germinating, 69 per cent.
Station No. 302. March 28th, 1879.
Mangel Wurzel (Beta altissima), sent to Station by G. D. Green, Wilson,
N. C, bought of Joseph Harris, Rochester, N. Y.
Impurities, Trace.
Pure seed, . 100 per cent.
Pure seed capable of germinating, about. ..50 " "
Note.—Seed of this character do not always give reliable results in a
germinating apparatus.
Station No. 303. March 28th, 1879.
Red Top (Agrostis vulgaris), sent to Station by G. D. Green, Wilson, N.
C, bought of Buist, Philadelphia.
Impurities, 85. 57 per cent, by weight.
Pure seed, 14.43 " " ki "
Pure seed capable of germinating, 46 per cent.
Station No. 304. March 24th, 1879.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), sent to Station by G. D. Green, Wilson,
N. C, bought of Buist, Philadelphia.
Impurities, 1.30 per ct. by weight.
Pure seed, , 98.70 " *'
100.00
Pure seed capable of germinating, 82 per cent.
Station No. 336. March 30th, 1879.
Turnip Radish (BapJianus sativus), sent to Station by Jones Watson,
Chapel Hill.
Impurities, 5.0 per ct. by weight.
Pure seed, 95.0 " "
100.0
Pure seed capable of germinating, 98 per cent.
Station No. 346. April 8th, 1879.*
Orchard Grass {Dactylis glomerata), sent to Station by T. F. Norwood,
Chapel Hill; bought of Roberson & Harris, Chapel Hill.
Impurities, 4. 82 per ct. by weight.
Pure Seed, , 95.18 " "
100.00
Pure seed capable of germinating, 67.5 per cent.
33
Station No 347. April 8th, 1879.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), sent to Station by T. F. Norwood,
Chapel Hill, bought of Roberson & Harris, Chapel Hill.
Impurities, 5.99 per ct. by weight.
Pure Seed, 95.01 "
100. 0O
Pure seed capable of germinating 83 per cent.
DODDER.
(Cuscuta trifolii)
Among the many varieties of the Cuscuta, none is such an
implacable foe to the clover plant as the variety above men-tioned
{trifolii). The most common American varieties are
by no means as persistent and as widely distributed as the
European. Whole sections of Germany and other portions
of Europe are ravaged by this parasite, and have had to
abandon, for a season or two, the growing of clover.
The Cuscuta trifolii bears flowers not unlike the " morning
glory" (Convolvulus), and develops perfect seeds. When ripe,,
the seed fall to the ground and send up tiny, wiry arms,
which start forth in search of a clover plant. It is a matter
of life or lingering death to the Dodder whether or not it
finds clover. With unerring instinct, it creeps along until
it reaches the doomed plant, which it surrounds and com-pletely
covers with a network of runners. Each runner
sends forth papilla, which tap and suck out the life-blood of
the unfortunate captive. The accompanying diagram (Fig.
5) will serve to illustrate the manner of growth of the
Cuscuta.
3
34
Fig. 5,
I have called particular attention to this parasite, not only
on account of the importance which anything bearing on
grass and clover cultivation deserves, in view of the rapidly
growing interest in grazing and green soiling in North Car-olina,
but because a sample of red clover seed has been re-ceived
at the Station containing seeds of the Ouscuta trifolii,
every ounce containing 45 dodder seed. The seeds of Ous-cuta
trifolii resemble very much the less injurious American
species, Ouscuta racemosa; but can be identified by careful
examination and comparison under the microscope.
Recognizing the importance of the discovery, I have en-deavored
to trace the sample. It came from a gentleman in
Warren county, and was bought by him from a prominent
seedsman in N. Y. The latter in reply to a letter of inquiry
writes as follows
:
New York, March 22d, 1879.
Albert E. Ledoux,
Chapel Hill, N. C.
J)ear Sir
:
—Your favor of the 18th inst. to hand and con-
tents noted, for which please accept our thanks. The clover
seed was purchased from a dealer here under the grade of
" Choice," but as he keeps no record of his stocks, we can
only say that it was western clover; certainly not imported.
Yours truly,
It is true that experience has shown that plants often
change some of their characteristics when removed from
one climate or country to another. Weeds very injurious
in Europe may become less so when brought to America,
and vice versa.
The limits of this report will not allow a further discus-sion
of this subject, but I sincerely hope that enough has
been written to show our farmers the need of seed examina-tions.
The Station stands ready at all times to test, free of
charge, all samples received.
In sending be sure that a fair sample is selected of from J to 2
ounces in weight. Send by mail addressed to the station.
SOFT MEADOW GRASS.
(Holcus lanatus.)
Samples of this grass (called also " velvet lawn grass") and
of its seed have been received from different parties for
identification and description. In spite of the fact that it
is little esteemed in Europe as a feeding stuff, those who
have tried it in North Carolina speak very favorably of its
qualities, not only for feeding purposes, but ,as a renovator
of worn out lands. The following letters received from
prominent farmers are of interest:
Washington, N. C, Feb. 26th, 1879.
Dr. A. R. Ledoux,
Chapel Hill, N. C.
My Dear Sir
:
—Having noticed your advertisement, that
you wish farmers to send samples of seed to you for exam-
$6
inafron, I avail myself of the opportunity and herewith en-close
you a sample of seed that were brought here (only a
teaspoonful) by the late Gol. D. M. Carter, of Raleigh, and
given to a friend, saying that he knew no name for them;
that they came from the western part of this State. The
friend planted them, and now has several large fields set to
this grass, which he says is an excellent grass and of which
stock are very fond; that he plants it both alone and with
red clover ; that it grows about 3 to 3J feet high, and
succeeds admirably on poor sandy soil, improving with
quality of soil; that it is difficult to save seed from it
as they "shatter" out so badly it will not bear handling/
unless cut just before the seed are ripe, and then it is best to
gather immediately to one point and thrash out at once all
the seed you want.
Please let me know what you can about it—its name,
qualities, &c, &c,
Respectfully,
Thomas H. Blount.
P. S.—Though the winter has been, in this section, a very
rigorous one, this grass has done better than clover about
not freezing out.
Haslin, Beaufort Co., N. C, April 19th, 1879.
Professor Ledoux,
Dear Sir: Enclosed find dry head, flower, blade and root
of a grass I wish you to name. I have been in the grass
business eight or ten years, and have come to the conclusion
that this is the only thing that will pay to recuperate the
worn out lands of the South. I believe this grass is very
valuable, growing about as high as oats on same land, on
the driest sands or wettest bottom, and where it is too poor
for other winter grasses. I sow it with red top on these
poor lands ; mow occasionally for two or three years, then
turn under and sow Orchard Grass and Clover ; let them
stand some time and my land will bring, when turned
37
under, eight or ten barrels of corn to the acre. I usually
keep 80 acres in grass, 80 in corn and 80 in cotton, rotating
every year, as the sod gets too tough. Orchard grass, clover
and timothy will not grow on land so poor where this grass
will make a fair crop.
Truly yours,
Jas. F. Latham.
Dr. F. R. Gregory, Secretary of the Goodwin Farmers'
Club of Granville Co., has also tried Hokus^smd has been very
favorably impressed with it. He says, " It was on my place
35 or 40 years ago when first bought, and is found in several
other places in this county. It would seem from this, it is
indigenous to our clay lands. I gathered the seed on my
land and now have some two acres sown, and have just cut
(June 29th) the prettiest lot of hay I ever saw. Orchard
grass in the same field will not compare with it."
It seems that this grass is indigenous to the marshy flats
of the Cumberland mountains. From this fact, and the
origin attributed to the sample sent by Mr. Blount, it is pos-sible
that this grass entered North Carolina by way of Ten-nessee.
Dr. Killebrew, Commissioner of Agriculture of the State
of Tennessee, says of it
:
" This is one of the most beautiful grasses we have, and
grows wild on swampy, moist lands. It abounds on the
marshy flats of the Cumberland Mountains, but is not of
such tempting relish that stock will eat it ravenously. It
grows well in West Tennessee.
" As a grass for lawns, however, or yards, unless it is de-sired
to use them as pastures, it is unequalled, and is easily
propagated. It needs but to be sown slightly and after-wards
will sow itself. A yard turfed over with this grass
presents a most lovely appearance, and looks as if spread
with a velvet carpet"
38
Several analyses of this grass have been made, two of
which are given below :
4-3
i
Flesh
Formers.
PR
Heat
Producers.
Woody
Fibre.
Ash.
ANALYZED BY
69.70 3.49 1.02 11.92 11.94 1.93 Way.
75.1 2.3 0.5 9.5 10.2 2.4 Scheven & Ritthausen.
The hay, as analyzed by Wolff and Knap, shows : Water,
14.3; flesh formers, 9.9 ; fat, 3.1; heat producers, 36.7; fibre,
33.6; ash, 5.5.
From the experiments of Sinclair, at the Woburn farm,
we learn that the produce from an acre cut in flower was
19,057 pounds ; loss in drying, 12,395 pounds, retaining
nutritive elements, 1,191 pounds. The grass weighed the
same cut when in seed, and lost 15,246 pounds in drying,
and yielded 818 pounds of nutritive matter. The after-math
yielded 6,806 pounds of grass and 373 pounds of nu-tritive
matter.
The chief merits of this grass are its soft beauty, its pro-ductiveness,
and its tenacity of life. When once well set, it
bids defiance to all other species. Enriching the soil is the
only way to get rid of it. It grows well upon thin sandy
places, and will therefore suit the sandstone soil of the Cum-berland
Mountains. The seed weigh about seven pounds to
the bushel, and as many as eighty bushels have been grown
to the acre.*
We shall be glad to hear the experience of others of our
farmers with this grass.
POISON CASES.
By reference to the law already quoted, page 14, it will
*"The Grasses of Tennessee—including Cereals and Forage Plants," p.
194.
39
be seen that the Station is charged with analyses in cases of
suspected poisoning. The following instructions to Coro-ners
and County Superintendents of Health will explain
the workings of the law and the ruling of the Board of
Agriculture in the premises.
There has occurred but one case, so far, under the new
law. The stomach of the late Mrs. Martha Spell, of Sampson
county, has been forwarded for examination, and was handed
to Prof. Redd on April 19th. As the analysis will be given
in evidence in court, in the event of a trial, it would be im-proper
to discuss or report upon it here.
Laboratory op the N. C. State Experiment Station,
Chapel Hill, April 24th, 1879.
METHOD OP PROCEDURE IN CASES OP SUSPECTED POISONING.
To the Coroners and County Superintendents of Health of the State of North
Carolina
:
I beg to call your attention to Section 14 of " An Act supplemental to
an Act creating a State Board of Health," passed by the late Assembly and
ratified on March 14th. This Section is as follows :
" When the County Superintendent of Health shall, in the course of his
investigation required at Coroner's inquest, think it necessary to subserve
the ends of justice that a chemical analysis of the viscera or fluids of the
body be made, he shall carefully pack up and seal the suspected article in
a proper receptacle, in the presence of a witness, and forward it to the
Chemist of the Agricultural Station for analysis. (Such analysis shall be
made free of charge, and be returned to the Coroner of the County, such
analysis having precedence over other matters of investigation not of a
similar character, then in the Laboratory of the Chemist) * * *."
The Board of Agriculture, recognizing not only the claims of the law
but the claims of humanity upon them, have made arrangements by which
the analyses in question can be made through the Experiment Station.
Knowing that were I compelled to make such analysis in person, it would
occasion great delay and serious interference with my work, especially
during long absences from my post when testifying at Court, &c. , they
adopted the following resolution
:
II Resolved, That the Chemist of the Board be authorized to employ such
additional labor as may be necessary to prosecute the analyses in cases of
suspected poisoning, as required by Section 14 of An Act supplemental to
an Act creating a State Board of Health, at an expense for the same of not
more than * * * dollars per annum."
In compliance with the above resolution of the Board, I have secured
the co-operation of Prof. A. F. Redd, of the University, who will devote
40
himself to any cases which may arise under the provisions of the law above
cited. Prof. Redd has made all the analyses of this character that have
been required in the State during the last two years, so far as I am in
formed. Your attention is called to the following instructions which
should be followed as nearly as possible to comply with the law, and to
secure an analysis. which will stand in Court :
1st. Except in special cases, it will be sufficient to place the
STOMACH, THE WHOLE OF THE LIVER AND SPLEEN AND THE BLADDER, EACH
IN A SEPARATE, PERFECTLY CLEAN GLASS JAR, WITH TIGHTLY FITTING GLASS
TOP (A FRUIT JAR SERVES WELL). CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN THAT NONE OF
THE CONTENTS OF THE STOMACH OR BLADDER ESCAPE. No DISINFECTANT
OR PRESERVATIVE SHOULD BE ADDED IN ANY CASE.
2d. Seal each jar thoroughly and label distinctly with the name
OF ITS CONTENTS.
3d. Secure, if possible, any vomit or urine voided immediately be-fore
DEATH, AND ALSO ANY LIQUIDS, POWDERS OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
WHICH ARE SUSPECTED OF HAVING CAUSED DEATH, OR ANY VIALS OR OTHER
RECEPTACLES WHICH MAY HAVE CONTAINED THE POISON, SEALING EACH AS
BEFORE.
4th Let these jars be delivered at the Station by some one,
properly authorized, IN PERSON. DO NOT SEND BYEXPRESS.
The person bringing the jars should never allow them (or the re-ceptacle
IN WHICH THEY MAY BE PACKED), TO GET OUT OF HIS SIGHT, UN-LESS
TO GO UNDER A LOCK, TO WHICH THE CARRIER HOLDS THE KEY. THE
MESSENGER WILL BRING THE JARS TO THE EXPERIMENT STATION AND DE-LIVER
THEM TO ME, OR TO PROF. REDD IN MY PRESENCE.
The expenses of these analyses will be defrayed by the Department of
Agriculture, but the pay of Prof. Redd in attendance upon Court will still
be regulated by the laws specially providing for the remuneration of wit-nesses
and Experts". Respectfully,
ALBERT R. LEDOUX,
Chemist to the Department of Agriculture.
41
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE STATION.
Perhaps nothing shows more clearly the interest which
our farmers take in the Station than the number of letters
received. These ask information upon every conceivable
subject relating to agricultural chemistry, composts, fertili-zers,
&c, &c. It is my endeavor to answer all letters as
fully and promptly as possible, and many an hour has to
be spent looking up and figuring out the information re-quested.
The greatest accuracy, too, is absolutely necessary.
On the first of April, 1878, 1 began to keep account of all
letters written at the Station, and I found that during the
year ending wTith April 1st, 1879, 1 had written or dictated
no less than one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four
(1,924.) Of this large number one thousand four
hundred and ninety-five (1,495) were strictly required by and
related to the work of the Station. Had this burden of cor-respondence
rested upon me alone it would have required
all my time, but, by means of a stenographer, not only is
much personal labor saved, but I can often prosecute chem-ical
work in the laboratory while dictating letters. This
correspondence I consider as important as any branch of
my work. Our farmers are encouraged to write to the Sta-tion,
and in each case we will do our best to help the ques-tioner,
or, failing, endeavor to direct him to some one who
can.
The following letters may serve as samples of a large class
of our correspondence and are of general interest. For ex-ample
:
Mr. Henry Addix writes for instructions for making
vinegar. In reply the following instructions were sent.
wine vinegar.
The wine is stirred into a large tun which contains lees,
and when thoroughly mixed is squeezed by pressure through
42
cloth sacks into an iron-bound vat, whence, after standing
some hours, it is drawn off into casks for fermenting. These
casks have only a small opening in the top, and are kept at
a temperature of 77° F, to 86° F. After fourteen or fifteen
days the vinegar now formed is drawn off (cautiously so as
to not disturb the sediment) into barrels which contain
birch-wood chips. This clarifies it, and after standing a
few days it may be syphoned off into the casks in which it
is to be sold. The casks used for fermenting are never
entirely emptied, but the residue containing " mother " is
employed to ferment all the subsequent liquor by simply
pouring the latter into the used cask.
FROM ALCOHOL.
If alcohol is allowed to come in contact with " spongy
platinum " with free access of air, or if it is allowed to flow
or trickle three or four times very slowly through a barrel
filled with beech chips, the alcohol is completely changed
into acetic acid (vinegar.) By washing the beech chips with
boiling water before using, the coloring matter is extracted
from them and the vinegar rendered more colorless.
RAPID METHOD OF ACETIFICATION OF CIDER.
Place in the cider barrel a small piece of bread soaked in
vinegar, or else a piece of sour dough. Add about a pint
of vinegar and allow to stand in a warm place (75° F, 85°
F.) Barley or grain which has become sweet through in-cipient
germination (malt) will produce the same effect as
the dough, and so will yeast, lean meat, &c. The germs
which start the acetous fermentation are conveyed into the
liquor in the vinegar placed in the barrel. But, as they are
everywhere present in the air, an open barrel of wine or
cider will almost always be found by them and the fermen-tation
proceed unaided.
43
THE " MOTHER "
can be made artificially and kept in store by simply start-ing
a barrel of sugar-water, wine or cider fermenting, with
malt, yeast or other ferment, and a little of this liquid added
to a fresh barrel of cider will at once produce acetification.
A good table vinegar may be made by dissolving three
pounds of white sugar in one gallon of water and fermenting
with yeast.
Cider vinegar is usually allowed to clarify itself, which it
will almost always do by " settling," and on being drawn
off from the top a clear liquor is obtained. Isinglass, blood
and white of eggs have been used to clarify vinegar.
Though acetic acid is the principal ingredient besides
water in vinegar, yet its flavor, smell and color are influ-enced
by the organic matter which the cider contained. To
imitate these, mixtures of acetic (and sometimes sulphuric)
acid and water have been colored by " caramel " and sold
as pure cider vinegar. It is needless to say that these arti-ficial
compounds are never wholesome and often dangerous.
Various chemicals have been tried to prevent the souring
of cider—" salicylic acid " perhaps most frequently—and
often alkalies like carbonate of soda, but they must be used
with caution.
"grain-plant louse."
Kernersville, N. C, May 20th, 1878.
Dr. A. R Ledoux,
Dear Sir:—I send you by this mail samples of an "insect"
of some kind that seems to have taken possession of the
wheat crop. Many of the heads of wheat are almost covered
with them, and it is very rare to find a head that has not
more or less on it.
The dry weather, during the spring, made wheat very
short, and now the rust has taken possession of it, with this
44
little "varmint," if there is any harm in him, to finish it
up. Please let me know what they are and if there is any
harm in them. None of our old farmers have ever noticed
them in their wheat before.
Yours truly,
J. W. Beard.
The insect was proved to be the " Grain-plant Louse"
(Aphis avenx). Directions for preventing its ravages, so far
as any are known, were forwarded in reply.
SAVANNAH LANDS.
Dear Sir ;—I send you by Express this afternoon three
specimens of soil taken from our savannah lands. These
lands are flat, dark, chocolate colored surface, with clay
sub-soil—usually they have sufficient fall for thorough
drainage. The grass they produce is very nutritious, pro-ducing
fat more speedily than any forage I know of. Cows
that feed on it give a very rich milk—cream a straw color
and very thick. Butter made from it is equal in color and
flavor to any Dutchess or Genesee butter that I have ever
seen. Please understand that I am giving you facts that
can be substantiated. I tell you candidly, I have never seen
a naturally better color to butter than our savannah grass
produce. I look upon these lands as very valuable for ag-ricultural
purposes, and sincerely trust that analysis may
substantiate my opinion.
Yours very respectfully,
D. S. Cowan.
Note.—The three samples were enclosed each in a tin case
twenty inches long, which, according to instructions, were
driven down into the ground at the proper place, and brought
away with them specimens of the soil and sub-soil in their
normal original layers. The cases contained the following
marks :
45
" No. 1.—" Virgin:
" No. 2.—* Reclaimed. Not productive. Corn, cotton and peas
usually " Fremh" (or turn red and shed leaves, Sec, &c.) Has
been marled.
" No. 3,—' Reclaimed. Unproductive. Would produce noth-ing.
Turned out: D. S. C."
EXAMINATION AND REPLY.
When the cans were opened they all had the same gen-eral
appearance. Memoranda made at the time were as fol-lows:
" The sub-soil comprised about one-third of the contents of
the can ; was of a light yellowish color and sandy feel ; ex-hibited
but little appearance of organic matter. On top of
this was a dark colored soil which continued to turn darker
until the soil proper,^, e., the top soil, was very black. Both
the sub-soil and the soil were full of roots and other vegetable
remains—the soil especially. The depth of the soil about
12 inches. Both gave acid reaction, more apparent with the soil."
The following are the results of my examination :
Sample No. 1, marked " Virgin No. 1."
Boil. Subsoil.
Water, 22.87 per cent. 13.06 per cent.
Sand, 72.21 " 75.15
Organic matter, 4.12* " 1.80* "
Carbonate of lime, Trace. 0.89 "
Potash, None. 0.12 "
Qualitative examination showed further in
Soil. Subsoil.
Traces of Iron, Iron.
" Chlorine, Chlorine.
" Sulphuric Acid,
Soluble Silica.
*The roots were separated as far as possible.
46
By noticing these results we can see at once wherein lies
some of the trouble :
First—The soil is very wet.
Second—It is acid.
Third—The soil proper consists of sand, water and organic
matter entirely, with merely traces of mineral plant food
(less than one per cent.) ; while the sub-soil is comparatively
deficient in valuable ingredients, organic and inorganic.
THE REMEDIES.
These are
:
First—Drainage.
Second—Application of alkaline substances.
Third—Judicious fertilization.
First.—Drainage of the character of soils which are repre-sented
by the sample analyzed is often a difficult matter,
even when the land is of sufficient slope ; for the organic
matter and sand are so compact that it is almost impervious
to water. In riding across the savannahs, every one has
noticed how the black road bed will hold water long after
the rain has ceased. Hence drainage must be thorough,
and the soil well broken up by the plow.
Second. The acidity of a soil may be removed, in general,
by simple drainage and turning up of the ground, thus
facilitating the action of the sun and atmospheric agencies
:
but in a soil, such as the one under consideration, where
there is a lack of lime and potash, nature points out an easy
method of cure, viz : application of ashes and Jime. Let the
plowing be thorough and the application of the alkalies
pretty heavy, and the results will be marked.
Third. There is no need of applying a fertilizer contain-ing
much ammonia to these soils. They contain sufficient
in their organic matter, (including undecomposed roots,)
and if ashes are plentifully applied the fertilizer need not
contain potash. I would recommend, in addition to the
ashes and lime, " dissolved bone-black," an acid phosphate
made from bone-black. This will supply phosphoric acid
magnesia and sulphuric acid.
47
Finally. I have often called attention to the fact that from
a partial or even complete analysis of a single sample of a
soil we must draw conclusions very carefully. The results
which have been obtained in this particular case may not
be true for all our Savannah lands, but let the experiment
be made, and if, in the light of the analyses, the practical
tests prove that the trouble has been found, we will " make
assurance doubly sure."
The other two samples showed the same characteristics as
the " virgin " soil—both were acid and had a high per cen-tage
of water and sand. No analyses were made of these
two samples as the evidence of partial fertilization was ap-parent
in shells, pieces of bone, &c, &c, and the results of
an analysis would therefore be deceptive.
BONES.
Franklin, N. G, June 17th, 1877.
Dr. A. R. Ledoux,
Dear Sir
:
—I have l^OOO or 1,200 pounds of animal (horse,
cow, &c.,) bones which I desire to convert into manure. How
can I utilize them ? Can I do so with sulphuric acid ? Will
I have to dig a pit in clay soil, or what else ? Shall I break
the bones ? If so, how small ? I have no means of grind-ing
them. Any information you may be pleased to give
will be gratefully received.
Your obedient servant,
W. L. Love.
HOW TO MAKE BONES USEFUL.
The chief value of bones as a source plant food consists in
the phosphoric acid and nitrogen which they contain. The
former is combined with lime as phosphate of lime, and in
new bones this phosphate of lime should constitute 50 to 60
per cent, of the whole, the remaining 40 to 50 per cent,
being made up of water, cartilage, gelatine, magnesia, &c,
&c. The nitrogen is in the organic matter (cartilage and
gelatine.) The phosphoric acid, in combination with the
lime, is held in a comparatively insoluble state by the or-ganic
matter with which the bone is surrounded and per-meated.
When acted upon by the soil, the fibre and other
organic matter are decomposed, their nitrogen being con-verted
into ammonia, while the phosphoric acid is gradually
rendered soluble and capable of being assimilated by the
growing crop. In view of these facts, two points are to be
taken into consideration by the farmer. First, the commi-nution,
by which the action of the soil is aided and accel-erated,
and secondly, the means of artificially rendering the
phosphoric acid soluble.
If no mill is convenient it will pay the planter to set a
hand to breaking up the bones into as small pieces as pos-sible,
which may be done by a heavy hammer and a little
patience. When cotton seed or other nitrogenous organic
compound is obtainable sometimes it will pay to burn the
bones, if it is found difficult to break them, and then there
will be but little difficulty in getting them in good subdi-vision.
Bones are rendered soluble with great ease by treating
them with oil of vitriol, and where this acid can be obtained
cheaply it will pay in almost every case to employ it. The
following directions can be easily understood, but those not
familiar with the handling of so powerful an acid as oil of
vitriol should use the greatest care. The bones should first
be broken up into the size of walnuts, and weighed out into
lots of 100 pounds each. A large tub can be used for the
operation, which is conveniently made by sawing a petro-lium
barrel in half. And now we are ready to begin the
work. Let the manipulator put on old clothes which will
be no great loss should the corrosive acid spatter upon them.
Have at hand a solution of washing soda or weak lye to put
upon the hands or face, as an antidote, should a drop of acid
touch them. Place a layer of bones 8 or 10 inches deep in
the bottom of the tub. Pour the oil of vitriol from the
49
carboy slowly and steadily into a pitcher, or other article of
stoneware (which was previously weighed) until full. Satu-rate
the layer of bones in the tub thoroughly with water,,
then pour acid cautiously upon them from the pitcher to
the amount of about 50 or 55 pounds of acid to 100 pounds
of bones, stirring and mixing the whole mass with a wooden
shovel or an old hoe. Then put in another layer of bones
on top of the first, and repeat the process until the tub is
full. After standing from 3 to 12 hours, shovel the whole
out into a heap, and mix with it, if obtainable, some ground
plaster. This will help to dry the mass thoroughly and ren-der
it more readily broken up when it is to be applied.
I have given these outlines somewhat hurriedly owing to
pressure of work, but I think they will be found sufficiently
plain. Let me once more caution those who use sulphuric
acid (oil of vitriol) against its dangerous corrosive proper-ties.
When used with care it is perfectly manageable, but
a dangerous substance to handle carelessly. Never pour
water into acid. When desiring to mix them, pour the acid
into the water, stirring all the time. I have often recom-mended
mixing the water and acid separately and pouring
the mixture upon the bones. When this is done, pour into
a tub about three times as much water as you propose to
take of acid (about 150 pounds water to 100 pounds bone),
then pour from the pitcher (slowly and steadily) the acid
into the water, stopping every little while and stirring the
mixture. It need not surprise you if the water grows yqtj
hot and the acid falls into it with a gurgling sound. Should,
any spatter upon the person, wipe it off at once and apply
the soda or lye.
Rendering bones soluble in this way greatly increases
their value, and. with a little trouble the farmer can make at
home as good a fertilizer as many he buys for twice the cost
of his labor and acid.
50
BLEACHING.
Milton, N. C.
Dr. A. R. Ledoux,
Will you please inform me what will prevent or destroy
the odor of burning sulphur. I wish to use the fumes of
sulphur for the purpose of bleaching, but the smell is so
disagreeable and the odor is retained in some of the articles
that cannot be washed. Exposure to the air does not take
out the sulphur gas from some things. I will be glad for
you to inform me what will counteract this odor, that will
not be dangerous or injurious to the health of the operator.
Is there any other way of bleaching without putting the
articles in liquids? I will be thankful for any information
,£>n the subject.
Respectfully,,
Miss R. C. S.
'Several experiments were made to test the power of cer-tain
reagents to produce the effect desired. The following
process gave the most satisfactory results, and can be used
in almost all cases with no injury to the goods:
Lint cotton was exposed for twenty minutes, in a close
vessel, to the fumes of burning sulphur. On removal, and
even after long exposure to the air, there clung to it a pecu-liar
odor. It was then suspended in an inverted vessel, be-neath
which was placed a little ammonia water (" hartshorn")
in a saucer. After a few moments' exposure to the alkaline
fumes and a subsequent airing, no odor could be distin-guished
either of the sulphurous acid or of the ammonia.
This process could be carried out on a larger scale by using
more ammonia, and suspending the articles in a barrel or
even in a room.
51
STARCH AND SUGAR,
Leaksville, N. C, March 12th, 1879.
Dr. Albert R. Ledoux,
Director Agricultural Experiment Station, Chapel Hill, N. C:
Dear Sir
:
—The present high price of potato starch has
started an inquiry among manufacturers as to the adapta-bility
of the sweet potato and yam for starch making. If
all the cotton manufactories, bleach and dye works used
potato starch, they would consume the product of 25 or 30
million bushels. I wish to get a statement concerning the
yam and sweet potato as starch producers. If I am correct
in my general idea of our potatoes, it is practicable to have
starch works started in Eastern North Carolina. Will you
do me the favor to give me the benefit of your views on the
subject, and giving the ordinary yield per acre, and yield
per bushel of starch and cost, that I may speak by authority.
Yours most truly,
J. T. M.
J. T. M„ Esq.,
Dear Sir:—The following is an analysis of the sweet po-tato
:
Water,.. 73.39 per cent.
Starch, 15.06
Gum, 1.08
Glucose, 6.86
Cellulose, 0.98
Albuminoids, 1.28
Fat and Wax, 0.28
Ash, 1.07
100.00 "
You will see from this analysis that 100 pounds of potatoes
will yield 15 pounds of starch and about 7 pounds of glucose.
The cotton factories of New England alone use somewhere
52
Between 10,000 and 15,000 tons of potato starch per annum,
This potato starch is obtained from the white, or Irish, po-tato,
and to make it manageable artificially prepared glucose
is added to it. An interesting problem, one which I have
long desired to investigate, is whether or not the starch and
glucose cannot be simultaneously extracted.
An analysis of the Irish potato is as follows :
Water, 76.00 per cent.
Albuminoids, 2.80 "
Gum, 1.81
Fat and Wax, 0.30
Starch, 15.24
Cellulose, 1.01
Ash, , 0.95
This analysis differs somewhat from the one given below.
It is the average analysis of nineteen different kinds of
white potatoes.
The nutritive qualities of the two are about equal, as will
be seen from the following comparative composition
:
Sweet Potato. Irish Potato.
Water, 73.4 per cent. 74.6 per cent.
Albuminoids, 1.3 " 2.2
Fat, 0.3 " 0.2
Carbohydrates, 23.0 " 21.2
Fiber, 1.0 " 0.7
Ash,.... 1.0 " 1.1
100.0 " 100.0
I do not know what the average yield of the sweet potato
in North Carolina is, but let us suppose it to be 450 bushels
per acre. A bushel will weigh, say, 55 lbs. Hence a bushel
of sweet potatoes will yield 8.25 lbs. starch and 3.77 lbs.
glucose. Therefore to supply the demand of New England
alone, entirely from the sweet patato, would require at least
3,750,000 bushels.
It has been suggested that should a starch factory be
started, not only would it pay through the starch produced,
53
but possibly the natural glucose could be separately extracted
and supply the place of artificial glucose, which is used in
ales, beers, wines, confections, and—for adulterating sugars
and syrups.
Yours truly,
A. R. Ledoux.
TOBACCO.
Ruffin, N. C, April 5th, 1879.
Dr. A. R. Ledoux,
Dear Sir : Yours with circular containing list of formulae
to hand, with which I am much pleased, and for which I
am much obliged.
I am interested in raising " fancy wrappers." A yellow
leaf, tough and silky, is thought and said to be perfection.
Now can you tell me what chemicals will hasten the growth
and development of the tobacco plant ; then what will cause
the plant to yellow on the hill? The * * * * fertil-izer
manufactured by * * * * * has considerable rep-utation
in this section for growing wrapping tobacco. Can
you tell me what chemical gives it this property? Now, oh
suitable new ground, any of the fertilizers on the market
will make good tobacco, while on old land which has been
in recent cultivation, and with little or no vegetable matter
to decay, none of the fertilizers, not even Peruvian Guano,
will make a good crop. This would seem to argue a want
of ammonia in the guanoes, though I am not concerned
about this point so much, as I propose to keep up the vege-table
matter on my land by sowing clover seed.
In new-grounds, where brush heaps have been burnt,
the plants start growing quickly, develop rapidly, mature
properly, and cure without trouble. I don't propose going
into the manufacture of fertilizers, but would like to furnish
my land the needed elements to grow a certain crop, without
paying as much as commercial fertilizers now cost. If you
54
can aid me in this, by enlightening me on the points men-tioned,
I shall be greatly benefited and gratified.
Respectfully,
W. J. 0.
P. S. What would you apply to the plant beds to make
the young plants grow, and what to kill the fly?
W. J. 0.
W. J. C, Esq.,
Dear Sir : As you are aware, to raise fancy wrappers, yel-low,
tough and silky, there are three or four important con-siderations
necessary. First, selection of soil and cultiva-tion
; second, fertilization ; third, curing. In regard to cul-tivation
I can tell you nothing which you do not know or
cannot learn from some of the many successful tobacco
growers of your county. I would recommend that you send
to the Orange Judd Co., 245 Broadway, New York City,
for a small book entitled "Tobacco Culture/'' which contains
a synopsis of the results obtained by fourteen experienced
cultivators in different States. In regard to curing yellow
tobacco, I refer you to Major England's directions. As a
chemist I can best write on the second point mentioned,
viz., fertilization. Analysis of the tobacco plant is about
as follows
:
Analysis of Ash of Fancy Bright Wrapper from Gran-ville
county, N. C.
:
Lime, 23.39 per cent.
Magnesia, 4.05
Oxide of Iron, 0.81
Potash, 18.55
Chloride of Potassium, 5.82
Chloride of Sodium, 7.17
Phosphoric Acid, 3.36
Sulphuric Acid, 3.37
Soluble Silica, 13.80
Fine Sand, 5.72
Carbonic Acid and Loss, 13.96
100.00
55
Nitrogen in plant 0.91 per cent.
From this analysis you will notice, what your experience
has already taught, that tobacco is a large feeder ; hence an
exhaustive crop. The chief substances demanded by this
plant are lime, potash, silica, soda, magnesia, ammonia,
phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid. The soil in your
county will probably supply in abundance all the silica and
soda. Any complete manure, like stable manure or others
rich in nitrogen, will supply the ammonia and phosphoric
acid. You need mainly an application of potash and lime.
Ashes consist (as far as their fertilizing ingredients are con-sidered)
chiefly of lime and potash ; hence the good results
which you obtained upon land which was burnt over. My
formula No. 4*, which I sent you in the pamphlet on com-posting,
I have designed especially for the production of the
better quality of smoking tobacco, and think it will answer
your purposes well.
Fertilizers strong in ammonia . start and hasten a rapid
growth and development of a plant. Sulphate of potash is
the one thing which more than others influence for good the
quality of smoking tobacco ; muriate should never be used
except for tobacco intended for the plug factoryf. It is of
great importance, in using my formulas or any other, to be
sure that the chemicals which you purchase are really what
they are represented to be. The Experiment Station is
ready at all times to make these tests free of charge.
In regard to the plant bed, a southern exposure, a piece
of new ground and plenty of a stimulating fertilizer such as
Peruvian Guano, hog or stable manure, are the main things
necessary. It is well, when danger from cold is feared, to
cover the bed immediately after planting, with straw which
can be held down with rails, <fec. After the plants have
gotten a fair start, and there seems no danger from frost, the
covering can be removed.
I know of no infallible remedy against the worm. Pick-
*See page 63.
fI make this assertion, because not only Connecticut and Virginia experiments—but
our experience in this State seem to warrant it.
56
ing, either done by hand or a well brought up gang of tur-keys,
being the safest if not the only remedy. The fly can
oftentimes be killed by planting (or allowing to grow) the
common Jamestown weed (called %t Jimson-weed.") The fly
or moth feeds on the flowers of this weed, and a patch might
be planted near the tobacco, and as the flowers open, a few
drops of the solution sold by druggists under the name of
" cobalt " should be placed in the heart of each flower. A
great many of the moths will be poisoned in this way, and
the ounce of prevention is decidedly worth the pound of
cure. Maj. Ragland's directions are as follows :
" Dissolve an ounce of the cobalt of the shops in a pint
and a half of water, and mix it with molasses or other syrup,
bottle it and drop it through a quill into the heart of the
blossom. It should be done about sundown, and the pois-oned
flowers pulled off next day, otherwise the plant will
be destroyed. It has been found that this weed so treated,
planted around the edge of the tobacco lot and here and
there through the patch, will prevent to a great extent the
ravages of the tobacco worm. All the planters, however, in
one neighborhood must act together, and this can be ar-ranged
through the local agricultural club."
Yours truly,
A. R. Ledoux.
The above will show the variety and character of the
questions received. The following is a good example of the
number of questions which one letter may contain :
Concord, N. C, April 14th, 1879.
Dr. A. R. Ledoux,
Bear Sir
:
—Can you give me the value of unleached and
leached wood ashes, per ton or barrel, as compared with mu-riate
of potash 80 per cent, at $50 per ton? I have read
several of your formulas for composting stable manure and
green cotton seed with superphosphates or with phosphates.
I would appreciate your valuable opinion in regard to the
merits of No. 2 Peruvian Guano—Ammonia 3.25 per cent.,
57
Potash 2 per cent., Phosphoric Acid 15 per cent at $38.00
per ton, for composting with cotton seed and fine stable
manure. Do cotton and corn require more ammonia or
phosphoric acid? I thought more ammonia—but the
" Mapes Formula Co." say " Phosphoric Acid is the domi-nant
one." According to their analysis, it appears to me,
ammonia is 46.50 per cent., phosphoric acid 16.60 per cent,
and potash 14.40 per cent. If not too much trouble, please
give me the amount of ammonia, phosphoric acid, and
potash 1,500 pounds of seed cotton takes from the soil of one
acre. Can you give me the analysis of 1,000 pounds of
decorticated cotton seed, of above three elements ? I have
a good bed of muck on my farm, rich and very black ; if a
sample is mailed you, do you analyze it free of charge to the
sender? I understand you do. It may be valuable for
composting with some commercial fertilizer that you would
deem best. I much desire your opinion as to the relative
value of No. 2 Peruvian Guano as compared with super—or
acid phosphates of same cost. I wish to get up a simple
formula that will produce the best results for farmers on
stiff clay top and sub-soil, and sandy top soil and yellowish
clay sub-soil. These two varieties of soil predominate in
this county. Your immediate, or a reply at your earliest
convenience will be appreciated by
Yours truly,
The following is a partial list of subjects of letters ad-dressed
to the Station, and will serve to show their variety :
Where to buy chemicals.
Most reliable fertilizer sold in the State.
Fertilizer for peanuts, cotton, corn, grasses, fruit trees,
wheat, tobacco, &c, &c.
Will deep plowing hasten maturity of cotton plant ?
How to utilize marl.
Value of marl.
Cost of Chemicals.
58
Remedy for cut-worm.
Remedy for " big-root " in cabbage.
Different forms of phosphoric acid.
How to restore gray hair.
Value of cow-pea.
Value of cotton seed.
Mineral waters.
Well waters.
Ashes—comparative value.
Composting.
Leather as a fertilizer.
Lithia waters.
Character of human blood.
Analyses of fire-clays.
Analyses of minerals and ores.
Cultivation of chufas.
Cultivation of beets.
Value of " snakeweed."
Insects to be identified.
Cost of fertilizer works.
Mica mining.
Boiler incrustations.
Minerals to be identified.
Kerosene—its danger, &c.
Chemical engines—their efficiency.
Machinery for extracting sassafras oil.
Cure for spotted lands.
Opinion of Boykin & Carmer's fertilizer and 50 others.
How do plants obtain ammonia ? &c, &c, &c.
59
COMPOSTING.
The following instructions have been prepared in response
to a great many requests for information on the subject of
composts and making home fertilizers. As will be noticed
later, there are countless "formulas" offered to our farmers,
and almost as many methods of preparing them for use. I
have no intention of supplanting or deciding between them.
Whatever our views as a people, whatever the views that
agricultural chemists hold as to the benefit of chemical ma-nures,
no one will deny that it is of the utmost importance
in the economy of the farm to utilize all fertilizing mate-rial
which the farm can supply. To this end these fomulse
have been prepared. By following them we can save money,
and " a penny saved is a penny earned."
In a State where ninety per cent, of the population burn
wood, no one will deny that the ashes should be utilized.
In a State which raises as much cotton as North Carolina,
the money value of the seed for fertilizing uses alone is
thousands of dollars. We need to increase, year by year
our home supplies, and can do so readily by an increased
use of our marls, muck, cotton seed, stable manure, &c, &c.
WTILL COMPOSTS PAY ?
This question has often been discussed. The answer gen-erally
depends entirely on the demands of the soil and crop,
and the available means of supplying those demands. If
we can generalize, we should say that for heavy soils the
labor of preparing, shoveling, turning and moving the
ingredients of a compost heap will pay better than for light
soils. The porous, sandy land generally allows nature's
agencies, air, warmth and rain, to act upon a fresh manure,
applied without composting, quite rapidly and efficaciously,
60
while previous composting and rotting will greatly benefit
a manure intended for use on heavy land. Another con-sideration—
where cotton seed is used—is the fact that it
must be killed before application. To do this and not lose
ammonia, no better method than a compost, properly made
and protected, can be found in a State where labor is so
cheap as with us.
So, after careful consideration, I am convinced that in
North Carolina at least, proper composting will always pay.
DIRECTIONS, AND FORMULA FOR COMPOSTING.
Select for the manure heap a level spot under shelter and
convenient to the stables. Remove enough earth to give a
gentle slope from every side toward the centre. From the
middle, cut a small ditch 4 inches wide and the same deep,
and cause it to slope from centre to one side and empty into
a half barrel sunk into the earth. This ditch can be cov-ered
with a board. The liquids, so valuable as fertilizers
and so often wasted, will be caught in the barrel and once
in a while should be baled out and sprinkled over the top
of the heap. Have at hand a pile of dry earth, or better
still, a mixture of dry earth and ground plaster, and once in
a while cover the heap to the depth of an inch or two. By
this method there will be a maximum saving of liquids and
gases, and the compost heap will not be an offence to the
nostrils, even when quite near the house.
The following formulas have been prepared, as already
stated, to enable those who can obtain cotton seed, muck or
marl, to use them as a basis in their compost, thereby saving
money and the purchase of chemicals.
FORMULA NO. 1.
Stable manure, 800 lbs.
Cottonseed, 750* lbs.
Dissolved bone, 450 lbs.
2,000
About 27 bushels.
61
To prepare this formula, spread a layer of barn-yard ma-nure
two inches deep on the compost yard, 2d, a layer of
dissolved bone two inches thick, and 3d, a layer of cotton
seed four inches thick. Wet the mixture pretty thoroughly
with chamber lye, or urine from the stables, but if these are
not at hand, with water. Then begin again with the stable
manure and repeat the layers and wetting as before, until all
the material is employed. The whole heap should then be
covered with dry earth or plaster. Fermentation will be
complete in from three to seven weeks and the. cotton seed
killed. When ready to use, the pile should be turned
thoroughly over and the different layers mixed together.
No danger from " firing " or " burning " need be feared
if the heap is moist within, and well covered to prevent too
rapid oxidation by the air.
When used for Cotton apply 300 pounds per acre, half in
the opening furrow and half with the seed. On poor or old
soils 400 or 500 pounds may be used, 150 pounds with the
seed as before, the remainder in the furrow or even broad-cast
across furrows.
For Corn use nearly one pint to the hill, unless the land
be in pretty good condition, when less will suffice.
On sandy pine lands, or old fields, which are usually de-ficient
in potash, 75 pounds of muriate of potash per acre
may be added. It should be dissolved in the water used
for wetting the compost heap. There are very few lands
upon which an application of potash will not pay. Where
ashes are plenty they may be substituted for the muriate of
potash, as will be described farther on.
This formula will do excellently for winter wheat, 400 to
500 pounds per acre. But when used on this crop, I prefer
50 pounds sulphate of potash dissolved in water and applied
as directed in the case of the muriate of potash. After a
backward season- 100 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre,
broadcast, in the spring, will help the crop very greatly.
62
FORMULA NO. II.
Dry muck, peat, Oi* yard scrapings, 600 lbs.
Cotton seed, 600* "
Acid phosphate, 600 "
Muriate of potash, ..100 "
Sulphate of ammonia, 100 "
2000
This formula should be composted in the same manner as
No. 1, the muriate of potash and sulphate of ammonia being
dissolved in water and used to wet the heap, and may be
applied in the same proportions. For wheat and rye (or
oats 300 pounds per acre) it may be harrowed in with the
grain.
FORMULA NO. III.
Stable or lot manure, 500 lbs.
Unburnt marl, 500 "
" Fertilizing Salt," 200 "
Dissolved bones, 500 "
Sulphate of potash, 150 "
Sulphate of Ammonia, 150 "
2000
This formula may be prepared by composting in layers,
as in No. 1, or mix the marl and salt together thoroughly,
and apply the mixture as a covering to the compost of cot-ton
seed, stable manure and dissolved bone, then sprinkle
with the solution of sulphate of ammoniar and turn the
whole over once in two weeks till fermented. The same
rules of application given for Nos. 1 and 2 may be observed
with No. 3.
*About 22 bushels.
63
FORMULA NO. IV.
FOE TOBACCO.
Stable manure, mould, &c, 1,000 lbs
Sulphate of potash, 300
" ammonia, 100
" magnesia, 100
Dissolved bone, % 400
Land plaster, 100
2,000
Many requests have been received from farmers in the
northern counties for formulae for tobacco, &c, without the
use of marl or cotton seed as a basis. This formula may be
composted in the same manner as described for formula
No.l.
Muriate of Potash is often used instead . of Sidphate, but pro-duces
a poorer quality of smoking tobacco*
Where chemicals are not to be obtained, good stable
manure or a high grade commercial fertilizer may be used,
with a plentiful addition of hard-wood ashes.
In regard to the amount to be used per acre, no general
rule can be given—it should vary with the condition of the
soil, from 400 to 500 pounds or even more per acre.
It is understood that only " high grade" chemicals are
intended to be used as additions to the cotton seed, &c.
Often Si formula may be blamed for poor results* which are
due to poor chemical ingredients. The Station is always
ready to test these chemicals free of charge. (See " Chemi-cals.")
Most of these formulae have been tested for two successive
seasons, differing greatly in character, and the Station has
yet to hear the first complaint against them. Their use is
rapidly increasing, and I can safely assert that they have
given geueral satisfaction in spite of poor chemicals, poor
cultivation in some cases, and unfavorable seasons in others.
*See bottom of page 55.
64
FIELD EXPERIMENTS.
The Board of Agriculture have wisely refrained, hitherto,
from ordering any field tests to be made at the Station, for
the following reasons
:
1st. These experiments are very expensive.
2d. They need to be conducted through a series of suc-cessive
years to be worth anything.
3d. Owing to the extreme diversity of soils in this State,
most results obtained would only benefit those farmers who
lived near Chapel Hill, or had soils of similar character to
ours.
As a means of education, these model farms and field ex-periments
are useful. There should be such a farm in con-nection
with the University—the Agricultural College of
the State. Capt. J. R. Hutchins and others have ably shown
the advantages to farmers and farmers' sons which such a
farm, connected with the University, would afford. When-ever
the Trustees and Faculty see their way clear to add to
the University's attractions a practical, experimental farm
it will doubtless be a pleasure to the Board of Agriculture
to order—as it will be to the officers of the Station to give
—
any analytical or practical aid or participation which may
be acceptable.
The only field experiments made through the Station
during 1878, were with one of the fertilizers which was sold
last year in the State. The reason the experiments were
instituted will be plain from the report below. The expe-riments,
though conducted with every possible precaution
by experienced farmers on different soils and crops, show
conclusively that there are " vagaries" in a soil test as the
criterion of the value of a fertilizer, as well as has been
asserted that there are in chemical analysis. The best that
can be said for one, and the least that can be affirmed of the
other is, that they will average correctly.
65
SILICA vs. AMMONIA.
Results of a comparative soil test of Popplein's Sili-cated
Phosphate with Peruvian Guano, Merryman's
Ammoniated Dissolved Bone, Chappell's Ammoniated
Superphosphate, Pacific Guano, &c.
explanations.
In June, 1377, 1 published among other analyses of com-mercial
fertilizers, one of the Popplein Silicated Phosphate,,
manufactured in Baltimore, Md. This analysis showed:
Soluble Phosphoric Acid, 2.48 per cent.
Insoluble " " 0.80 " "
Reverted " " 4.41 u "
Ammonia, none.
Potash, 3.43 per cent.
Commercial value, $20.00.
And in September a second analysis was published of
another lot, intended for the fall trade, as follows
:
Soluble Phosphoric Acid, 4.10 per cent.
Insoluble " , " 0.59 " "
Reverted " " 4.55 " "
Ammonia, none.
Potash, 2.71 per cent.
Commercial value, $23.00.
After the publication of the first analysis, I received a
letter from the manufacturers of this fertilizer, as follows
:
Baltimore, July 3d, 1877.
Albert R. Ledoux, Esq., Raleigh, N. C:
Dear Sir : Referring to the publication in the " Raleigh
" of 12th ult., of your table of "Analyses of Fertilizers,"
we find in same paper an attack upon us, founded upon the
valuations therein set forth. While we recognize and appre-ciate
the " animus" of this attack, we do not wish to be con-
5
66
demned unheard, and approach you as a scientific and we
believe impartial gentleman, to request that you will do us
justice, and, if in your power, correct the false impression
created by the two publications, b}^ giving us the position
to which we may prove ourselves entitled.
In the composition of our articles, we eliminate altogether arti-ficially
supplied Nitrogen or Ammonia, substituting therefor what
we believe to be a necessary and valuable ingredient—Infusorial
Earth or Diatomaceous Silica. That this article, hitherto, has
had no commercial valuation, as an element in Fertilizers,
is because it has but recently been introduced by ourselves,
w7ho alone possess the right to use it for fertilizing purposes.
That the ingredient does possess a value, as proven by results,
wre beg to enclose copies of two communications, from what
wTe believe you will recognize as an eminent authority, and
ask your consideration of them.*
At the valuations of Phosphoric Acid and Potash, adopted
by you, and with the rate of Soluble Silica given by the
Pennsylvania Board, the value of our article per Prof. Genth's
analysis, would be in your State $44.79 per ton. From your
analysis, assuming the same amount of Soluble Silica to be
present as in Prof. Genth's, our valuation would be $33.40
per ton, to which at least we think ourself entitled, and ask
?
as a matter of justice at your hands, that the correction be
made.
This we do, as we recognize that the status now given us
by you will damage us in the minds of many. Not that we
recognize any close connection between the so-called com-mercial
valuations and the actual value as proven by results,
to the planter or farmer. As to the latter, we point with
pride to the action of our article in your own State and else-where.
To the apprehension excited by these results, we attribute
the underhand attacks upon us, which doubtless are made
*The communications referred to were letters from Prof. F. A.Genth,
according to this fertilizer 5 cents per pound for the Soluble Silica which it
contained, and praising its composition very highly. A. r. l.
67
in the interest of some competitor, who, defeated in the field,
seeks to conquer us on paper.
Asking your respectful consideration of the matter herein
presented, and your prompt action thereon, I have the honor
to be, with respect,
Yours very truly,
W. Morris Orem, President.
To this I replied :
W. Morris Orem, Esq., President Popplein Silicated Phosphate
Fertilizer Company
:
Dear Sir :
I have not seen the article in the " Raleigh " to which
you refer. That there was so large a difference between the
commercial value of }^our fertilizer and the others which I
recently examined, was a matter of regret to myself, as lam
pleased whenever the brands I am called upon to analyze
show good results.
As to the Soluble Silicic Acid, I admit the weight of the
precedent established by Prof. Genth, and respect his scien-tific
knowledge and reputation ; and, although I am well
aware of the part Silica plays in vegetable organisms, yet I
still have to be convinced that the general soil of North Car-olina
is so deficient in that substance, in sufficiently assimila-ble
form, to render it necessary for farmers to purchase it at
five cents per lb., or at any price. I consider the locations
comparatively rare where an application of Silicic Acid is
either a necessity or advisable. So I cannot conscientiously
do more than I have in the matter, viz : call special atten-tion
to the presence of the Diatomaceous earth, and say that
for certain peculiar soils I might consider it a useful addi-tion
in a fertilizer.
Admitting that the figures used by different Chemists and
Agriculturists for the valuation of the Phosphoric Acid,
Nitrogen and Potash, are susceotible of criticism, I believe
<
68
that at least they afford the best means of comparing different
fertilizers with each other.
* You will have noticed that I give a higher rate of valua-tion
for Phosphoric Acid and Potash than Prof. Genth.
When next a sample of your fertilizer comes into my
hands, as it probably will in the Fall among others, nothing
will give me more pleasure than to find the percentage
of Soluble Phosphoric Acid and Potash so high as to allow
me to call attention to the improvement, and to assign it a
very good place in my table of comparative commercial
values.
Yours sincerely,
Albert R. Ledoux.
From these letters, and others received, the matter under
consideration could be stated as follows : The Popplein Co
put no Ammonia ok Nitrogen, in any shape, in their fer-tilizer,
CLAIMING THAT NATURE ALWAYS PROVIDES IT IN SUF-FICIENT
QUANTITY. They add to every ton of their fer-tilizer
800 lbs. of Infusorial Earth. (See " New Ideas on
Fertilization," published by Popplein Phosphate Co., page 2.)
This Infusorial Earth contains a certain amount of Soluble Sil-ica,
and for this Soluble Silica they claim an agricultural value.
A value of five cents a pound is accorded to this Soluble Sil-ica
by Dr. Genth, Chemist of the Pennsylvania Board of
Agriculture, and by the Chemist of the Delaware Agricul-tural
Bureau. As stated in my letter just quoted, my own
experience and belief would not allow me conscientiously to
place a money value upon Soluble Silica as an ingredient of
fertilizers, as I do upon Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and Pot-ash.
The Popplein Fertilizer having no Ammonia, and being
allowed no value for the Soluble Silica which it contained,
fell, of course, very low in my table of commercial valuations.
The manufacturers therefore wrote me again, asking that,
although they could not expect me to go against my con-science
and give them a value for their Soluble Silica, they,
69
nevertheless, requested that, when next I published an anal-ysis
and valuation of their fertilizer, I would call attention
to the fact that Dr. Genth does recognize the justice of their
claim. This I have done. fSee "Analysis and Valuation of
Fertilizers for 1877 and 1878," page 28.) There the matter
rested for a while. During the winter I received another
letter from the Popplein Company, saying that they were so
thoroughly convinced that a practical field test of their fer-tilizer
would prove conclusively the agricultural value of
their Silica, that they would donate to the Experiment Sta-tion
five tons or less, provided I would make an impartial
and thorough test of the question at issue. I have fre-quently
taken the ground in defending our system of fertil-izer
valuation that "not only commercially but agricul-turally
a complete manure, which has the least excess of
selling price over valuation will, in the long run, best repay
the farmer." (" Analysis and Valuation of Fertilizers,
1877-78," page 19.) Such being my belief, I readily under-took
the experiment, being authorized to do so by the Board
of Agriculture. I wrote to the manufacturers requesting that
they send me four tons. This they did, attaching to -the
gift but a single condition, viz: that the results of the ex-periment
be published by me officially.
Ihe question before us now was to determine whether a fertil-izer
containing Soluble Silica, but no Ammonia, could hold its own
with, or excel a non-silicated but ammoniated fertilizer.
In order to secure impartial results, I determined to have
the experiment conducted upon soils of different character
and upon different crops. To this end I requested the fol-lowing
gentlemen, practical farmers of great reputation and
accustomed to conduct such experiments, to take charge of
the agricultural tests:
James Norwood, Esq., Poplar Hill Stock Farm, Hillsboro',
N. C.
Captain J. R. Hutchins, four miles east of Chapel Hill.
Hon. W. F. Stroud, in Chatham county, six miles south
of Chapel Hill.
70
Mr. C. W. Johnston, four miles north of Chapel Hill.
To these gentlemen I gave the greater part of the four
tons, and prepared instructions as to the manner in which I
wished the experiments conducted and the reports of their
results to be made.
In order to test thoroughly the Ammonia question, I ob-tained
from Messrs. Hobson, Hurtado & Co., Agents for the
Consignees of the Peruvian Government, a quantity of Pe-ruvian
Guano of different grades; this guano having the
highest percentage of Ammonia of all fertilizers sold in the
State.* The gentlemen conducting the experiment also ob-tained
for themselves such other commercial fertilizers as
they desired to include in the tests.
The first step was to obtain samples for analysis of all
these fertilizers. The four tons of Popplein's were sampled
according to written instructions, by one of my assistants,
while it was in the railroad station at Durham. Instruc-tions
for sampling were sent to the experimenters, acting
upon which they forwarded to me samples of such fertil-izers
as they proposed to use.
The following is the analysis of the lot of four tons of Pop-plein's
Silicated Phosphate, drawn by my agent at Durham,
N. C, Feb. 15th, 1878, to be used in comparative experi-ment^
Water at 212° F 18.83 percent.
Soluble Silica 17.12
Insoluble Silica (sand) 21.02
Potash 3.87
Total Phosphoric Acid 10.76 "
Soluble " " 1.68
*The gentlemen conducting the experimenting, in deference to my wishes,
agreed to purchase this guano, Messrs. H. H. & Co. kindly delivering it at
a reduced price.
fThis analysis shows that the manufacturers did not send a specially pre-pared
lot, as it differs but little in composition from other consignments sold
in the State.
71
Inso luble Phosphoric Acid 1.05 per cent.
Reverted " " 8.03 «
Commercial value, $25.68 per ton.
Note—Sample tested carefully for Nitrogen, contains no Nitrogen,
either as Nitrates or in any other form.
Analysis of a sample of Merryman's Ammoniated Dissolved
Bone, drawn according to written instructions and forwarded
to the Station, by James Norwood, of Hillboro', N. C, rep-resenting
a lot to be used in comparative experiment
:
Water at 212° F 12.08 per cent.
Sand 1.13 "
Total Phosphoric Acid 15.71 a
Soluble " " 12.44 "
Insoluble " " 2.18 "
Reverted " .
" 1.09 "
Nitrogen 2.53 Equivalent to Ammonia 3.07.
Potash 0.20
Commercial value per ton (2,000 lbs.), $48.56.
Analysis of a sample of Chappell's Champion Ammo-niated
Superphosphate, drawn and forwarded by Capt. J. R.
Hutchins, and representing a lot to be used in comparative
experiment:
Water at 212° F 20.89 per cent.
Sand 2.06 "
Total Phosphoric Acid 12.29 "
Soluble " " 7.72 "
Insoluble " " 1.88 "
Reverted u " 2.69 "
Nitrogen , 2.99 Equivalent toAmmonia, 3.64.
Potash 2.02
Commercial value per ton (2,000 lbs.), $42.00.
The Peruvian Guano was of four different grades, and as
follows
:
72
No. 1 Peruvian Quarto, No. 1 Peruvian Guano,
Rectified. Guaranteed (B.)
PER CENT. PER CENT.
Ammonia, 9.70 Ammonia 11.50
Soluble Phos. Acid, 12.25 Soluble Phos. Acid, 5.40
Reverted " 2.00 Reverted " 10.00
Insoluble " none Insoluble 1.70
Total " 14.25 Total " 17.11
Potash, 2.00 Potash, 2.30
Commercial value,. ...$72.34 Commercial value, $77.94
Peruvian Guano No. 2 No. 1. Peruvian Guano,
Rectified (" Oneco") ' Lobos.
PER CENT. PER CENT.
Ammonia, 3.40 Ammonia 6.00
Soluble. Phos. Acid, 13.60 Total Phos.Acid,15.00 to 18.00
Reverted * ....3.30 Potash, 2.00 to 5.00
Potash, 3.40 Com. val., $55.20 (estimated).
Commercial value, . ...$57.62.
The Popplein Silicated Phosphate was distributed as fol-lows:
To James Norwood, Esq., 1 ton.
To Hon. W. F. Stroud, 1 ton.
To Capt. J. R. Hutchins, 1 ton.
To C. W. Johnston, Esq., \ ton.
The balance (f ton) was given to the following gentle-men,
residents of the town of Chapel Hill
:
Mr. W. J. Newton, 400 lbs.
Mr. James B. Mason, 200 lbs.
Mr. A. Mickle, 200 lbs.
Mr. Charles Jones, 200 lbs.
This \ ton was distributed in Chapel Hill so that it would
be easier for me to watch the course of the experiment, and
notice the appearance of the crops from time to time.
The four grades of Peruvian Guano were purchased by
the gentlemen conducting the test, as follows :
73
James Norwood, Esq., took No. 1 Rectified, Guaranteed
B and Lobos.
Hon. W. F. Stroud took No. 1 Rectified, Guaranteed B
and Lobos.
Capt. J. R. Hutchins took Guaranteed B and Lobos.
Mr. C. W. Johnston took No. 2 Rectified (Oneco).
Mr. J. B. Mason^took No. 1 Lobos.
RESULTS.
The summer of 1878 was notable in the central counties
of the State for a severe drought, during the early portion,
and remarkably protracted rains during the latter part.
While this would not injuriously affect the value of compara-tive
field operations, it nevertheless might prevent large and
unusual yields. I will now give the written reports of the
experimenters. The questions which they were requested
to answer as far as possible were as follows :
First, general description, including crops experimented
with, area devoted to experiment, general method of con-ducting
experiment, and results ; and, second, any peculiar
characteristics resulting from the application of any one of
the fertilizers, in growth or product, such as whether the
portion to which any one of the brands was applied stood
the drought, the attacks of rust, etc., or the wet, better than
another; whether any one brand caused the crop to mature
more rapidly than the others, &c, &c.
The experimenters report as follows
:
1st—James Norwood, Esq.
Statement of crops cultivated and fertilized with Popplein's
Silicated Phosphate, by the side of other commercial ma-nures,
for Dr. A. R. Ledoux, State Chemist
:
74
IRISH POTATOES.
Soil—Stiff red clay, grass sward (used for the scythe for
three years). Twenty (20) four-horse loads of well- rotted
cattle manure, made under shelter, applied broadcast on
three-fourths (f) of an acre, and turned under in December,
'77, with " Rough and Ready'1 iron-beam plow from 7 to
10 inches. Allowed to take the freezes until middle of
February : then twice harrowed with " Carhart's Patent
Reversible Harrow" (the best I ever saw, and no farmer
should be without it). March 14th, rebroke with two-horse
" Livingstone" plow, and twice harrowed. Run off drills
1\ feet apart with one-horse plow, and used 200 lbs. Pop-plein's
Silicated Phosphate, in drills, per acre (at that rate).
By its side 200 lbs. Rectified Peruvian, 200 lbs. Guaranteed
Peruvian, 200 lbs. Lobos, and. 200 lbs. John Merryman's
A