The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-12-22 00:00:00

DORCHESTER FARMERS CLUB.

The monthly meeting of this club was held at the
King's Arms Hotel on Saturday evening. The lecturer
was Mr. W. C. Spooner, of Southampton. Who had
kindly promised to bring the subject °Vile Influence.'
which govern the Growth of /toots," before the
members of the club. In the absence of the President
of the Society, G. J. Wood, Esq., the chair was occupied
by James Harding, Esq., whilst Mr. J. Homer dis-
charged the duties of vice-chairman. After some pre-
liminary business had been transacted,
The CHAIRMAN expressed the pleasure it afforded him
of seeing Mr. Spooner present, who was not only known
in thin the county town of Dorset, but in every county
town of England, the Metropolis, and elsewhere. He
((be Chairman) was sure they were highly proud and
pleased that Mr. Spooner had done them the honour of
being present that evening to enlighten them upon a
lecture which, without doubt,would be extremely adda-
ble, especially when 'delivered by one Who was so well
able to enlighten any part of England. The Charman
then called upon the lecturer to introduce his subject.
Mr. Setmess, who on rising was received with every
demonstration of welcome, said he had much pleasure
in complying with the request of their committee, to
introduce a subject before their young but flourishing
club. He could net help thinking that it was the duty
of eery one when requested to do a useful act to intro.
duce any subject, or otherwise render my service to the
community if they had it in their power or means, and
they should not allow any obstacle to prevent them.
He adopted that practice, and although they night
get some criticism or censure it was the beat plan in the
long run. The subject he had selected wu very
appropriate to a Paruter's Club. It wan one which they
meet acknowledge to be of great importance—that of the
influences which govern the growth of roots. In an
usembly of farmers it would be unnecessary for him to
detain them by making any observations as to the ins-
eortance of the subject, because they were aware that
the growth of roots was that peculiar feature which not
only distinguished the agriculture of this country from
all others, but which enabled it to stand preeminent.
Thus., by the gmeth of roots, the population of this
kingdom was supplied with abundance of healthy animal
foods; for they must be aware that if the production of
beef and mutton depended upon the grumps of picture
land of the country they would fall abort indeed of the
demand. And when they knew also that the Eastern
counties alone 'applied the Loudon markets with
more beef and mutton thin any other part of
Ragland or Scotland, and that it was the prunee
in those counties to fatten their animals upon the
roots grown upon the farms without the aid of arti-
ficial food, no stronger argument would be wanted to
urge the importance of a subject which was of so
Interesting a character to agriculturists. The influence,
which governed the growth of roots were three or four-
fold. They ought to consider the soil, the atmosphere,
and then the artificial means which were employed so
successfully in this country to assist the one and the
other. He should detain them for a few minutes upon
the subject of the soil, because proper preparation of
the soil for the growth of roots was • subject which
warn more familiar to bin audience than it was to himself.
It would be vain for him to endeavour to show them any-
thing they did,not know relntive to the physical improve-
ment of the moil and its adaption to the growth of roots.
Not many yeas ago it mut considered necessary, before
the subject was so well understood as at the present
time, indeed it WWI thought essential, that land should
receive five ploughings at least. There was a sort of
superstitious adherence to this practice, and farmers
used to consider that there would be no chance
of • crop except they had their land
ploughed so many timed. In these days
this erroneous opinion was dismissed, because
now it was well known that if they obtained the proper
physical quality of the soil—that is, if It could be suffi-
ciently pulverised so as to admit the atmosphere, by
two or even one ploughing, the result would be equal,
or even still more. If they could with two ploughings,
the land being clean, reduce it to • state of pulverisa-
tion, then the amount of moisture which had accumu-
lated in the soil during the winter would not be dis-
sipated to that degree if it waa turned over no many
times. There was no doubt in the world, that one of
the greatest causes of the failure of the turnip crop
many years since was the custom which WAS then con-
sidered necessary of taming over and harrowing the
soil so much dunng the summer months and dissipating
the moisture. They all agreed in this, and he trusted
the gentlemen meant would take up this subject
whet' be had finished, and enlighten him and
their other brother members of the club, as
to the best mechanical system which they had
found most succewful for the growth of mote.
Mr. Spooner then dwelt on the influence of the atmos-
phere. The soil, they had seen, must be in that state
to admit a proper di.tribution of the food of the plant.
or at lout that portion of the root which was derived
through the medium of the soil as well as the moisture
acting as its vehicle. However, it was well known that
the soil in itself contained • great deal of its
primitive fertility, yet when speaking of • crop
of swedes, far the greatest part of the solid
matter of that crop was derived—not Irom the soil or
manure, but front the atmosphere. Now it was • fact
that the growth of roots was more successful in this
country than in any other part of the Continent, or in
any part of the world. With the exception icf some of
the rich lands in Belgium, Holland, and Germany, the
(teeter part of the Continent scarcely know what it Cu
to grow roots; and'although in this country they had, as
the most important of their root crops, the swede
turnip, yet in the country which had given name to
that root it was comparatively unknown. Therefore,
although it might have been brought from Sweden, it
was in some more temperate countries that the root
arrived at the perfection it has attained. The atmos-
phere was, therefore, very important, and one of the
most important influences which regulated the growth
of roots. In this country they were blessed with at-
mosphere and climate which admirably suited this plant.
They had • temperate climate; not that heat which
existed on the Continent, nor that amount°, rain, both
of which were prejudicial to the crop. In winter iey
were not visited with that snow which in lluoia and
other pieces would prevent the crop being fed off on the
soil, unless it was taken up in the autumn and carefully
stored in the winter. Thus it was that in this country
they were enabled to fat off and produce large '
quantities of beef and mutton on the soil. The rain-
falls were of great importance bees. It was not
enough that sufficient rain should fell to fill
the springs, but to penetrate the sub-soil, and
thus allow, during the warmer portion of the year, that
evaporation to take place so that the roots might be fed
with a sufficient amount of moisture. This was
especially the case in his county, and during the lentil
years the average amount of ran had been from 24 to
27 inches. In some years the average had been 26
inches, but afterwards the average was reduced some 2
or 3 inches but the last two years the amount of rain
had again been restored. It was not only important
that this amount of moisture should fall during the
yea, but it was necessary that it should fall with some
degree of equality. Taking the aversge of the rain-falls,
there was no month which averaged less than one inch.
If during June and July they had less than one inch of
rain, they hail moon to fear that the root crop would
come very short. There were often very erroneous
impressions as to which were considered the wettest
and driest months in the year, and whether the matter
was foreign or not to his lecture, it was interesting
to know. The dry•st month was February, and the
next March, and for the last 11 years October had been
the wettest. It was often thought to be contrary;
however, they mule not tippet figures. He bad kept a
list of the rain averages for some yearn past, and such
was the fact. It was essential not only that in order
to have a good root crop that they should have from le
to 2 inches' of rain daring June and July, but that they
should have a fair amount of rain during the autumn, it
mattered not whether in September or October. It
was, however, essential to have rain without a glut of
it. This year the crops had suffered in Hampshire to
a great extent on amount of having so much dry
weather at once, or eci much wet. From these two
extremes might be deducted the fact of there being a
great deficiency in roots in many other counties. This
was the ease especially in many of the Eastern and
Midland Pleonasm. It did not always follow that where
there was the largest quantity of rain the result would
be in (behest rootabeceuse the growth of roots cruppers
successful in the Eastern than in the Western counties.
In the West there had not been too mach rain for the
grass, bet for the growth of roots it required • moderate
gradual amount of rain—too much moisture was not
favourable. At the sane time they suffered more in dry
weather, and thus it was that they were more sucaseshd
in growing nsangolds than they were in their swede
crops. Taking the average of the root crops the avi-
culturists of the Eastern counties were MOM successful
in their growth, although the average rain was lees than
twenty inches during the year, compared with our 28
inches, Extreme hut and extreme cold were therefore
alike unfavourable for the growth of roots, and it was
important that they should endeavour to preserve as
much of the moisture in the soil. The finer the tillage
theism the =Quote( moisturettiat would snooped. It wits
owing to this cars and precaution adopted in the Eastern
counties that they were enabled to do with a less amount
of moisture than was the cage in other places They did
not require so much manure in consequence of the
tn. amnia.] condition to which they could reduce their
mil. So much moisture was not wanted in the Eastern
counties as on chalky soils. Much of the nourishment
Si ',lute derived from the soil was obtained from the
atmosphere, the soil being the vehicle. If they bunted
• turnip they found the greater part was dissipated,
and
.paesed away into the atmosphere—the smaller
portion remaining behind, something like 3,4, or 5 per
cent. This smaller per mintage consisted of • to•ch
greater number of materials than the larger amount
dissipated through the atmosphere. The earths which
could not be burnt consisted of a various number of
elements, such as phosphate of lime, carbonate of
lime, clborine, =sweetie, to., and many other matters.
The larger Portion of the food of the plant white was

derived from the atmosphere was composed of four
elements; but these components had been for • long
time dieting •ished by such herd words that farmers
could Le reality excused for not retaining them in their
memory They were called oxygen. hydrogen, carbon.
and nitrogen. llt Spooner then remarked that if these
words bad been less difficult farmers could sowed
better, and said ha knew many gentlemen who acre
well informed on other matters, and had • good know-
ledge of agriculture, often make mi.talles in these
words.
mligtrtwt. a bi.i me
obeuldcibeedagood,,
oityphingn,f„orafar:ry
ershytob.callt
their horses in the stables by these names. A fie
" " rbo
Nitrogen." (Laughter.) The greater andp
turnip consisted of carbon, and although it was value-
able, too much was of no use. The lecturer then gave
instances of the effect which carbon produced on
afttai:lno of
one
men
remarkaningd animals rt when
ass ocewinngtined in places.
t.
the presence
that gas that so many fatal cases oftenoorre of
d
to men in wells. After ths large leaves of the
turnip was formed they acted as so many large
lunge to the plant, and it was by this means that the
m'itn was taken •13. The carbon was taken up and
assimilated with the plant whilst the oxygen was re-
turned to the atmosphere. In artificisl manures little
or nothing of carbon WU supplied, because hydrogen
was an element of water, and it was nemoury that
hydrogen and oxygen should combine; for the turnip
plant contained no less than 90 p w or-nt. of water, and
unless this 90 per cent, was freely supplied the other 10
per cent, could not he obtained at &IL It was only by
means of water that this manure could enter into the
system of the plant. There. had been .01110 controversy
diet her certain poisons were not taken from the soil
Into the plant, but the question had not been answered.
At all events there was no fear of this if the acids were
made from sulphur. They bad thus seen that carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen were Saheb freely into the system
of the plant, carbon principally by means of the atmce.
phere. There Wit now another gas—nitrogen. It was
• molt imPortant gas, occupying no leas thAti four-fifths
of the atmosphere. The atmosphere mainly Doubted
of oxygen and hydrogen, the former occupying
one-fifth, and the latter fonr.fifths. The principal
use of this nitrogen was to dilate the oxygen, for with-
out the old of this gas tl.e world would be burnt up in
a very short time Therefore, it was essential that the
other gases should be diluted by means of nitrogen.
Nitrogen they might consider as being one of the most
abundant and cheapest gasses in the atmosphere,
and although it had suggested itself to chemists that if
this gas abounded so much in the atmosphere, if it was
noceesary, a certain quantity of it should be supplied in
the growth of roots or cereals, the atmosphere seemed
lb. natural source from whence it should be derived,
He nimarked that every attempt had failed to take
nitrogen from the atmosphere, although it
existed in the greatest poseible quantity, yet Providence
it. Died man power to use it up. The lecturer then
alluded to ammonia, and said they were all familiar
with it because it was • most valuable subatanos. This
ammonia mainly consisted of nitrogen, 17 parts of the
former containing 14 parts of the latter. After alluding
to other properties contained in ammonia, Mr. Spooner
said some 25 or 30 yeses ago there was • considerable
degree of obscurity with regard to different substances
essential for manure. There were • great many vague
theories laid down, most of which were founded
In error. They had heard of the Humus theory, which
*as that the Humus or black earth was the agent which
supplied plants with food, and it was long before
chemists could dismiss from their minds by a succes-
sion of crops the earth would become exkausted and
different countriesterouldbeeomeharren. When, however,
greater attention had bun paid to this subject, and
when it was found that the plant itself absorbed such
a large quantity from the atmosphere ; when it was
found that a tree or shrub would increase in size when
there was only just sufficient to attach it to the earth;
and when in process of time that which was only • few
grains or • few ounces increased to cwts, and tons, the
whole being derived from the atmosphere, when this
theory was so well understood, the Humus theory
was then dismissed from the minds of chemists.
This was one of the greatest discoveries of the
chemist of that time. During that time very
little was known about earths, and it was tonal for
chemists, whenever they analysed any substance, to
dismiss the subject by stating that there was so much
per oentage of ash, without stating what it was com-
posed of, whilst it was afterwards found the elemenls
it comprised were of the greatest possible importance,
although perhaps not existing more than one per cent.
in • 1,000, still were most essential to the soil, Professor
Johnson held to the argument that the greater part of
the benefit of bones was due not to the earthy part but
to the nitrogenic or cartilaginous part; but when bone
was divided into its two most important elements,
the earthy and cartilaginous parts,. or applied as
manure, the benefit MU so Infinitely greater from
the earthy pert, that it at once Nettled the
question. Supposing 20 tons of swedes were
analysed and found to contain so much ash, and
with lees than 1 cwt. of phosphate of lime, or less than
31 lbs. of lime in • ton of roots, it might well excite
the astonishment of chemists to find that this peculiar
element made all the difference between a good and
bad crop. Hundreds of experiments convinced them
that the peculiar and essential manure for turnips was
phosphate of lime. This was explained by the fact
that it was the custom in the country to feed off a crop
of roots, and the phosphate of lime was taken away in
the form of bone and flesh of the animals, whilst the
potash was returned almost entirely to the soil in
M•Ill I.: again. Hence one of the, strongest reasons for
supplying phosphate of lime was because it was taken
away in the form of beef and mutton, and still
more in cheese and wheat; whilst the potash was
for the most part left behind in the form of
manure. Another reason was that the great growth of
the turnip crop was made during • very short ported;
incbed it was necessary that • great deal of the growth
should take place in a short time. There was another
fact which was important. The leaves of turnips con-
tained double the quantity of phosphate of limo that
roots did, as the leaves were put out before the bulb
made any growth. This might be explained by showing
phosphate of lime to be the peculiar fool for the leaves
in their infant state, enabling them to spread out and
derive that amount of nutriment, not only from the
atmosphere, but from the soil, because in proportion to
the development of tho leaves would be the de-
velopment of the roots and fibres which came
from them. If the leaves were thus assisted, these
fibres, which were the mouths of the plants would
be increased to an enormous extent, It WU
about twenty yean ago since what was called
superphosphate of lime was introduoul, but for many
years previous bones were used to • large extent, and
with great success, because it was • new manure, and
the soil had been partially exhausted of its ...milled '
matter. Then the different Ueda found in the soil,
more especially carbonic acid, bad the power of dissolv-
ing the phosphate of lime causing it to be more
diffused. Then clone the introduction of superphosphate,
which was due to the suggestion of Liehig, although he
did not act upon his discovery, as he thought it would
injure the manure and make it too soluble--hence it was .
that there had been so many failuresin artificial manures.
1„,.. 40,.,,,,i• then illustrated his remarks by chemical
tests of the action of acids on phosphate of lime in
bones. After explaining the component parts of bones,
and the elf ecteof acids, Mr. Spooner proceeded to say that
It must beacknowledged by all that if they Lad to depend
upon bones alone, the supply would have indeed fallen
far short of the demand. The *hole world had been
raked to supply this phosphate. A considerable quan-
tity was obtained from South America, being from
counties/ flocks of animals which were slaughtered and
burned for the sake of tallow. Whether this trade WU
likely to continue or not be could not say, but they had
no reason to be afraid of it, bemuse phosphate of lime
was found in many countries. Mr. Spooner than es-
hibited a stone found in Norway called appedite, and
also another st ,ne called phospbodite, from Spain,which
contained from 80 to 90 per cent of phosphate of lime.
He likewiee showed some Sombrero phosphate, found
In the West Indies, whisth was • valuable athetanelt
containing phosphate of lime, magnesia, and all those
eesentials which were useful as manure. Phosphate wee
also found in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, con • •
from 60 to 65 per cent, of phosphate of lime. The
tame
drawback to this however was that it contained a
quantity of carbonite of lime, and a considerable quan-
tity of acid, The lecture was then illustrated by
experiments on eoprolites and other manures, showing
the effect which took place in the manures deposited in
the earth, after which Mr. Spooner observed that
although it was essential that phosphate of lime should
be applied in a soluble state, it was not taken up in
that form by the plant, it became insoluble in the same
manner as he had endeavoured to show by his experi-
ments. It might then be asked what was the use of the
expensive proses* of making it salable. The reason was
that although it was rendered insoluble before taken up
and becoming the food of the plant, yet whilst in
• soluble state the rain came and dissipated it in
difierent ports of the soil, and divided it ten thousand
times more than it was before. It had been tried what
were the effects of phosphate of lime for increasing the
turnip crops, and it was found necessary to employ 8
or 12 tons of ammonia, whilst a few owes, of phosphate
achieved the same result. Bo easentisl was it that
phosphate of lime should be employed. He then alluded
to sonic experiments made by Mr. Lewes, showing the
beneficial reunite arising from the application of phos-
phate of lime. In conclusion Mr. Spooner expreased a
hope that the members of the club would take up the
subject, and not refrain from asking any questions, as
he should be happy to give any information as to the
influences which governed the growth of roots.
Mr. DIMINISH said • friend of his, when sowing
turnips, having used his stock of hone manure, sub-
stituted pollard and bran, which answered equal to
bones. He asked Mr. Spooner to explain the matter.
Mr. Seoosza said the vegetable portion of the bran
was converted into carbonic acid, which had the effect of
diluting the phosphate of lime in the bract.
Mr. CLIENRNIII said, as an mrriculturist of 30 years'
standing, he had applied bone manure upon chalky
soil, upon stiff clay subsoil, and upon seedy soil, and he
had found the greatest effect to he on the latter. He
wished to know which would be the best manure to
apply to termini upon each of these soils.
Mr Semmes replied that perhaps the calcareous
matter in the sub-soil had produced the effect. It was
the best gent for rendering the phosphate in-soluble.
That was • point which had troubled chemists very
' much.
Mr. DEVENDSH asked whether Mr. Spooner was ac.
quainted with the soil in the neighbourhood of
Ringwood. He nuderstood that it was favourable for
' the growth of swedes.
Mr. SPOON ER replied that the land contained • great
quantity of phosphate of lime.
' Mr. Curmegre inquired what was the best artificial
' manure for the growth of turnips in this country upon
1 a chalky subsoil.
Mr. SPOONER replied, plenty of phosphate of lime.
The greatest result would be obtained by • certain
per center(' of phosphide of lime and a small quantity
' of bone-dust and guano mixed with it. Phosphate of
. lime was • most essential manure.
Mr. S. 'LIAM° wished to know the reason why
phosphate of lime did not effect the deny, hash soils in
the neighbourhood of Sherburne?
Mr. Broomall replied that it was on aosorint of the
green sand cropping out, which contained plenty of
superphosphate. In reply to Mr. SitOlotati Mr.
Semmes said guano would act with greater effect upon
such land,
Mr. Dauer said his 001d0CININS in Shoehorns did not
flee supsrplumphate-41my employed guano.
Mr. SRUIDM stated that be had used salt as a
manure oa different paste of his farm, but it would not
answer on account of losing so near the sat
Mr. S. HAIM(' mid ie was inclined to think that