Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-08-30

Or, shall we still cling to these theories
mausre the facts. merely because we nave
already spen, so much time IN laoor'ous eI.
forts to sustain them! can answer
onlv for myself by saying, that | viii
ever abide by facts in preference even to
my own opinion, whenever they contiIc'
with each other. But in regard 10 the SUBJ
iec, now under considerations believe
there is perfect accordance between them
Your subscriber however, may possibly
think tha, have '.jurnped too speedily to
my conclusions )" | will therefore, respect
fully offer to him such explanation of the
operation Of surface spread manures, as ha.
been satisfactory, at least 10 myself Should
il prove so to him, | shall have gained my
object IN complying with his request.
NV belief, founded on the facts already
stated, is, that all the fertilizing substances
of manures are SOLUBLE in water, and will
remain uniniuredd themselves, and useless
to plants until the solution begins, whether
they be deposited on or under the earth's
surface. also believe, that this solution
is caused by every fall of rain, and is i'm.
mediately absorbed by the subjacent soil,
which absorption results from two causes !;
firs,, the principle of gravity, and secondly,
the stronger attraction Of The earth than of
the atmosphere, for every substance in So
luton which constitutes the food of plants.
Moreover, that the earth never paris with
this feod, when thus absorbed, to any thing
but the plants themselves for it's their
peculiar aliment, and not that ofthe atmos:
ehore, whose existence, for ought we know
to the contrary, is entirely independent Of
it, although its agency seems essential to the
health and vigor Of plants. II this were
not the fact il, (for example, the earth did
give the best and greatest proportion OF TINS
food to the atmosphere; or, it 1t escaped
from surface spread manure, before gravity
and attraction could impart it to the earth,
then the evaporation which is supposed TO
be the medium Of conveyance, and which
is known to be constantly going on from
the soil, would, 10 process of time. certainly
render il barren, even without any cultlvas
ton whatever. Yet neither total nor par
iia. barrenness is ever known to be produ.
ced by any other cause, than incessant cul''
ture without manure. That evaporation
does take off something from manure while
in moist state is proved by the offensive
srnell which constantly exhales from it un.
I'll it is entirely dry. This smell is excited
by q gas which is said BY some, to con'a'n
the most valuable portion Of the food Of
plants. But admit the fact, where is the
proof of this portion being lost? | say
there IS none. On the contrary, We have
,shat & think conclusive reason for bellev.
ing, that this food is Immediately given by
the atmosphere TO the tops Of plants, as more
suitable to them than TO their roofs. my
reason for this belief is, the result Of the
following experiment which | have known
to be repeated several times. All tho bark
was taken of from around the body Of GER
tain young trees, in ring about three inch'
es wide. for the purpose, in the first case
which, l. cav, OF ascertaining whether this
process would not kill the tree. But to the
surprise Of US all, not more than year or
two elapsed. before that part Of the body
above the ring became obviously larger
than the part below, and this difference 10
size increased ever year afterwards, as
had frequent opportunities Of noticing.
Another reason why believe, that ma
nures act better, ifspread on the surface OF
land, than when buried under Il IN the Gus
tomary manner, is, that in the first case, the
rain water carries the dissolved substances
DO deeper ,hanthe roots Of mos' OF our Gull
,ivated plants always grow, unless they are
forced out Of their natural course and
there these substances remain fast held by
the earth,s chemical afiaity, until the strong
er attraction oi the spongioles OF the roots
berios to act upon them. Bon IN the sec.
ond case, that is, where manure is ploughed
under as soon as spread, all the food, OF
plants contained therin, being placed ut
once quite as deep as their spong'oles ma
turulIy grow, and this too, before the rains
begin to dissolve il, the subsequent solutions
caused thereby, necessarily sink sill deeper,
and generally beyond The reach oftbe plants
for whose nourishment they are designed.
In no other way can account forihe long
noticed and invariable superiority of crops
produced by surface spread manure, to those
produced by that which was ploughed in.
To me there appears to be but this aiier-
native, either to deny the facts already sta.
ted, which myself have often Witnessed,
or TO explain them, (if we must theorise on
the subject at all.) in some such way as the
one which ! have just offered d to Your sub
seriber, and to such others of our brethren
as may choose to examine il. Permit me
further 10 add, that on this subject nature.
herself seems to offer US useful lesson, It
we were not too wise in our own conceits to
be taught by such an instrustress; for |