Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-10-09
WU1B RARU1a

md the greatest Of my pride is to sec my ewes Craze
ind my lambs suck "-Shakspeare's As you like IT, ,
From the British Farmers Magazine.
ON THE EXCRE-l
TORY POWERS OF PLANTS, &c.
The lately discovered doctrine of the ex- I
cretory powers of the roots and plants, al
though it was rather startling to us, and slowly
received at first, is now beginning to be
embraced by the generality ofscientfic men.
The doctrine being first adopted and pro-
mulgated by several leading men, about the
same time in England as well as on the con-
tncnt, gained for it a ready acceptance with
many, who, however, had some difficulty in
explaining and proving what they protested
to believe. That the soil Immediately in
contact with the roots and other parts of the
plant which grow in it, must receive some
Of faint, either by emulation, respiration, or
other mode of discharge of its fluids, is per-
fcctly feasible and that the faint is appreci-
able by our senses, both of sight and scent,
is undeniable. But whether this faint or
discharge from the plant be poisonous or
only useless to the plants of the same kind
which succeed, is the question not yet clearly
decided. Directors insist that 1t is not what
is left that's delctcrous, but what is taken
array which renders the soil less suitable to
the second crop of the same kind. Every
different species Of plant, say they selects its
own peculiar kind of food, and therefore the
second cannot find so much as the first, un-
les the exhausted plot be rcpenished with
that of which il has been deprived. But the
abettors of the emulation notion, say this is
impossible; that no rcplenishment of even
the richest dress will Operate so as to make
the second as good as the first crop. This
is, perhaps, carrying the idea Of cxcrcmental
poisoning too far; because farm may be
so exhausted under a regular rotation of
cropping, as to be at least unfit to bear any
kind of crop until again visited by the dung
cart. We often see in cottage gardens on
ions and cabbagcs repeatedly grown on the
same spot, without any material falling of,
provided the annual application of ashes and
other swccpings about the house are bestOw-
ed to assist the crop.
1t is quite possible, however, that one
species of plant may be not only unhurt by
the cxuvia Of another, but even thrive in it, as
beans and wheat are known to do, alterna-
ting for many consecutive years. And more
over, as beans, drilled and properly labored
by horse and hand hoes, are cleansing crop,
and if the drills Of this year were to occupy
the intervals of those Of the last, it might be
possible, as Tull used to say, to grow beans
every year upon the same field; but this fol
many reasons, would not be eligible, even il
practicable.
) But some of those who strenuously support
the theory Of Professor De Candoc, relative
to the in furious G cctmcnts of previous crops
not only insist OH the validity of the profess.
or's opinion, but maintain that it is consistcn
with fixed law Of nature, namely, that NJ
plant is destined by nature to occupy CON
stantly the same station. That they arr
/. consli,uionally endowed with powers or ten
S denotes by which they desert or fly from tin
q place of their birth; as if by kind of per
ccpton they knew that their parents had de
vourcd all the food which they would require
for themselves.
:, We have many instances of the progen,
u forsakeing the mother; some seeds have par
= achatc wings to fly away with; others ar,
, contained in seed vessels, which when acte,
0 upon by the heat of the sun, burst with sucl
: elastic force as to scatter the seeds to con
E; siderable distance around. By many othc
II means are seeds dispersed ;'by winds, b.
f; currents Of water, by birds and other ami
u mails. But besides seeds, plants have othu
c modes of increase or extension; witness tn
= numerous offsets and suckers produced b.
: many different sorts Of plants, and all of ,hes
C take divergent directions, so that they shoul
}, not rob the parent or starvc themselves
y The strawberry plant is a familiar example
: Of how far the living progeny depart from til
!, mothers station before they fix thenselve
:, in the ground. TO these instances hun
g dred others might be adduced; ALL which g
: to prove that plants are conslitutionally in
a clined to a change ofplace. Trees, indeed
II are fixed to one spot but they are ever find
r ing fresh pasture by the extension of thc
q leading roots, as is the case with all other per
Is ennial plants.
!, But, after all, the question recurs-is thu
&c diverging tendency a natural law of vcgcta
y ton, or is it because antecedent productio
i cxhausts or poisons the soil, so as to rcnde
It unfit for the purposes of subsequent pre-
ductionl
We know that newly broken up lane
ii whatever itsquality may be, is always NOR
e suitable 10 any crop than that OF the sam
i quality which has been long cultivated show
&c ing that there IS something in maiden SO
70 which is fugitive. What that something i
ID has never been discovered by practical mcr
lit nor has it been investigated by the chcms
k, though an object we'll worth the research,
it Of science.
- That the fertility Of exhausted land ma
n, be renewed by the additions Of manure,
IN well known; and it seems that tho dress r,
n stores that which has been abstsactcd by Il
Il previous crops; or, at least, supplies sui
or stitutc. On the knowledge of this fact
OF our best systems Of agriculture are foundc,
VS. and whether land be exhausted or poisont
gu by previous cropping can make no dilcren'
IS, in tho culture, so that the rules Of rotatio
Ou as established by long experience, are strc
ng " attended to, and no cross-cropping pursu,
ng unless for some manifest prospective adva