Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-03-22
HRURG, MONDAY MORNING, MARCH II, 1917.
! HE CHEMICAL kiNtlIItS or HE RIO
TAIiON OF CROPS

TAIioN OF CROPS.
Pronounced l,ne The meicon agricultural .9ssoeio
ton. March An, 1876, by D. p Gardner, W d.,
Honorary Conmhing Chemist Of The .lssuca'ion.
formerly Pref Of Chemistry and .Nat'nal Fh,ltslhy
IN Hampd,n Sydney College, ia.
w. Plants Exercise a Natural ,ifnifgfor Saline
Matters
II has been already shown that he seeds of cultivated
plants cannot be ma'ured without hosphorc aeld, aud We
find upon eNamnao that this not The only instance in
which distinct partiay Is oyinc,d Y vegetables for
certain mineral hodcs. Chemical analyses aud the OBJ
ser,ations Of naturasis e This fact II is
that the lauis It salt nalshes distinct from
these, Which are found fresh wa,ts In Swiiaer.
land the appearance ot certain species # clover
Is knIWn TO indicate mail The plants INDIGENOUS
II CLAWS. sands calmreouS sols dsnc and If they
ne not instantly recognized artists im the fact that
most lands contain amiNue of all the mineral sub
s.anc,s essential to fertility. From the analysts of chem
Isis now extended To several hundred We find that there
Is also evidence of the affinity ui Hnts Tor certain bases
thus II is st lently clear thai Composite tmherous
Amonaeeous, GfanineouS and thcne1odiaceons plants
prefer potash eeuniuous, r. saccuus Soanaccous and
Relnc,aes Pl MS affect lines the families If Gmcete
AsphudeltW md IlacoU select soda. Every person
knnws that OAKS. naples and wanuts weld m.fe potash
than pines. The study II This sui jtct IS not however.
compeied there are mnny FONTS To BIO considered which
teid To involve The inquiry IN difficulty II may lie said
thai Dasy was the irs who drew attention 10 this top
lc. in chemical po nj e scw the ofgyIsum anil
clover, and silica LATHE nd tc,n done In this time
until Iieble resuscl anp the views Dundonnd Da
w showed the affinity of several plants for certain buses
lie onumera,os pIass oas heat barley tobacco peas
POTATOES clover. oorn inrnips and the Jerusalem
choke This kind Of asscaton has occupied Tuch ul
my attention for several yeprs and has been dwcl upon
IN my lectures IN the nlvcrsliy, andor The rcasuns
have nh,ady advanced | bog 10 extend the
number OF plants 10 he families above enumerated,
IN which several are also placed IL situation different
from that of Iiebg The snhicct is however far from &C.
died and probahl, the exceptions grouping families
IN cgrtuisr than The advantages gained Whatever
grouping nay be eNrcdien 1t is not 10 be forgotten that
several Circumstance are 10 lie considered in making use
of any anal, fpr the purpose Of determining the place
Of plan, these
|, That there cxis's an unquesjionablc somorph SIN
amongst many # the mueral ltdl,s: lhus--roash. So
di, OXIDE Ct auinluum and hydrate Of lne-nc and
mapncsia-s, sai oN de II iron s,squi oxide Of manga
ncsc and aumna huric aud ST cnc acids -phospho
re and arsenic acidsar sICcvcly sdmorp groups
Hence SOFIA may r ace potash; hydraie lime may be
present III Place tieiih,r soda or potash. That this
displacement substitution does nature is album
dainty proved Thus da has ecn found to replace the
potash OF the oak in Long island the coast Ma
rine PLANTS a. the SALE anspan'cd to inland su
alton are found 10 contain Potash Iobaccos from van
GUS sources, anaiyzed hy Bcrher. Welded potash : u
bast. whilst specimens examined ty frseun;s and VIII
y.eliod sixty PER cent Of In ard magnesia salts.
:. The different parts the same Iant weld an
CO u IS nar salts: the puatoe tub rcunais eighty
SIN pr cent OF potash sallshe tops sxty-ono pr cent
o lmc sal :. In he same way the routs, foliage and
SO Is otothcr plants give indications Of an fliny df
ierent materials.
Hence IL follows Il a: analysis will diir with the ma
iure ot tie soil ON which the plant has been pro
duccd, and with the Part examined, If every
portion he tNamlued with the part Used IN *
cess As il is usual 10 publish the mere analysis
without designating the soil. variety of the plant is
necessary in arriving at trustworthy conclusions 10 look
somewhat nnher Han this. I her fore, in reaching my