The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-01-13
.7GRICTLTTR.gL.
Erom the American Farmer.

TIoN OF VEGETABLE NATTER IN
TUE GREEN STATE.
From knowledge gained By experience
we have lous since made up our mind, that
ayrcu.iuus.s place too low an estimate ~.
on the advantages to be derived from the
sowing of green crops 10 be ploushed IN
rs means ot Improving their lands. Few
II any are able 10 mbke, By The ordinary
processes resotted to, a sufficient quantity
Of manure TO answer the demands OF each
succeeding srrns; aud from the remote.
ness at when they 1--we from The large c.. +
ties, Il Is ,mpo>sbIe 10 obtain supplies hence.
Necessity, which IS said 10 be The mother .
OF invention. one would think, would long I
since have caused many 10 have turned I
their attention to this certain, and compar
atively cheap mode, bat such has not been
the case. Those who have Clover leys to
turn in, Of couJse, stand IN no need oil are
sort 10 this plan; but most certainly, those
who have not advanced that far towards
the Moderation of the condition OF their
soils, should not hesitate in adopting this,
the mex, hes, plan of driving s.eIility from
their fields. Many We know there are,
who have been prevented from entering in
TO the clover culture, because Of the i'm.
poverished condition 10 which their lands
have been rcduced-lo such we would say,
that they should lay themselves out 10 en-
ter upon the system Of green manuring the
next year. And with the view Of bringing
the subject directly home to them, We shall
make en- extract from the Lecture of Pro.
lessor James F. W. johnson, Of the Uni.
vetsity Of Dublin--a gentleman Of whom
il is not SAYING too much TO declare that as
an agricultural chemist, he is not exeelled
by any one living. He says:
"By green manuring is meant the plos.
ing in Of green crops in their living state
or of green vegetables left or spread upon
the land for lha, purpose.
/. Green vegetable substances coltain
within themselves much water. undergo
decomposition more readily, therefore,
than such as have been dried, aud are more
immediately serviceab.e when mixed with
the soil.
2. 10 the sap of plants also, there gen.
orally exis, certain compounds containing
nitrogen, which 10, only decompose very
readily themselves, but have the property
Of pefsuadIng or inducing the elements Of
the other organic matters, with which they
are in contact, to assume new forms 10 eu
Ter into new chemical combinations. Hence
the sap Of plants almos, iuvarlably under.
goes more or less rapid decomposition even
when preserved from the contact OF both
air and water. When this decomposition
has once commenced in the sap, il is grad.
ualy propagaied TO The woody fibre, and to
The other substances OF which The mass Of
stems and roots OF plants IS composed.
Hence recent vegetable matter viii under.
90 a comparatively rapid decomposition
even when buried TO some depth beneath
the soh-aud the elements Of which u con
sis,s will form nes compounds, more or
less usefu! 10 lising ants, N csrcumstan-
ces where dry and where many iorms OF e.
ven partially decomposed vegetable matter
would undergo no change whatever.
3. Fur,ber-Shea green vegetable mat
Ter is aIes cd to decay 10 the open air, II Is
gradually resolved more or less completely
inlo carbonic acid, which escapes INTO the
ar and is so far lost. Bot when buried be.
meath the surface, It's formation otcarbon.
lc acid proceeds less rapidly, and ether
mpounds-preparai to The hnai feso.
luton into csfbonlc acid and wa'er-are
produc ed in greater quantity and linger 10
The soli.
Thus By bltying vegetable substances
in his and 10 their green state, the pracil-
cal man annually saves portion Of the or.
glnc food Of plants, which would other
wise so far run 10 waste.
4 Finally -GreeE vegetable substances
BY exposure TO The ar g'aJJa'ly give up a
portion Of the saline matter they contain
TO the showers Of ram inat fall. This more
or less escapes aud Is los,. Bu! if buried
beneath the soil, this saline mater "a re.
stored to the land aud where tie green
matter thus buried $ in the state oil a grow
ing crop, both the organic aud the morgan.
ic substance il contains, are more equally
difused through the SOIL than they could be
BY any other known process.
Ga one other Of these pluciples depend
nearly all The special advantages which are
known 10 follow from the employment Of
green vegetable matter IL the preparation
Of composts.
Blu, this explanation Of the principles
Oh which the efficacy Of green maasrln4
depends, does moi fully l.,us'ta'c the lmpor.
ian, practical results by Which, IL many
localities, i, is uniformly followed
Let US glance At these results.
/. The ploUghlng in Of green vegetables
on the spot where they have grown may be
followed as a method Of magorng and en-
ri:hing oil land, where other manurcs are
loss abundant. Growing plants bring W
from bepealh, as far as their roots extend, j.,
those substances Which are useful 10 yegeta
tion-ani retain them IN their leaves aud
stems. BY ploughng IN the whole plant
We restore to the surface What had Prev.
ously sunk 10 greater Or less depth, and
thus make II more fertile than before the