Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-02-05
AGRICULTURAL.
FROM THE SOUTHERN PLANTER.
FERTILIZERS, MANURES, &c.

FERTILIZERS, MANURES, &c.
There is no subject which, from its impor-
lance, demands more attention from the farmer
than the Improvement Of his land Without at
tention to this subject he never can hope to farm
with profit The different fertilizers are the
pabulum ofthe soil and the crop. Naturedemands
them at his handS-and while she yields her
abundance when literally supplied with these,
it is hopeless to expect her TO do so when neglec
ted, as for man 70 perform full days labor
when furnished. The profits Of farming arc in di-
rect ratio to the amount judiciously expended in
improving the soil or supplying the given crop
with the substances essential to its Development.
All plants require 4 certain quantity OF certain
ingredients TO be present in tire soil III order TO
their development. Some require more, some
less, Of certain substances. If any Of them be
deficient or totally absent, the crop must like
W ise be deficient or totally fail. It is the duty
of every farmer, if he would cultivate his land
10 the greatest possible advantage, to know what
are the constituents Of his soil-what matters are
present-what are defcient-what wanting
this, wiihaknowe ledge ofthe constituent inorganic
clements of plants, will enable him TO dete--
mine what crop Eis land Will grow in the grea
est perfection or what it WilI be necessary for
him to supply, in order to produce any given
crop. We purpose, in the subsequent essays,
calling the attention Of farmers to the different
substances essential to fertility in the soil. We
n Az IN "
cremcnt of animals and fertilizers to desi. aatc
the inorganic substances applied for improve
ment; and carbonaceOus matter, TO designate
the decayed vegetable matter.
ArMosPHERE.-There was period in the his
tory Of the vegetable creation when the atmos-
phere afforded the only supply of carbon, none
being present in the soil. At this period, the
humble tribes Of vegetatOn-the lichens, ferns,
liyerworts, and various cryptogamous plants,
were the only growth; they deriving support from
the atmosphere-and requiring little or nothing
from the SOIL By their decay they furnish car
bonaceous matter 10 the soil, and render it adap
ted to the growth of a hi her order Of veget
ton. Thus they become the servants Of other
plants, and by their decay afford them support.
In all earlier formations we find abundant evil
dences of this order of plants.
While plants may grow in soil entirely def
cent in carbonaceous matter rCceivirs its sup
ply from the atmosphere-it will lot develope
seed in perfection hence the wise provision Of
Providence in supplying this class-thc cryptic
gamia-which have the power Of production in
dependent Of the development of perfect seed.
While, therefore, the presence in the soil OF
small portion Of carbonaceous matter is essentia!
to the full Development Of the higher order o
plants, the atmosphere is the chief source of the
supply ofcarbon. This itsupplies in the form of
carbonic acid.
Carbonic acid consists Of one equivalent Of
carbon and two of oxygen. The atmosphere
contains one-twenty- fye-hundredth OF lis bulk
of this gas. 1t is given off by animals in the
process of respiration, and if retained IN the
mosphere and suffered 10 accumulate, would 90
yitiate it as to render it noXious to animal life;
but it is so ordained, that al element so obnoX-
ious to animal is essential to vegetable life
Therefore, the carbonic acid is, under the in
Auencc of light, heat, Sc, absorbed by plants
by which it is decomposed-the carbon re. q q
and oxygen returned to the atmosphere to su.
port animal life, to which it is essential.
CARBON IN TIE Sou.-As We have RENE kcd,
the presence in the soil of small quantity OF
carbon is essential to the perfect Development
Of the higher order of ycgetrtOn-cspecially the
49, hos hppu orr
atmosphere is the only source OF carbo iro-f
the fact that some soils contain -carce trace oil
carbonaceous matter-but still some Is present;
and these soils, under cultivation, have the power
Of absorbing carbonic acid from the atmosphere
But no matter from what source derived, 1t Is On
established fact that it must be present IN tie
soil, in order to produce, with It's organic con
stituen certain changes to render them caPa'
bic of nourishing and deyelopiI the plant, es-
peciglly the grain.
The form in which carbon most commonly eX-
lists in the soil, is that Of humus, Of which from
five to seventy per cent, is present in all fertile
soils.
IIrMCs.-This term is used by vegetable ply
siologists to designate woody and vegetable fibre
in a state Of decay. 1t consists essentially OF
carbon. 1t its natural state it is insolubie, or
nearly so, and cannot, therefore, nourish YeSe-
talion-but from the action Of alkalcs, lime,
potato, SC, it becomes decomposed, ,rbonic
acid is evolved, which serves to noursh the plant
in the first stages of It's growth, before the deve-
opment of its leaves enable it to absorb sufficient
from the atmosphere.
Another property Of humus, which renders 1t
most important in vegetation, is the power it
possesses of unitiHg with ammonia and other com
poundscontaining nitrogen soluble salts
which are essential to vegetation 1t is upon
n combination Of this kind that the development