The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-11-13
Observation-Disclosures -.
Agricultural Chemistry.

Professor Johnston, in the course of Ice
lures delivered by him before the New
York State Agricultural Society, stated
The following things wortl, remembering:
|. In this climate the temperature rises
to 100 Fahrenheit five feet below tho sur
face, and to llO half an inch bc'ow it; facts
which, lie says, he learned himself with
surprise. He uses them to illustrate the
economy OF nature III promoting vegetation.
=. The sunbeam is composed Of three
distinct and separate rnys-onc of heat, one
Of light, and one called lhc chemical ray
These three agencies exist in different pro-
portions in the sunbeam in the spring. sum
mer, and autumn. The blue or chemical
ray is greater in the spring; the light great
or in the summer. The chemical ray is
less in autumn, and then the heating ray
-predominntes. The proportion of these
rays vary in different seasons OF the year
III order that the growing plant may arrive
at maturity. It has also been asccrtaincd
& that tho proportions nf these agents vary in
different eliInates. 4 n.
Ttsiias tee ,f9sceF Ftainpsi Tint ailc finn,1
Ter nisa pla,ll Gasif,s more lisat than tie.
Sx,iher parts, and thc dark more than the
j:rht; and hence it is inferred that the color
oi a flower is what determines the quanti
"
nature supplies.
4. Drainage is as necessary i'll dry and
sandy as in wet soils. I'll soil is merely
burnt up by drought, and you suppose the
roots TO descend only to The depth ot about
three inches, it is obvious that the heat Of
the summer dries up the land to the roots.
but il by drainage you open up the soil
three feet deep, so that the rain, instead of
flowing ofIthc surface, dcsccnds through
the soil thus made pcrvious to il, the roots
will grow deeper, and while the upper sur
face is dry, the drought does not reach the
roots, wh,ch are thus enabled To live longer
than they otherwise would"
.. Tobacco is crop which contains
anucl, mineral matter. Suppose an acre
to yield 500 lbs these 500 lbs. will con
tain about lGO pounds Of mineral matter,
which is carried off by the crop and i'll this
way the land will soon be exhausted. In
tour years, 600 lbs Of mineral matter would
he carried OIL from an acre of tobacco land.
Sit is the duty Of the farmer TO supply the
mineral matter thus especially exhausted,
if he wish IS To sustain tho soil.
6. There are certain parts OF every por-
ton Of every animal removed every day,
and quantity Of new mate ,ial put in lis
placc Hence the animal should have a
constant supply, i'll order that this daily
waste may be made up. An animal re-
quircs, to sustain its body in good condition,
or to supply whit is called the sustaining
food, about -sixlict!i part of its OWL,
weight daily. Ii you wish t" increase its
size, or enable it to work, I'll must give
more. you feed for milk, twice the
quantity.
I. 1t will be found that the soil and the
plant contain nearly the same substances,
the only one not in the plant being ainmi,'a.
The mechanical function Of alunina in the
soil is to anchor the plant. Its tcnacity is
its available property. Some plants grow
in mere sand, but the great majority OF
them require certain degree of tcnacty
in the soil, which is obtained by mixing
silica with clay. This alumina does not
enter into the plant, but only gives to tho
soil the tcnacity necessary to retain the
Dlan