The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-28

into vegetable, animal ana mlnerai simply Iounu-
ed on the origin OF the various kinds. Vegetable
manures, he divides again into green manures or
plants, used in their green state, humus manures
or plants used after having undergone decay or
putrefaction and ashes manure--the ashes re-
maining after the plants have been burned. Green
vegetables, except OF the tap-rooted kind, he con-
siders as useless Because, as has been before
explained, those plants which grow on the sur
face soil con only put back, when turned IN, what
they had taken out of the soil in their growth, and
therefore cannot enrich. But 1t is different with
the tap-rooted plants. Their roots descending
much below the soil broken by the plough, what
they get there to feed on is brought up into the
plant, and when that plant is turned into the top
SOIL it makes it that much the richer, and better
adapted to thegrowth of the cereals, or such plants
as feed altogether on the surface soil.
Humus, or vegetable matter, is valuable as a
manure just in proportion to the inorganic eIe,
ments which it contains. For, being composed
of vegetable matter in decayed state, 1t can have
no other inorganic matter than the veg etao'e mat
| ter had Of which il is composed. And II mat veg
etable matter had been dried and burned, Its ashes
would have disclosed precisely the same lngredl,
ents the humus made of it would have, decay ana
combustion being the same in their effects on
plants Such a thing, therefore, as vegetable hui
mus, without inorganic constituents, cannon eS.S's
and all differences drawn from the favorable effects
Of humus upon vegeaton without regarding
their ingredients, must be altogether tallaclous
The richness of humus, therefore, depends en-
tirely upon the vegetable matter of which 1t IL
composed, as well as the plants TO which 1t is
adapted For instance, humus made Of decayed
lime plants, is best adapted to the growth OF lime
plants-su of silica and potassa plants. Because
the humus made Of these plants, contains the in
organic elements necessary for the food OF plants
of the same kind. Assuming, then, that this
| theory Of manures is establish ed both upon the
results Of practical experience and scientific rea-
soning, we may assume that 1t is altogether IN
different whether the salts and earth needed Tor
crops are carried to the soil in humus, or whether
| we apply them in the shape OF ashes obtained by
burning vegetable substances. A great many
practical experiments support this assumption.
Humus manure has a mechanical effect on the
soil Ii gives out its salts and earths very slowly.
Were il not for these reasons, the ashes OF humus
might be applied with equal or greater advantage.
Ashes, like humus, have only the inorganic eie-
. ments Of the substances of which they are made.
Now as manuring is designed to furnish the
soil with the elements needed by the plant you
grow it is obvious that the substances intended
! for manure should have such salts and earths as
the growing crop requires. Either ashes or hu-
mus made from vegetable substances, have very
little Of the phosphates they therefore are OF no
use when the pEospha,es are wanting. The same
may be said of the sui pilates. But they are OF
great use when the siIicates are wanting. WOOD
ashes or humus, made by decayed wood, are
composed of much more valuable inorganic ele-
ments, because the wood has many more, being
richer in caEbonates, phosphates and suphates -
| They are valuable us manure Tor almost all the
plants we grow.
As to all the animal manures, so much IS known
| Of these already by experience, 1t would be use
less to dwell upon them. l will give you what
he says about lime, and conclude-referrlng you
to the author HIMSELF for full account of the val
ue of animal manures.
Quick lime is most frequently used with a view
to directly fertlizng the soil. 1t can only answer
| his purpose in sig ht degrees or IN Il lew rare
instances. For owing to the exceedingly profuse
diffusion Of lime upon the surface Of the earth, all
plants will find enough for their purpose. Yet,
lime applied manure, has happy elect on
some soils.-Quick lime greatly accelerates the
decomposition of humus, whether of animal or
vegetable origin, and thus liberates It's salts for the
use of plants. 1t also extends favorable infu-
ence on soils, which contain sillcates, which 1t is
desired to dsintegrate more speedily than the
agency Of the atmosphere would accomplish. But
as quick or slack lime it is not taken up by the
roots of plants. When there is neither humus
nor und ecomposed slicates IN the soil, the appii-
cation of lime will! be useless
OF all the methods hitherto used for manuring
land, irrigation is the most rapid and complete
In conclusion, think we may safely infer, that
MS the atmosphere maintains invariably the equi-
brinm of it's constitution, and from its constant
contact with the entire surface of plants, 1t IL fair
to presume that the air will, in all time, furnish
| full supply to plants Of that food they draw from
| it, Aud therefore there is no necessity nf fur
nishing any supply artifcially. But Ills different
with respect to the nourishments plants derive
from the soil. They do not exist in exhaustless
abundance nor do they accumulate in the soil IN
the same ratio as cultivated plants require 1t is
indispensable that an artificial supply should be
carried on to cultivated soil, whence large amounts
are annually taken by the crops.
Further 1t has been shown that the different
species Of plants cultivated, require from the soil
different mineral constituents, and therefore ra-
tonal system Of manurng is only profitable when
the especial wants OF every species OF plants are
known, and the constituents Of the soil in each
special locality also known. For example,
guano is an excellent manure on a soil containing
a sufficient amount of disntegrated scates. II
produces no effect on ornamental plants requiring
no phosphates.
To the science of chemistry the agriculturst
must look for the future improvement of his art.
There is still much TO be done in the way of pure
scientific investigation, well applying our
knowledge in practice, before agricultural chems-
try cal be perfect. But it only requires the hearty
CO operation of the scientific chemist and the prac-
teal ugriculturist, to draw from 1t results, not
only tending to enrich individuals-to support and
augment the wealth of States, but to confer uni
versal and permanent benefit upon all mankind.
Punch gives the following as authentic -
4 Scene in Westminster HaH-One day, during
the term that is just over, jeiune junior rushed
into the Exchequer with a noiioncte, or little mo-
ton, and happened to enter just as their lordshps,
in Banco, were looking into case that had just
been cited by queen s counsel, who had been in
the act of addressing them. The Junior, uncon-
scious of the state Of the case, fanced he had
found just the favorable opportunity to get hear
ing, and creeping into back row, effected Il tre-
mendous clearance Of his throat, with view to a
sustained effort ofeloquence. He had commenced,
and got as far elf your lordships please"
when the four barons looked up with the air of
very disconnected harons and the junior, having
got the eyes Of the court, believing he had also its
ear, proceeded as follows 81 rise my lords, for
the purpose He was interrupted by the ex-
clama,ion Of awe cane hear you, sir" from ore
Of their lordships, all intmaton that only caused
the determined cutter" to grow holder and more
distinct in his utterance. He began again, 81 rise
my lords" and was once more cut short with
"We can't hear you, sir, from the bench; which
urged him to a steutorian effort Of startling We
hemence but awe can't hear you now, sir, -