Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-05-12
YoRrHE SPECTATOR.
TO the Farmers OF West Virginia.
NO. O..
SOURCES OF VEGETABLE NoURIsHMENr.

SOURCES OF VEGETABLE NoURIsHMENT'
Question Cd. "From what sources dc
plants receive their nourishmentl" J"
Several circumstances prove very salts
factorily that the soil is not alone Instru-
, mental In.promoting the growth OF crops.
l. Soil however fertile, will not sustain,
nor even give the first impulse to yegeta.
tion, while air and moisture are both with
held neither will dry soil with the pres
ence of air if moisture is excluded. Air
and water may cause the termination OF a
seed, and a brief progress of vegetation
without the presence of soil, but this will
continue only until tie nourishment proyi-
ded by the seed itself has been exhausted.
The plant will then droop and soon die
Q. If seed be planted in weighed Por-
ton of soil, and cultivated until the part of
the plant above the surface has grown to
several pounds weight, and that part be
then cut off, The soil with the roots and the
same proportion of moisture in it, will still
weigh as much as it did before the plant
grew iE it, and IN some cases even con-
siderably more. The water applied during
the cultivation could not have added all
this increase of weight, for a considerable
portion of the material consists of elements
not to be found IN water. 8. If the soil on
which crop grows be analyzed, both be-
fore and after the growth of the crop, and
the exact quantity of each of it's elements
determined in both cases and again the
matured crop be treated in the same way,
the latter will be found to contain some ell
ements in far larger proportion than the
loss of corresponding elements in the FORM
er-elements, too, that are not found ID
water. These facts show that the earth.
and the rain which falls upon it are not
the only sources OF vegetable growth
something must come from the atmos-
phere.
Let US very briefly trace out the progress
of plant from the earliest stages of ger
mination to the full maturity of the new
growth. The seed consists of two parts the
germ or embryo of the future plant, and
the seed-lobes which surround the germ
(The cmicle or outer coating serves as a
protection to the seed, but is not an essen
tial part of it, When moisture and prop
er degree of Temperature are present. "a kind
Of fermentation takes place in the seed-lobs
which causes the germ to be developed
Two branches of the germ soon make their
appearance: first the radicle then the plum
uld. The former extends downward into
the soil forming tie root, the latter grows
upward and is developed into the stem.
branches, SC. The germ is nourished du-
ring the first part of its growth by the solid
of nourishment has been entirely exhaust
ed, the plant has acquired those ORGANS
which enable it to collect its food from the
moist soil into which its roots have pene-
trated, and from the air, to the action of
which it has spread out its green leaves.--
Through its leaves and roots it continues to
gather the elements of maturity until the
bloom and the full ripe fruit have made
their appearances.
The roofs form the channel through
which the greater part of the moisture, al
the inorganic, and portion of the org anic
elements from the soil ascend to promote
the growth of the stock and fruit. The
leaues are the breathing apparatus,or lungs
of vegetables. Through these most of the
carbon found in the plant is collected from
the atmosphere. The supply of carbon is
kept up in the air by the combustion Of
wood and COAL and by the breathing of an
imals. While our fires are burning, the
oxygen of the air combines with the car
BON of wood or coal and forms the gas call
ed car6onic acid. At every expiration Of
the breath of animals the same gas is
thrown out from the lungs. When this
carbohic gas comes in contact with the.
leaves and blades of plants, a portion of it
is absorbed, Gf light be present, and en-
tering the plant is there SO elaborated, that
the carbon it contains forms a large portion
of its solid parts, as well as an important
element in most of its vegetable juices,
gums, &c.
As we have no control over the consti-.
tuition or nature of the atmosphere and wa
ter, we will pass them by in our discus
sions, and your attention will in future be.
directed chiefly TO the soil, and those ele-
merfts which Snder it fertile.
YoES, most respectfully,
-. COLONUS.