Litchfield enquirer., 1854-01-26

form with lime or some alkaline Ease coRN
 tained in the soil. soluble compound. l This is carried by water, through the
 roots into the plants. and is supposed to
 be assimulated. thus supplying the plant
 with carbon. But it seems more proba- I ble, that carbon enters in no other way,
 than through the leaves. because were these acids supplied with the entire amount of rain water that falls upon any given tract of land, they would not be dissolved in sufficient quantities to sap
 ply the required carbon. Plants deposit
 more carbon in the earth in which they I grow. than it originally contained, and one generation at least, of plants, must have preceded the presence of all humus. Still, this substance is undoubtedly i conveyed into the roots of plants by water. whether they assimuIate it or not, as the excretions of various trees are found to be humic acid in combination with lime, or some alkali. Water may be in another way carrier of carbon. The undertakes of leaves absorb rain and dew. with the gases contained therein, although dew contains but little carbonic acid.
 Willie plants assimula,e the carbonic acid of the air. the oxygen is set free (during the day.) 5 The oxygen assim- ulated by plants is mostly supplied by the decomposition of water. A portion of the oxygen may be derived from the calbonic acid which enters ths roots, and some portion of that absorbed by the leaves at night, undoubtedly enters into combination with the plant.
 Again, the organic matter with which water supplies plants, undoubtedly con- .ains large proportion of oxygen which becomes part of the substance of the vegetable. Rain water contains a minute portion of oxygen in solution. and un- doubtedly carries it into the roots and leaves of plants.
 The chief source of the hydrogen which plants assimulate. is tho decompo- sition of the water which enter at the roots, and yields up it's elements within the plant. Light carburet.ed hydrogen or marsh gas probably enters the roots 1 of plants. through the medium of water. though nothing is certainly known of its utility, or means Of conveyance. Ulmic ] acid which is conveyed by water to plants contains an excess of hydrogen, though tEis source affords very minute supply.
 ! q Nitrogen is an element of yegesa> bles, and various hypotheses are suggest. ed in regard to it's source. It cannot be derived from the air, but only from the d .caying substances of the soil in the form of ammonia. Nitrogen is not only used in the internal structure of plants, but when supplied in too large quantities it is emitted from them dissolved in water. Ammonia. in all it's forms. is very solu> ble in water. thus rain and snow wash i. from the air. and slways contain 1t in solution, and although portion of this is always evaporated with the water. much of it is carried by the same means into the roots of plants, and ultimately combines with their different organs, forming glatsn. albumen. cyanogen. etc. /, If vine be broken, or leaf cut from almost any plant the water which exudes contains ammonia. The urine of carniv. orous animals contains nitrogen, and aric acid is soluble in water. and thus may be drawn into tic roots Of plants. The carbonate of ammonia found in rain water is found in area after putrefaction has taken place. Another way in which plants obtain ammonia is by imbibing il in solution with the dew or rain which enters their leaves. Animal excFements and land where g psum bas been strowed contain their ammonia in the form of soluble salts. hence water carriers these without any waste, (for the salts are mt volatile) to the roots. Gypsum, requir- ing 50 much water to dissolve it. would not therefore be of 90 much use in dry soils. Clay, and oxides Of iron absorb ammonia. which every shower washes out end conveys to the roots of plants. Hence ws find that water directly carries ammonia 10 she roots of plants, and also contributes 10 furnish ammonia lo the at mosphere by aiding in the decomposition Of isumus. Water carries other sub. stances 10 plants. from inorganic aature 0f thesA. the naoss important are acids and alkslies which tend to unite and form neutral salis.s "All substances is solu. tion in . soil are absorbed by the root 0f plants. exactly as sponge imbibes | liquid and all that it contains without se. leeiion." Tte ashes of many vegetables from which all tho organic matter hai been expelled by heat, eoutain all theil inorganic constituents. and are principal. ly composed of chlosiAe. snlphusie acid phospllosic acid. lime, potash. soda, self cas Eiiie. magnesia, oxide of iron, and smail quantities of copper, and paetallic nnossdss. Plants. when they have jasl broken through the soil contain more al' kallea ahan at any other period Of thsil lives. Aealic aeid is formed dusinn