Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1855-08-11
agricultural.
From tie Baltimore SIN.
Ultimate BENEFITS of Droughts, and the Modes
IN winch they Aet TO Improve Land
LAhoRlroRY OF STATE CnHMisr.

oltimate kenseflts nj Drou ghts, and the Modes
IN which they act to Improve Land
LABORATORY OF STATE CnEMNr \
No 20 Exchange Building.
It may be q consolation to those who
have felt the influence Of the late lone
and protracted dry weather to know that
droaghts are orc Of the natural causes
to restore the constituents OF crops and
renoyate cultivated soils. The diminu-
ton Of the mineral matter Of cultivated
soils takes place from two causes:
list, The quantity of mineral matter
carried off IN crops and not returned to
the soil in manure.
I'd The mineral matter carried off by
rain water to the sea by means of fresh
water streams.
These two causes, always in operation
and counteracted by nothing, would II
time render the earth barren waste ii
which no verdWe would quicken and 10
solitary plant take root. A rational
+! system of agriculture would obyiateJ the
nrHe c''sn'' Of ssariity. by always rcstor-
! ing TO the soil an equivalent fbr that
which IS taken OFF by the crops, b,t as
this is not done in all cases, Providence.
has provided way of its own to coun-
teract the thriftlessness of man, by in
shutting droughts at proper periods to
bring up from the deep parts Of the earth
food on which plants might feed when
rains should again fall The manner in
which droughts exercise their beneficial
influence is as follows, During dry
weather continual evaporation of water
takes place from the surface of the earth.
which is not supplied by any from the
clouds. The evaporation from the sur
face creates vacuum, ESQ far as water
is concerneO which is at once filed ly
the water rising up from the subsoil of
the land ; the water from the subsoil i
replaced from the next strata below, and
in this manner the circulation Of water
IN the earth is the reverse to that which
takes place in wet Weather. This pro-
gress to the surface of the water in the
earth manifests itself strikingly in the
drying up of springs, and Of rivers and
streams which are supported by springs.
1t IS not, however, only the water which
is brought to the surface of the earth,
but also all that which the water holds
in solution. These substances are salts
OF lime, and magnesia of potash, and
soda, and indeed whatever the subsoi
or deep strata of the earth may contain.
The water on reaching the surface ofthe
SOIL is evaporated and leaves behind the
mineral salts, which / viii here enume-
rate, viz; Lime, as air-slacked lime.
magnesla, as air-slacked magncsia
phosphate of lime, or bone earth sui
plate Of lime, or plaster Of Paris: car
Donate Of potash, and soda, with siliciate
OF potash and soda, and also chloride off
sodium or common salt. All indispen- |
sable to the growth and production of
plants which are used fer food. Pure
rain water as Il fais would dissolve but
a re,y small proportion of some of these
substances, but when it becomes soaked
into the earth it there becomes STRONGLY
i,'sbuod with c5TbJnir dcld IRON the de-
composition Of vegetable matter in the
soil. and thus acquires the property of
'eadiiy dissolying minerals ON which
before 1t could have very little influence.
was first led to the consideration Of
he above subjects by finding, on the
of soil which | ana
yzed three or four years ago, a larger
quantity of aparticular mineral substance
han | at first found, as none had been
lpplied in the meantime. The thing
vas difficult of explanation until [ re-
nembered the late long and protractod
lrought. l then also remembered that
n Aacatecas and several other provinces
N South America, soda was obtained
rom the bottom of ponds, which were
lried in the dry, and again filed up in
he rainy season. AS the above cxpla-
nation depended on the principles of
natural philosophy, | at once instituted
several experiments to prove its truth.
Into glass cylinder was placed a
small quantity of chloride of barium, in
solution; this was then filed with dry
soil, and for long time exposed to the
direct rays of the sun ON the surface
The soil on the surface of the cylinder
was now treated with sulphuric acid, and
gave copious prccipitate of sulphate of
baryta.
The experiment was varied bv sub
chloride of lime, sulphate of
soda, and carbonate of potash, for the
chloride of barium, and on the proper
reagents being applied in every instance
the presence of those substances were
detected in large quantities on the sur
face OF the soil in the cylinder. Here
then was proof positive and direct. by
plain experiments in chemistry and
philosophy, of the agency. the ultimate,
beneficial agency of droughts.
We see, therefore, in this, that even
those things which. We look upon as
evils, by Providence, are blessings in
disguise, and that we should not muir
muir even when dry seasons afllict MS
Tor they, too, are for our good. The
early and the later rain may produce
at once-abundant crops, but dry weather
is also benefcent dispensation of Prov
idence- in bringing to the surface food
for future crops, which otherwise would
be forever useless. scasonable weather
IS good for the present, but droughts re-
new the storehouses of plants in the
soil, and furnish an abundant supply Of
nutrlment for future crops.
JAMES HIGeIvs,
State Agricultural Chemist.
When ShouId Crons no Itorvosto,,