The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1860-02-15
From the Ohio Valley Farmer.
AMMONIA OF THE AIR.

added to the soil from the air, and by which
a very high degree Of fertility can be attain
ed without the use Of guano, they are the
water which comes from the atmosphere,
whether in the shape Of dew, rain, or snow.
and the absorbing power Of the soil itself.
Prot. Way found, by analysis of the water
collected in an enormous rain gage Q-l000tli
Of an acre. at Rotliamstcd, the tarm of Mr..
Lawes, twenty miles from London. that the
quantity Of ammonia and nitric acid brought
down BY the rain in the years 1855 and 1856
was equal To about 50 lbs. Of guano for each
acre, quantity which, as he says, is not sui.
/ ficient 10 account for the whole natural fer ].
tlity Of soils, but which must contribute to
! il materially.
The equivalent Of 81 lbs Of suano is, how
ever, by no means a true indcati0n Of the
whole qnantiiy Of ammonia and nitric acid
which actually existed in the air for, if il
we're, there would be much larger amount
ia the water collected after long interval
without rain than after short ene, since they
would have had time 10 accumulate. Bat
Prof. Way iound there was no such accua'u-
lation, there being general though not uni.
form relation between The quantity Of these
fertilizers aud the quantity Of rain. irrespec-
tive Of the intervals, whence he infers that
there is a constant and extensive absorption
which preyeats this accumulation. This he
asrribes. 10 pact, as We have seen, to plants,
but IN muca greater degree % the soil it,
self-some kinds u which, he has found by
experiment. POSSESSES this property Of ab.
sorptlon to yery great extent, those with
large quantity Of clay being the highest in
the scale Oi excellence, and sand the lowest |;
though this absorbs mOrc than we would snp-
pose.
With the rain and dew to assist Us IN bring.
iHg down these fertilizers, and the innumer-
able mouths of the soil always ready TO drink
them. il might be supposed there would be
10 occasion Zoe any efforts on our part to ex.
tract siil larger supply IRON The ali; but
10 order 10 reap the foil benefit of " Ills
newly discovered bounty of nature" Prof.
Way saws, the farmer should resort to drain
age, which promotes the equal flow Of wa
ier through instead d over lis soil and deep
cultivation aud thorough pulYcrlatinn of the
land. which brings every part Of Il in contact
with the air. The atmosphere is 10 the FAR
mer like the sea to the fshermaa-he who
spreads lis uet ihe widest will catch the
most"
The most remarkable instance Of the ben.
eff of this thorough pulserlzalion Of the land,
as well as the most striking illustration Of
the extent to which suitable soil can be made
TO absorb ammonia from the air, is found at
Lois Weedpn Yicarage. The plan there a.
dnpted by Rev. ;. Smith Il. 10 sow two rows
81 wheat one foot apart. aud leave between
each set of rows a strip tbree feet IN wid.h I;
this Iallow strip is deeply turned with the
spade ~ the lalt. - rs to bring upap4rt Of the
subsuii. which i we'll mixed with the upper
soil. ani bo,h are tien KEEP, constantly fresh,
by frequent working with the fafk; III tile
ensuing autumn tie twu rows Of wheat are
sown on ,ais strip. aud that occupied by the
first two IN turn undergo the same process Of
IalaWing as the other; 50 that the strips are
alternately 10 wheat and lallow, and unly one
half u Tile land i actually IN wheat each
year. The peculisrity of this plan is, the
thorough pulXeriIatiUa OF the sail, and the
constant exposure 10 the air; for not only
afc the lalluw strips - exposed. but the sur
isce between the lows Oi wheat are alsD kept
constantly fresh BY The horsc.hoe and 50
great Is the quantity Of ammonia absorbed by
this intimate " mixture Of the soil aud at
mU.phere. that Mr.. Smith had, up 10 1857.
planted crupof wheat for twelve successive
years On tile same land without particle ii
manure. aud The last erop was ,ery nearly il
not quite as good as any pf the others, the
average being about iotty bushels to the acre.
The soil upon which this has been done is,
Of course. naturally very rich in mineral in.
gradients, and possesses the power 81 absorp-
ton il remarkable degree. but tile result
would, 80 far as the ammonia is concerned.
be the same, except IN degree, on all soils.
Tor they all possess certain power Of ab.
surplion which could be brought into con.
slant activity By these Or similar means.
These facts are gathered from several e..
says in the Journal pf the ROYAL Agricultural
society of England. and ate sufficient to
show lhat the atmosphere Is an inexhaustiblc
reservoir u ammonia, as we'll as carbon. aud
suggest the inquiry whether By lhr use Of
suitable crops and proper tIlage We cannot
draw from i such supply as would render
Us independent Of guano aud other ammonial
inanntes.
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