The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-05-11

practical lesson, took several of his neighbors
TO see the result, and told them truly that
their marshes, which some Of shem were dis
posed to grumble so much about, were in TO
ality, If proper advantage was taken ofthem,
the most valuable part Of their farms.
Another neighbor who cut ditch through
some bottom land, hauled the muck thrown
out on to sandy field; and the corn pro-
duced by that field, the year after, was al-
lowed to be the best in the neighborhood.
On the main road to our nearest city, l
noticed that heavy dressing Of marsh muck
had been applied to several acres of a sandy
field, last fall, 30 that soon, like writing
with gypsum On clover, they who run may road.
/ am anxious, however, that farmers gen.
orally throughout tho United States may
have an opportunity Of reading again and
again, by their firesides and ut their leisure,
this report in its entirety, and thus become
thoroughly convinced, by the reasons 30
clearly set forth by Prof. johnson, Of the
immense value Of these muck deposits. And
with that object in view, desire to suggest
and this is the main object OF my writing
-whetber it would not DO we'll to publish
the report by itself, in cheap form, and
then when published, to let il be known
through the medium of the advertising col
umns OF all farm journals, that such work
has been prepared for the farmers use and
instruction, where it may be had, and at
what price2
l find no mention in your extracts, wheth-
er, in the numerous samples Of peat and
muck sent to Prof. johnson, any were found
on examination to contain salts Of iron inju-
rious to vegetation. have noticed an och
cry deposit in summer where water flows to
my marsh from the upland, and unmis'aka.
Bile signs Of the presence Of iron in muck |
have dug and used but, from the results
produced, il must be in some harmless state
Of combination.
In your interesting memoir Of Mr.. Bates,
it is said he thrice applied composts Of peat
and yard manure TO his land, and that the
first proved beneficial, tho last injurious !;
the successive crops of turnips, barley and
clover being comparative failures; but when
a heavy dressing of lime was applied to the
land, the succeeded oat crop proved very
great one, and the field afterward continued
very productive. Lessons in chemistry re-
ceiyed at Edinburgh taught Mr.. Bates that
the peat contained large proportion of the
oxide of iron, which destroyed the stable ma
nure and did the harm, and that lime con-
yerted this into beneficial manure.
Is this correctly stated? There are two
oxides of iron usually met with in Soils
The first, or protoxide, is considered injuri-
Gus to plants, and chemists tell us that this
salt rapidly absorbs oxygen when exposed to
air, and thus becomes converted into the Sec
ond, or peroxide, which is held to be HARM
less, or even beneficial for it is said to have
the power, in common with clay and decayed
vegetable matter, ofabsorbing ammonia, and
retaining il for the use of plants. There are
very few more naturally fertile arabic soils
than those formed by the disintcgration and
decay of the new red sandstones, and their
red color is considered to DO owing to the
presence of iron. OF soils remarkable for
their fertility, analysed by SprOugel and quo
ted by Liebig, one which had produced beau
tiiul crops for l60 years. without being ma
nured or allowed to lie fallow, contained IS
per cent Of peroxide of iron; and the surface
soil Of field in Belgium, distinguished for
its fertility, afforded S.3l per cent. Of perox-
ide and protoxide of iron. Besides these,
there is another salt-thc sulphate Of iron,
the green vitriol of commerce-which excr-
cizcs a decidedly poisonous influence on
plants. This is frequently met with in Brit
ish peat bogs; and lime eilectually neutral
ises this salt and deprivcs it Of its injurious
action.
Ii sometimes occurs in soils other than
peat. Sprcngcl mentions case where sain-
foin and luccrne could not be grown success
lively beyond two or three years, and the
subsoil was found to contain upwards Of one
per cent. of sulphate Of iron, which was the
cause Of these decp-rootcd plants perishpg.
While in Edinburgh, friend in Lancashire
sent me a sample Of soil from part Of his
garden where nothing could be persuaded
to grow satisfactorily, and peas, when sown
in it, perishcd without vegetating. This
soil was 80 largely saturated with sulphate of
iron that its presence was sufficiently obvi-
Gus to the sense Of smell Immediately the box
containing the soil was opened. Now lime
is known to have q very beneficial effect If
mixed with beat, or applied to soils contain
ing sulphate of iron. Limo decomposes this
salt. The sulphuric acid combines with the
lime, forming sulphate Of lime, or gypsum,
which is useful TO many plants, and protox-
ide OF iron remains, which, by exposure to
mir, as above stated, rapidly absorbs another
equivalent Of oxygen, and is changed into
Il (...N ..f