Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-15
AMMONIA FROM THE AIR.

AMMONIA FROM THE AIR. =
There are two modes in which ammonia
is added TO tile soil from the air, and by
which q very high degree of fertility can
lie attained without the use of guano:
t,ley 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 anal
ysis CT the water collected in an enormous
,ain gnage (l-l0OOth of an acre) at Roth
;.msted, the farm of Mr.. Lawes, 20 miles
from London, that the quantity ofammonia
and nitric acid brought down by the rain
in the years 1855 and 1856 was equal to
about 81 lbs. OF guano for each acre, a
quantity which, as he says, is not sufficient
to account for the whole OF the natural fer
til;ty of soils, but which must contribute
TO it materially.
This equivalent of 50 lbs of gnano il,
however, by no means true indication
Of the whole quantity Of ammonia and nj
trie acid which actually exist in the air,
for, fit were, there would be much lar.
ger amount in the water collected after
long interval without rain than after
short one, since they whould have had
time to accumulate. But Prof Way
found there was no such accumulation,
there being general though not uniform
relation between the quantity Of these fer
tilizers and the quantit kof rain, irrespective
OF the intervals, wleace he infers there is a
constant and extensive absorption which
prevents this accumulation. This he as
cribes, in part as we have seen, to plants,
but in a much greater degree to the soil
. itself-some kinds OF which, he has found
by experiment, possess this properly of alb
sorption to veay great extent, those with
large quantity Of clay being highest in
the scale of excellence, and sand the low
est; though even this absorbs more than
we would suppose.
With rain and dew to assist us in bring
ing down these fertilizers, and the innum-
cradle mouths of the soil always ready to
drink them, it might be supposed there
would be no occasion for any efforts on our
part to extract still larger supply P, from from
the air; butin order to reap the full ben
etit of g this asewly discovered bounty OF
NATURE" Professor Way says, the farmer
should resort to Is drainage, which pro-
notes the equal flow Of Water through in
stead Of over his soil; and deep cultivation
and thorough -pnlxerization Of the land,
which brings every part of it into contact
with the air The atmosphere is to the
farmer like the sea to the fisherman-he
who spreads his net the widest will catch
the most"
The most remarkable instance of the
benefit of this thorough pulverization OF
the land, as well as the most striking Illus
tration of the extent to which suitable
soil can be made to absorb ammonia from
the air, is found at Lois Weldon Vicarage.
The plan there adopted by Rev. S. Smith
is. to SOW two rowe Of wheat one foot
apart, and leave between each set OF rows
"a strip three feet in width this fallow u
strip is deeply turned with the spade in
the fall, so as to bring up part OF the
subsoil, which is we'll mixed with the up
per soil, and beth are then kept constant
" fresh, by frequent working with the
fork: in the ensuing. autumn the two rows
e Of wheat are sown on this strip, and that
occupied by the first two in turn under
eoes TIE same process of following as the
otler: so that the strips are alternately in
wheat and falow, ard only one half OF the
land is actually in wheat each year. The
necnliarity of this plan is the thorough
pulyerization of the soil, and the constant
exposure to the air: for not only are the
ALLOW strips SO exggssa1.. bat the surface
between the rows ii wheat is also kept
constantly fresh by tho horse-hoe and So
great is the quantitys OF ammonia az
sorbed by this intimate "mixure OF the
soil and atmosphere, that Mr.. Smith haa,
NJ to 1851, planted a crop of wheat fo y
twelve successive years on the same 'a''o
without particle Of manure, and the las'
crop was very nearly il not quite as GOOD
as any of the others, the average oe'he
about forty bushels to tie acre.
The soil on which this has been zone IS
Of course. naturally very rich in mlnera
ingredients, and possesses the power I'VE th ~
absorption in a remarkable degree, but the
result would, so far as the ammonia j.
concerned, be the same. except IN degree
On all soils, for they all possess certain
power of absorption which conla Ut
hrouoht into constant activity by these OF
S' These facts are gathered from several
o.savs in the Journal Of the Royal Agr.'
Cultural Society of England, ana are y. SUI" IN
c;ant to show that the atmosphere Is IN IN
sxhaustible reservoir OF ammonia, as WI,
ga carbon. and suggest the inquiry wne sa,
ar r by by the the use Of suitable crops and proper