The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-10-22

taiiic Ore, and hs wilI tell YOU hosw mash
metal 1t contains, etc. Bntthisi Isl all changed
when yon pass from the 1ifeless to the animal
Kingdoms of nature, the conditions. Of whose
existences are 50 intricateiy related that Il is
extremely difficult 70 grasp them ali at the
same time. He.proposed TO look for moment
at the chief conditions In the life OF q pinnt.
A plant was an individual sprung from Its
parent plant, inberitipg certain pecniiarities
and wants; 1t lives few months or years, and
dies like ourselves, returning TO mingle with
the elements whence It was derived The
plant is stationary, inhaling two elements
earth and air. Pushing further and further
I'M to these, continual increase Of size is the
law OF its life while animals, on the contrary,
increase in mass only during the period of
their youth, attain limit of physical deyel-
opment, and afterwards exhibit n gain and
loss Of material which mutually balance each
other.
The plant may be said to possess mouth a
stomach, and lungs, though 1t has no heart or
brain. -s-.s
Its business is simply to live and grow--to
store up in precious forms nldtter and force
which may at later day be expanded by the
higher orders Of creation-the inferior ami
mails and God-like man himself. To I'LL so
lowly place In the system of the universe,
what structures of perfect adaptation and
wondrous beauty have been created
Basking in the light Of the sun, con tinued
the Doctor, it's leaves drink in from the air
carbonic acid, noxious gas to the animal,
butsustenance to the vegetable world. And
while the carbon is fixed in new forms Of COM
bination, producing with hydrogen and oxy-
gen, or water and nitrogen OF ammonia, the
great bulk Of the plant itself, the remaining
portion Of the carbonic acid-oxygen-is given
off again into the atmosphere 10 freshen and
renew 1t for the support of animal existence.
From the air also are received the vapor OF
water and certain other gaseous forms of food;
though these are probably of minor import
ance This air is, for the practical purposes
of agriculture, almost beyond our control.
In the green house we may create an artificial
atmosphere about few choice flowers, but on
large scale this is impossible. Happily, the
chemical composition of the atmosphere is
everywhere very nearly the same, and plants
everywhere receive from it the same supply OF
gaseous food. III" i'
The Doctor went on to speak of the direct
and indirect influence Of the atmosphere on
plants through its various gases, and espe.
ciaIy from its vapor of water or dew and
rain; which, sinking beneath The surface, are
presen led to the roots of plants in condition
to be by them absorbed. The extent to which
the crop enjoys the benefit of this indirect in
fiuence is largely within our own control. 1t
can be affected by the depth and thoroughness
of tillage, and by proper arrangements Tor
subterranean drainage; also, by the admiH-
ture of soils of different degrees of porosity,
and by the application OF certain kinds OF ma
nure.
He proceeded to enumerate the different sub
stances absorbed by the roots of plants, and Of
what n number of them are composed. We
find by the ash of wheat that 1t con talns large
amounts of silicic acid, phosphoric acid, ana
potash Indian corn, lime, and magnesIa: In
the alkalis, phosphoric and siicic acid FREEDOM
mate. Turnips require Il larger supply OF sui
phuric acid than many other plants, and to-
bacco makes heavy demands for potash.
The silicic acid of wheat exists almost eX-
oil i,,aI,y In hn CT xuhi ia
acid is almost all found in the grain, and the
pc fash is common to both. Peas contain but
a moderate amount of lime, while their leaves
and stems contain great deal OF the same IN
gredient.
DR.. Malet went into 4 cursory view of the
differences of compositions of plants, and the
different amounts of the same substance ap-
sorbed by them at different seasons. In Inc
main, he concluded that particular mineral
lbs tances in particular proportions are ea-
tracted from the soil by each particular plant.
But if one of the essential mineral constltu-
ents of a certain plant be absent from or de-
ficlent in quantity in soil, though Ill the
Others be present in abundance, tfat plant can
not be made to live and thrive upon the sollin
ques ton.
The speaker argued that this being the case,
it should be easy to determine whether
piece of land is fit to support gwen crop or
not; and what is of most practical import
ance, if not fitted by nature for the purpose,
by artificial means. 1t may be that some OF
the mineral constituents needed for plant
may not be in soluble STATED state tnat Is
Indispensable for the support OF the plant.
This defect may be obviated by the manner OF
cultivation. The fallow and the rotation OF
crops assist to pulyeriZe and decompose the
cons tituent needed, and after time the SOIL
thus becomes suited to the plant that was not
adapted to it 4 few years previous. Contlnu-
ing his remarks on this branch of the subject,
he explained the difference in soils, the eVlls
from washing and from too compact SOILS,
how the soluble constituents are lost by WASH
ings, &c. =; how the organic matter OF the soli,
by the gradual process Of decay during which
carbonic acid and ammonia are produced fur
nishes from tile earth supply OF these essen
tial substances, additional TO that which is
drawn from the atmosphere.
Mechanically and chemically, continued the
Doctor, we can, TO q large extent, change
the character of 4 soil at our pleasure, and
thus supply its natural defects and increase
its productiyeness and value.
DR.. Mallett, at much length, expatiated upon
the mode of supplying deficits and correcting
or balancing excess of chemical substances IN
soils. 1t would be unjust to him TO essay
condensation of his clear views. In the
course of his remarks he suggested that where
there was an absence of silicic acid 1T might
be produced by burning refuse wood upon the
soil, and heaping clay upon the fire, which,
after burning, being scattered over the land,
would supply the deficient soluble silicic acld,
and wheat and other cereals requiring THIS
acid might be grown with success where they
would not have thriyed before.
The Doctor spoke generally of manures,
some of which might be considered meoicine.
For instance, iron pyrites, by The oXldlZinG
action of the atmosphere, produces copperas,
soluble in water and injurious to plants |;
heated with lime, this copperas, in conJunc-
ton with it, becomes sulphate OF lime or gyp-
sum, while the protoxide of iron set free ra-
pldly absorbs more oxygen, and becomes
peroxide of iron, which is at least harmless:
The process of vigorous tillage-the break
ing up Of the soil permitting the proper ap-
sorption of moisture, and at the same time It's
percolation through the mass and allowing
the roots of plants freely to percolate greater
depths-is surely followed by the most satls-
factory results.
The Doctor continued his review Of the life
of plants and the effects wrought by chemical
substances upon their existence at some
length. These views, showing the Importance
of science as an aid to the farmer, Doctor
Mallett went on to state the difficulties IN the
way of the employment of the teachings OF
science. The chief one was that the farmer
demanded concrete rules for special c;ses OF
agricultural practice, which he showed to De
impossible from the variable and INFINITE COM
binations Of soils.
Another difficulty was the liability OF farm
ers in adapting scientific knowledge 10 cultl-
walton to forget some one OF the conultlohs
imposed, and thus lose the oenent Oh the
whole. But these difficulties, the speaker
contended, could be mastered with care ana
perseverance. ri. ....r.
DIR. Mallett laid down these propositions rs
essential to good farming: :,
!. More thorough pulverization of the soil,
and TO greater depth. ...-
2. Efficient drainage by means Oh tuoular
draining tiles.
3. The more extended introduction and use
of improved agricultural implements and Ia
or-saving machinery.
1. More strict and proper atten tlon TO sys-
tematic rotation of crops-pains being taken
to discover the order of rotation best suited
TO the soil.
8. The more extensive cultivation of root