Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-02-21

Far too little attention has been given,
especially in this country, to Investigations
OF roots Of plants Though all the expense
we nut on tillage of the soil goes into the
composition of the crop, you can 90 the
country through, and not mud man VINO
can give you definite information, as to the
comparative weight and composition OF the
roots OF our staple crops. In Germany more
attention has been given to this matter.
Professor johnson exhibited table showing
the results of some careful experiments IN
@ rmany N de to determine the comparative
weight and ingredients of the roots Of dill
ferent crops. These showed that the weights
If both vegetable and mineral matters IN the
roots Of clever, in an average crop, on
given cuantitv of land, is double the weight
of the roots Of rye, and treble the weight OF
che roots Of wheat, barley and buck wheat.
4 crop Of clover consequently returns to the
-ol twice rs much mineral matters, such as
..me. potash, sulphuric phosphoric acid as
.Aa crop Of rye.
Plants diF;r also greatly IN the action Of
Cue roots on the jil. This was shown by 4
lies Of experiments IN Germany. Equal
quantities of sol. made by mixing pulverIzeJ
: saui-tguG and basalt, washed To extract all
soluable matter were used. Different crops
were Slwn, the surface being kept covered
vi-h cotton batting 70 keep out dust. After
. rga c-cp vas raised the plants were taken
suI bJrned. the ashes weighed and eualyzed.
ID every case it was found that there
9as Ks great an increase Of soluble matter
oticrg.
Plants differ in the structure of their
.etges, the ID lin division being into large
clycd and sma leaved plants. Clover has
. great Iriacs OF lelves, wheat comparative
v little. The leaves are generally greater
ID rot crops than IN grain crops.
Plants differ greatly in the amount ct ma
--ritl tbeo appro pirate the aiT. The amount
taken is larger than many suppose. In
D hI-hsl Of wheat, sixty pounds, fifty 7lSht
pounds have come from the air, and but two
pounds from the soil Some plants get
uozea from the atmosphere, W llle others
lp mr.. Clover will By " nitric alton y
tike III pounds of nitrog to the acre,
where wheat takes forty five pounds
iugniPs will help themselves whero wheat
vIIi starye.
Different plants make different absolute de-
.utnIs on the soil. All must get from it potash
tune sulphu. ic acid, and nitrogen but they
.5se these in different proportions. SJme
farences were illustrated IN tables, showing
results OF experiments Some plants 10
Hpen.ag the seed draw largely on I g ma
erals which have been stored in the roots
t.a root OF rye iiminishes q third from the
etp.ng out u the time Of cutting, while
TIE r5lc Of clover increases q third in the
same period.
A crop OF rye or whe 1t takes from the soil,
u. it- stalk and seed, fourteen times Is much
II materials IS It leaves il the root. While
crop Of clover, baTv sted, takes away but
t. Us much as it leaves to help make an
a.her crop. 4 crop OF clover grown and
g..scI 10, will generally furnish nitrogen,
a5.t-l, etc, 70, a succeeding crop Of wheat,
thau BY using fertilizers. The Ger
mao who discovered this great value of cover
~ i sptratiJn for other crops, was
aalied ~ the government.
As general rule it is well 70 alternate
ras., with clover or forage plants, and
H..i c-9 is with those -owed broadcast. But
ere is no fixed rule of rotation. W here
.ru-rzs.s arc cheap rotation may not be
~. 1el- Where clover will not grow, buck
shalt or slwed corn will answer . sub
s--l-e. The luplne, no, grown in this
.1a1-rv. but much used abroad, Is extremely
xaa-..e in improving sandy and barren
soils.