The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-09-19
AGRICULTURAL.
Water and Carbon as Plant Food.

If one clearly comprehends the fact, that
the elements otwatcr and carbon form ninety
seven parts in one hundred of shelled corn,
he will see the Importance of studying these
substances in the most thUrorgh manner.
Corn is our great American staple; and as
water always carries carbon with it, in the
shape of carbonic acid good seasons and
good corn crops generally 60 together. This
fact has great agricultural significance; for
it tells us that where there is no water, there
is no corn. As all rain water is charged
with manure, every farmer should under
stand how this happens. Let him consider
the fact that all plants and animals die: fall
and rot on the surface of the ground, and
throw vast amount of bad smelling gas in
to the air, to be carried far and wide by
every wind aud gentle breeze. If the at
mosphere did not receive the constituent
clements of all plants and animals, except
their small earthly part, vegetable eand animal
mould would accumulate till deeper than
forest trees are high. This result is present.
ed by the chemical law which makes the
decomposition of organized bodies. such as
plants and animals, just equal to the vital
law that causes them to grow. One law
sends the carcass cf dead horse into an ever
moving atmosphere to be widely difuscd as
plant food. Another law brings the diffus-,
ed atoms of this carcass in rain and dew,
into the living cells ofgrowirg plants, where
they are leorganized into nutritious food for
another simal. Man and all inferior ami
mails, and all phntsafe not, clay nor sand,
nor lime, nor any metal, but air and water;
and the atmosphere Is Natures grand store
house of raw material for making all crops,
all animals, and all organic mould. .
1t is true, that the most seasonable rains
can hardly be called a, perfect manure. for
poor land. Salts Of lime and potash,
magnesis, and iron, 40 necessary to form
healthy bone andblood are, partly. Or wholly
absent in rain water. These substances,
however, will be discussed in another arti-
Gle. -
Atpresent, we urge the consideration Of
the fact that our neglect to store up rain
water in deeply stirred earth, under our
corn, oats, wheat and cotton plants, lessen
materially our hatvests. The vitality, in
these plants calls for great deal, Of water to
feed them properly while we do next to
nothing to supply, this patural want The
soil and the atmosphere nias be full of the
elements of all our. crops, except water, and
from the lack of this evil, there is but one
remedy Every husbandman must husband
the rain water that falls on his land. By
doing this, all the soluble mineral food within
reach of his crops, eften, rising up: from
great depths; fike waterin an artesian well. |
will come to him at no extra expense. Wa
ter so pure as that which comes out of the
sandshills, near Augusta, Georgia; contains
valuable quantity Of mineral plant food.
Both trustworthy analysis, and irrigation,
have proved the truth of this statement.
=" When the creator appointed water and
carbonic acid as the means, with solar heat
and light, toorgaaize plants and animals, he
gave to water charged with carbonic acid, q
solvent poyerin passing over mineral in the
earth; which makes all our springs and spring
branches true fountains of manure Evapo- |
rate spring water in swamp, and it soon be
GENES black with carborn from the air and |
fat with all the clements of corn and cotton
brought partly from the deepest sources of
hespriDg5 Our best swamp land is rich in
all the materials for making crops, because
water, in the economy of Nature, draws 10th
carbon and ammonia from the atmosphere,
and sl needfuf mineral from the ear,h.
Reader, let us do as Nature does, and We
can make rich swamp almost anywhere by
simply utilizing our natural Advantages
The Plantation. -. .>....