Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-02-15
. FARMERS COLUMN.
Roots Of Plants.


Probably the best way to obtain a
correct view of the roots of our COM
mon crops is to adopt the plan OF
Schubert, which, while it involves
considerable labor, rewards it with
satisfactory results. In the field where
the crop grew he made an excavation
to the depth of six feet; and stream
of water was directed against the
vertical wall of the soil until it wash
ed away so that the roots of the plants
growing in it were laid bare. The |
roots thus exposed in q field of rye, in |
one of beans, and in bed of garden |
peas, presented the appearance OF a |
mat OF. felt of white fibers to the depth |
of about four feet from the surface.
The roots of wiAter wheat he observed
as deep as seven feet in light subsoil
after forty-seven days growing, or
from the sowing the seed. On sub
soils not so light and permeable, the
roots of winter wheat, winter rye,
winter. COLA, as well as of clover,
were found from three to four feet.
In another field the roots Of clover
one year old were three and a half
feet long those of clover two years
old, and near the end of the life of
this biennial, were but four inches
longer. Some clovers, like the En-
glish cow grass, are perennial +; and
all form and shed many seeds to re-
seed the ground and keep up the sup
ply of heritage. The roots of some
plants Carolina rice for instance) are
able to perform their functions equally
well submerged in water or in moist
soil. After o heavy rain, the re-
moval of a large share of the water
in a soil favors the useful aeration of
the earth and the development of
mineral plant food. Many a good
crop of rice has been raised on upland
that was naturally moist, with no
other irrigation than successive rains.
By constructing under-drains of
from three,to four feet in depth, in
England, and drawing much water
ont of wet earth, it is almost demon
strated that atmospheric air follows
the water, and supplies useful oxygen
and carbonic acid TO the deep subsoil.
In this way, millions of pores are
opened by the removal of stagnant
water in deep under-drains, and
chemical effects are produced of the
greatest benefit to the soil and its cul-
tivator. The earth within thirty in
ches of the surface on an acre Of land,
weighs on an average three thousand
tons. A few pounds of ammonia, or
phosphoric acid, lime, potash or sui
phuric acid added to this large mass
of soil and subsoil have often doubled
the crop. This fact encourages the
belief that we have only to develop a
small percentage of plant-food in the
ground by better tillage, and ditching
when necessary, To add largely to our
harvests without applying any man.
ure. Give the thousands of capillary
tubes called roots, that grow out
from one germ, all proper facilities to
Iengthen themselves, multiply their
mouths and take in nourishment,
and little or no manure will be re-
quired to produce satisfactory crop.
Good manure represents an equiva-
lent amount of force or labor. In
either case it is force; and very often
the labor that draws water out of the
ground, and draws in carbonic acid
to feed plants, and eliminates alkalies
and acids, costs less than to purchase
and use commercial fertilizers. La
Dor i'm OK flesh, made from the best
perennial grasses and clovers, (cow
grass, is the cheapest tillage power
to work land deeper and better than
is now done. Help the roots o
plants.