Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1873-05-01


the clay is absent, and guano has gene
rally proved o failure, at least does not
act as favorably as on red lands. l
know the fact, that farmers in the white
lands of Georgia have, to large extent,
abandoned the more stimulating tertili-
zers, and venture that the commission
merchants of Macon will bear me out in
the. assertion + that theysdo not sell one
fourth as much guano to the farmers who
cultivate that class of lands as they did
three years ago, while in the red land
section the trade. was greatly incresed.
Mr.. Dickson says "there is no such
thing as stimulating plants" and yet he
admits that they will die from exhaus-
tion. or rust. Has he never seen plant
hang its head under burning sun and
lack of moisture, and yet cloudy day
would revive it, Stimulate" it, or
shower would make it hold up its head,
before it had time to receive particle of
nourishment from the effects of the rain.
If a plant cau become faint and exhaus.
ted, and be revived again, then it can be
stimulated, and this may be done either
by food, (for food stimulates sometimes
us we'll as nourishes,) or by stimulants
that do not nourish them in the least.
What causes man who is hungry and
depressed to feel SO strengthened and re.
vived after eating? It is the stimulous
of food, not its nourishing qualities, be-
cause it never performs this function
until after digestion takes place, and the
chyle is separated from the chyme, which
is slow process, and plans are stimu-
lated, 1 doubt not, by fertilizers, warmth,
moisture and genial sunshine. just in the
same way.
Plants perspire, or have system of
exhalation going on, water exuding from
their pores like man: And Boussingault
found, by an actual experiment, that
whenever this Transportation ceased the
plant ceased to grow;. where it was most
active, it grew most rapidly. 1t is clear
to my mind that certain conditions o.
the atmosphere, as low temperature pre-
duces this unhealthy state, and ammonia
not only feeds a sickly cotton plant dur
ing such weather in the spring, but gives
it vgor'to brave the season, and grow in
spite Of the weather.
The great difference between Nj. Ville's
formula and Fir. Dckson's, is that the
former used the neutral phosphate of
lime, and the latter the bi-phosphate,
dissolved bones.) AS however M. Vile
has lately changed his formula to the
acid phosphate, we have nothing to say
on that point, only that with this change,
Gas DR.. Smiths experiment shows,) there
is vast Improvement in results. The old
daily absorbed and worked up increases,
etc. If plants can be quickened, made
more active, they certainly Gun be stlmu.
lated.
In an experiment made by Boussin-
gault, the weight of the plants produced
was nearly three and half times greater
than that of the seeds sown, but the
quantity of nitrogenous matter was the
same as i'll the seeds sown, but the quanti-
ty of nitrogenous matter vas the same rs
in the seeds. Liebig says that this ex-
pertinent is we'll adapted to remove all
doubt about the very important power
possessed by the heterogeneous matter,
(ammonia.) of maintaining the vital pro-
csss in the plant, even where the mass of
the plant itself receives nosincrease" If
this be true, ammonia ".naintains the
vital force without nourishment under
certain circumstances, then it must be by
stimulation.
e. M. PENDLEToN.
ATHENS, MARCH Ii, 1873.
CnUFAs FOR SHEEP, Hoes AND PouL-
TRY.-A writer in the SOUTHERN Gull
TIvAToR, says that the Chufa will yield
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