The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-17
THE PRESS.
MONDAY MORNING, AUG. II, 1874
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
How land Becomes Exhausted.

How Land Becomes Exhausted.
Plants, like animals, require food. The
food OF plants consists, in addition to water
OF two kinds of matter-namely, ten or twelve
substances (called fixed constituents) derived
solely from the soil; and of four bodies de-
rived by our cultivated crops partly from the
air and partly from the soil, and which fly
away into the air under the action Of heat,
and are, in consequence, called volatile.
Many wild plants have the power of growing
on hard rock, destitute of any volatile mat
ter; but cultivated plants, such as the cab
bage, require for their full growth soil con-
tanning such matter. We increase the guam
tity OF volatile matter in the soil by laying it
down to grass, and by the application of
1arm-yard manure, OF peat and other vegeta-
BILE substances. The quantity Of this matter
IN the soil varies very much. Rich gardens
contain great deal of it, and it may be said
that, with certain exceptions, the amount re-
CURED for the growth OF crops should increase
with Their luxuriance and delicacy. OF farm
crops, the cabbage and the grasses require it
In the largest quantity. The cabbage should
therefore be grown in rich ground. OF the
grass family OF plants, there is none which
luXurlates in soil rich in combustible mat
ter, or matter that can be burned away, so
much as Italian rye-grass, of which more will
be said further on, and of which enormous
crops are obtained, by skilful management,
on reclaimed bog and moor. The fixed con-
stituents of plants, also called the ash and
mineral constituents, are invariably obtained
from the soil. A soil deficient in any one, or
in more than one, OF them, is barren. They
exist in very different proportions in the diff
terent families Of crops. The composition of
the same sort or variety of crop is pretty con-
stant.
We see, then, that given weight of the
same crop must take out of the ground cer-
tain quantity of fixed or ash constituents. If
the crop, or part of it, be sold off the farm, it
is evident the total quantity of the ash con-
stituents in the soil must be lessened. If the
quantity of these constituents sold off were
returned to the soil in manure, it would not
suffer any deterioration; but if crop after crop
be sold without any manure, it is evident the
supply of ash constituents will become less
and less, and the yield may be so far reduced
that the crop would not pay. This actually
occurred in some of the slave states of Amer
lea, where the land was so reduced in condi-
ton by crops of tobacco following each other
year after year, that it had for a time TO be
left untitled, and abandoned to a state of
nature.
Before we can apply the knowledge Of the
foregoing facts to Irish agriculture, it is nee
essary to explain that only very small part
rarely more than the one-hundredth part
of the soil is, at any one time, in a state to af
ford food to our crops, the bulk of the con-
stituents being locked up in thestructure ofthe
soil in an unavailable condition-that is, in
such state that the plants cannot use it.
The stones in the soil may contain the same
substance as the soil itself, yet we know that
crops can feed on the soil, but not on the
stores. In the course of time, and under
tho tpH1ppaa of dir and poOis tt1ra tha
stituents of the stones become gradually lib
Grated, and thus made fit for plants. The
process is slow, but it is continuous. The
stones in our buildings crumble, and so the
stCne and particles of the soil are gradually
worn down, and their constituents converted
into plant-food. An interesting illustration
of this principle is afforded in the observation
that the removal of stones from poor land,
when they appear to be in excess, often does
harm. The farmer, in ignorance of better
explanation, says the removal of the stones
makes the land cold; the true explanation is
to be found chiefly in the circumstance that
the stones, by the wearing down of their sur
face, afford certain amount of food to the
crop,
Ii we apply the principles which we have
so far explained TO the occupiers of land in
remote or badlyfarmed districts, we shall see
that the soil, having for ages been made to
bear corn crops without manure, has been re-
duced to poor state. Dairy produce, young
stock, and the potato have also taken out OF
the land good deal of its most valuable ash
constituents. The potato contains large
amount. of potash, and this substance, though
abundant in arglllaceous clay, is contained in
very small quantity in the light lands in the
hands of many of our small farmers. Recent
research tends to show that the potato dis
ease is mitgated by the application of a ma
nure containing potash.
OF all the component parts of our soils,
phosphate of lime is most liable to become
deficient. 1t exists in ordinary land, espe-
cay in light land, in very small quantity;
yet it is contained in grain, in the bones OF
animals, in dairy produce, and in every spe-
ces of produce disposed of by the farmer.
We have shown in another place that an
enormous quantity of this substance is annu-
ally taken out of the soil of this country, that
it is essential to pay proper attention to its
restoration, and that thousands of farms have
been reduced to a state bordering on barren
ness by the ruinous system hitherto pursued.
That the system Of agriculture followed in
many parts of the country has reduced the
fertility of the soil to very low condition is
made plain by the modern practice of apply
ing artificial manures. Under our direction,
an application of two hundred pounds per
statute acre of the manure now commonly
sold at six shillings per hundred-weight under
JUG na.le " ipnospha.S Vi i,ine, ceii.aIn- ,
ing lofly,elSnt p99nas Oh pnospnate OF nme,
Incleaseo tne yieiu u Nv .ulnlps on pooi, nsnt
lanu py hlue 1ons. we nave seeu siuhlar re-
sulIS on Poo[, isuI ianu 'iu on Iue cnah 5oInla-
tlon III ntsnlle. ~ miii Ilieli pe asheu, now
comes III tua' our SOli HAS HOG Deen Teuuceu 10
a state of absolute sterility, if it has been for
ages subjected to the process OF exhaustion
we have described? The answer is, that the
total quantity of its constituents sold off in
any ole year is very small; in some cases
there has been a counter-process of restora-
tion, in the application of seaweed, of fish and
n,'d ai,s aS a. so; yvha a. o,,o,S.;t
of matter liberated in this wav eoused the
ouantitv sold eff the farmer did not evneri-
ence any deficiency in his crons. When the
demand on The soil eyceeded the ouantitv of
plant.tood liberated he rested his land. Some
times If was left 10 cover itself with natural
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