The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-02-03

turn up their noses at anything they can.
not understand or think unscientific."
This, he says, is wrong-when we see
plain matter Of fact it is our duty to in
vestigate it, So it would appear "that
practice, which is at first contrary to all
theory, but not against true science, on
being investigated is found to agree per.
fectly with the established observations
of good agriculturisis, and that there are
really good causes which fully explain
apparent anomalies which sometimes are
very pulling" He then shows the large
amount Of nitrogen found in the soil
where clover was mowu once and went to
seed, and says;
1.-The accumulation takes place chiefly
in the surface soil, and | believe it is
principally due to the dropping of the
leaves When we grow clover for seed,
these leaves continually drop and enrich
the surface soil aud if it be the case,
which l think is likely, that the clover
tribe Of plants is satisfied with the am
monia which exists in the atmosphere, we
can at once account for the accumulation
Of nitrogen in the soil. The clover plants
take the nitrogen from the atmosphere,
and manufacture it into their own SUBJ
stance, which, on decomposition of the
glover roots and leaves, produces abun.
dance of ammonia
Now, DR.. Voelckers has come to this
conclusion, through long continued and
thorough investigation, though it was far
from according to his previous scientific
opinions. Many others have nearly
reached the same conclusion, though they
apparently failed for want of proper in.
vestigatious, or in consequence of previous
opinions johnson appears to think the
leaves of plants may absorb nitrogen in
some form, but that they do had not yet
been proved. Boussingault gives the
preference to leguminous plants for green
manuring, which appear to have the
highest power of extracting azotized prin-
ciples from the atmosphere and, indeed
be says, the value of the whole process
is founded upon this fact, for otherwise it
would be impossible to give any reason
for this long accredited mode of improv.
ing the SOIL" And, again "Generally
speaking, l admit that this excess Of
azote (nitrogen) is derived from the at.
mosphere but | do not pretend to say
in what precise, manner its assimilation
takes place."
Prof johnson seems to occupy a SIM
liar position on this point. lie says, in
"How Crops Grow" p. $50, "All leaves
are actively engaged in absorbing and ex.
haling certain gaseous Ingredients of the
atmosphere during the whole of their
healthy existence" Nitrogen gas is one
Of the ingredients of the atmosphere
On the next page he says the leaves alb.
sorb certain gases which furnish the
principal materials for the organization OF
vegetable matter !" also, "The recon-
struction Of vegetation from the products
of its combustion or decay is, in its sim
plest phase, the gathering by new
plant Of the ashes from the soil through
its roots, and these gases from the air by
its leaves, and the compromising OF these
comparatively simple substances into the
highly complex ingredients OF the vege.
table organism" In How Crops Feed"
p. 81, johnson says: "a multitude of
observations has demonstrated that from
50 to so per cent. of the entire mass
(we:ght) of agricultural plants is derived
directly or indirectly from the atmos.
phere.' On page 103 he says the leaves
of plants are freely permeablc to gases
"The cells, or some portions of their con.
tents absorb or condense carbonic acid
and ammonia in a similar way, or at least
with the same effect, as potash absorbs
carbonic acid. AS rapidly as these bod.
les are removed from the atmosphere sur.
rounding or occupying the cells, they are
re-supplied by diffusion from without
so that,although tho quantities OF gaseous
p!ant'lood contained in the air are rela.
lively considered very small, they are by
this grand natural law made to flow in
continuous streams toward every growing
vegetable CELL"
Now | submit that these quotations
from Prof. johnson. with the first one
made, 60 far to show that the leaves of
plants, and especially of clover, can and
do absorb nitrogen in some form from the
atmosphere. And | cannot but think
that most scientific men, on more full
and thorough investigation, must come to
the same conclusion that DR.. Noelcker
has on this question for, so far as can
see, it must be impossible to account for
the large amount of nitrogen accumulated
by growing clover, both in the crop and
in the soil, in any other way.-F,. in
Country Gentleman.