Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-11-18
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fin means which nature c!upioy, 10 :tc-
r.p.lsI her cnts are II varied IL thew
ar" extensive. They are always p rirctIr
phprl to surrounding circumstances
AND. without unnecessary intervention
hHIy~ perfectly accomplish the p#rpo~"
I,-siLut.j. y beautiful illustration of tht~,.
..t-,~ i seen iii the methods and materials
employee, To- krcpthc tall. slender stems of
Tie GRASSES and cereals in an erect posi-
ton. aud enable them t. support their
bIr.!cn OF rlp.nrI seed. ami Gruu. TAX.
wheat. trf cNtnp!r. The cellular con-
>:rurtipn Of the stem is such TIKI, it could
not for one moment maintain the nrc,'~~. Il
~ upright position without the special
provision OF II tlrr which it is our task
now t. investigate. Were il ,Os~ih for
the field of wheat t. remain wholly I'M
l>lurE"d by outs de- conmotinn~ umtil the
II ads were developed, the first sll9lt
wind th4t swept over it then would pros
uttrrvrry sem level with the GRAND
i:It in this c.l~e Is in all others. nature i,
qljl 10 the emergency. Under her d-
rrcton tn plant reaches ont after Il sab
stance which. dire>tcl and as>ini!Atr,f.
furnishes the strength n"r,cl. and ,cn-
".r~ the otherwise weak stem able to sup
I'tl lk> lltIl i'I HIS > iI)Nl'llICtI> lilI, OF
Silica, one of the hardest substance,
luuWn.
y W comes the most interesting part nt
the ~, ,tiraton. ;Iow is tuis h,r,i in
,rtrtabc substance dissolved and reduced
70 c.uI tinn i'll which th,. plants can feed
upnn it &? .tik;ili Is ;tbunI mt III soil. and
tlNlii di>solve- silica. This Is the whole
secret. The strong st acids known may he.
,ppUci to flint without effect; but when
Tx Iii. either i'll form of potash or eod,. is
ipP!cl. the tlnty substance stIccuhlh- an |
mere : formed the >!licat" OF potash or
n" >,Ii,';t,r of soda, rs the case may be,
distance thlt Is soluble, AMI bv the ;,lli-
~nm OF water is reduced to i condition
tv.lIl,tDlc to tte plant. / he innumerabie
uttlc mouths of the ro0tlctS absorb ;hes
~IlIra,r~, tni they are conveyed upward,
ind Irpu> ted on the outside OF the stem,
- thlt from root To top, Including every
y 'ir. the boards, chaff. and even The ont
sd. bull Of The grain. it is cncas"I and
Protected 10y an .rmor # pure flint which
IL Nv l. Ifnpnrviou> To the action OF w;.tcr
being perfectly insolublr.
This ;t.ILor is dep, sitel in the shape of
little b is. which are nutchtI al the sides
something Ike g teeth OF Il saw, httnr
into r:Irh other latcrtlv. and connected At
the ends with circular bodies which lre
nothing more or less than the brralhn
pore, or >t"niat;, cast in flint When th,-
straw i treated in II particular way, and
placed under the microscope, thi, coat 81
i M can be seen in all its peri" ton and
oetuty Il demonstration OF intelligent de-
: >i@n and perfect workmanship.
h cerc ,ls-rNe, wheat. outs. etc.
are noted for the great amount of silic., in
their composition, but other plant-
contain still more than these he Dutch
ruth, :" largely used for scournc pur-
poses, IS one; and the housewife. who has
made use Of them 50 frequently to bri-nl-
en- her knives and forks. had as little s,s-
pIcl"n, perhtp>. that their efficacy vas due
to the hard. heavy coat of flint that en-
c.'~cd them, rs her good man had that
his >;tmt substance maintained his stalks
! OF golden grain III an upright POSITION
until he could gather them into The. barn.
II IS the absence of silica or aiklli in
soils that causes grain to break and lo.Eoe
/ lint may be abundant and ak Ii deficient.
or the reverse. In I'LL such cases the he.
urIent material must be supplied. sand
/ furnishes silica. salt Yields soda. and ashes
give the po.ash. Which one is wantino
,1n be learned BY careful experiment.
In arecent answer TO Il query in the F;s,ua-
e. 1t was stated tat on lands deficient
IN the constituents of salt. wheat was
liable to lodge, When it is known thai
40 per cent OF salt is soda, the reason j.
scl'-evldent. 1t might have been ad,le,
that the application CLASHES, or the necees-
! !rV Kali IN any form, would produce tn,
desired result, We have only to add thai