Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-06

OF the ingredients mentioned above, those
which require to be supplemented in light
soils are chiefly tcater, vegetable fiber, and
EXTRACT, alumird, and ealcareouS earth. The
Importance of water being in proper supply
for plant growth is too well known to require
proof BY its means alone is the plant ena-
bled to take up the earthly phosphates and
carbonates present in the soil in state which
permits assimilation.
The water, especially when containing car
bonic acid, which it derives principally from
6ecaying organic matters, acts as solvent
on the earthly phosphates, and thus presents
them to the cell of the plant in condition
fit for absorption. Now, ia sandy soil, the
water derived from tho atmosphere speedily
filters through the loose material until it
meets with 6rmer substratum, and is also
rapidly lost by evaporation fron the surface.
As we cannot increase the quantity of rain,
and as artificial irrigation is inadmissible on
account Of expense, We must endeavor to
change the character of the soil in such
way that the filtration and evaporation may
20 on less rapidly. It will be shown below
how this is to be done.
VEGETABLE fiber and extract are the mate.
rials which form the principal portion Of
what is termed vegetable mold, the value Of
which when present in soil is known to ev-
cry one. We find but 4 small proportion Of
these ingredients present in a light soil if it
has been under the cultivation Of one OF the
exhaustive agriculturists mentioned above.
What may have been present in the land
when first cleared of the forest, has soon
been distracted by successive crops Of grain,
grass or roots These ingredients, therefore,
require to be largely supplied in an artificial
way.
Alumila or clay is necessarily deficient
in quantity in the soil of which we are speak.
ing, and something must be supplied to an-
swer the same purpose in more or less per-
feet manner. 1t is this substance which
gives to tho soil tenaeity, and forms basis
for the roots of different plants. 1t also
possesses the valuable property of absorbing
atmospheric moisture. On account of the
very small proportion found in plants them
selves, it is denied by some writers that it
constitutes vegetable food at all; but it
certainly acquires value from the properties
mentioned above.
Calcarsous earth, or earth containing the
various salts Of lime, such as the phosphate,
carbonate, and sulphate, furnishes an impor-
tant part Of the plants food. 1t is while
green herbaeeous plants are in an active
state of vegetation that the phosphate, the
principal SALT is found in the largest quanti-
" in the ash. The importance Of remem-
bering this fact will be seen shortly.
Now what are the means to be employed
In order to supply the deficient materials
Just described LIST. By.
sIanures.
These may be either animal or vegetable
substances in state Of decomposition, II is
always necessary that manure should be in
state Of Audity, lin solution) or gas, in order
to constitute food for the vegetable creation.
When manure already consists Of matter
principally soluble in water, its fermentation
or putrefaction should be prevented. IL is
only when the manure consists Of vegetable
or animal fiber that these processes are nec-
essary. In order to ensure such fermenta-
ton, three agents are necessary, namely =
a temperature -abore tie tieeziny point the
presence or moisture Of tCater, and OrRgen
gas
Tue principle animal manures easily at
tainabe are the solid and liquid excrements
Of animals The constituents of the solid
parts of animal excrements vary with the
nature of the food, The soluble parts Of the
ashes of the consumed food exist in the fluid
excrement, while all the insoluble portion Of
the ashes inorganic pOrtiOn) are present in
the solid exorements. On account Of the
large quantity of soluble alkaline phosphate
in grains of oil kinds, the fluid exorementse
Of carnivOrOus and graminivOrOus animals
contain these compounds, whereas, those Of
herbivorous animals are free from such salts.
In the case of the latter, whose food abounds
in insOuble earthly phOsphates, the feces
Contain the residue. t...
| From the above facts we deduee the prin-
! cipls that the solid and liquid excreta Of an