Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-02-04
FARM AND PLANTATION TOPICS.
From the Rural carolInian.

DRIED PLANTS AND THEIR TEACHINGS.
Afriend who had devoted much attten-
tion to vegetable physiology, especially
IN its relation to agriculture, lately
showed us two interesting specimens of
dried plants. One was the common
oat, which the botanists class among
the Grdns;',ee, or grasses, and the other
vetch, o leguminous plant, allied to the
garden pea bean, the lupines, and
, the clovers. The plants had been grown
in fower-pots, from which the ball of
earth had been taken and carefully
washed away from the roots, leaving
them unbroken and entire. The oat
plant, or, rather, clump Of plants, pre-
sented mass of roots which would be
likely to sstoaish the, unobserving farm
er andl open his eyes to the necessity
of giving his crop breadth and depth of
soil, as well as something to feed upon.
The bulk and weight of the roots was,
we think, two to one at least as COM
pared with tho parts growing above
ground. In the vetoh, on the contrary,
the proportion was reversed-the roots
making not more than one-third of the
entire bulk. Now the vetoh, like the
oloyers, is found to be exceedingly rich
in nitrogen, and therefore very valuable
rs green.soiling crop. When plowed
under, it enriches the soil by euppl lying
the required heterogeneous plant food.
Where and how this and similar plants
get the vast amount OF nitrogen, which
they store up, to enrich the soil, is, per-
haps, an open question It was former
ly believed that plants like vetch, gar
den peas, buckwheat, etc., whose roots
are comparatively small and Of limited
extension, absorb ammonia directly
from the atmosphere through their
leaves. Late experiments seem to show
oonclusively that this is not the case.
They get it through the roots exclusive
~, but it still appears certain that it
must be the atmosphere that supplies
it. It is Gin its elements) in the mir, the
rains and the dew which permeate the
soil, sand in that laboratory of nature,
and deoomposed and made available in
the form of ammonia. These facts, thus
briefly and imperfectly stated, teach
several lessons of immense practical
value to tho farmer. 1.fThat different
classes of plants have different modes of
feeding, as distinctly shown by their
roots. 2. That certain leguminous
plante, and probably all of them, in
greater or less degree, are great pur-
veyors OF nitrogenous plant food, and
ehould therefore be made use Of as
green soiling crops to enrich the land
forRt grains and rthe, fibre. bearing
plants, the lime and other ash elements
being oheaply obtainable to complement
them. 8. That in view of the fact that
the fertilizing elements which are elab-
Grated III the soil come 30 largely from
the atmosphere, it is of the utmost i'm
portance that the land be we'll broken
up and the soil kept loose and porous
by judieious and frequent cultivation,
80 that air and moisture can freely pene.
trate it. ,HI3 Fssffgg
IMPROVEMENT OF CLAYEY SOILS.
One Of the principal defects of olayey
soils, especially where they rest upon
subsoil Of the Same nature, is the ex-
cess of water which is held in them.
The only effeotual way in majority of
cases to get rid, of this is by thorough
understanding. This draws off by inn
perceptible degrees all the excess of
water and opens the soil to the free ad-
mission Of the air, which in its passage
through it imparts warmth and such
fertilizing gases as it may contain.
Open drains or ditches, though less
effectual, gre useful. In some cases
water furrows, terminating in some
ravine' or ditch, serve a good pupose.
Lime is exceedingly useful as an ameli-
orator of claJey soils, inducing chemi-
cal combinations, the mechanical effec,
of which ia to break up the too great
tenacity of the clay. while it adds, at
the same time, an element of fertility
which may perhaps be wanting. Gyp.
sum, or plaster of Paris, has the same
effect in still more powerful degree.
Ashes, coarse vegetable manures, straw,
leaves, chips, etc., are also very useful,
adding new materials to the soil, and
tending to separate it's particles and de-
stroy their strong cohesion. Olayey
lands must never be plowed when wet,
CLOVER AS AN AcoUArUbAToR OF FEITRoaEN.
We find it stated that DIR. Voelcker,
Iv parsoo ,f 49,, .,o,k