The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-02-05

~%~~$
showed us two interesting specimens Of
dried plants. One was the common
oat, which the botanists c,ass among
the Gra7aiaeG, or grasses, and the other
vetch, q le%guminous plant, allied TO the
garden pea, the bean, the Iupines, and
the cloyers. 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 a mass of roots which would be
likely to astonish the unobserying farm
Ell and 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 the parts growing above
ground. In the vetch, on the contrary,
che proportion was reVersed-the roots
making not more than one-third of the
entire bulk. Now the vetch, like the
c~lovers, is found to be exceedingly rich
in nitrogen, and therefore very valuable
as a green. soiling crop. When plowed
under, it enriches the soil by supplying
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
conclusively that this is not the case.
They get ii through the roots exclusive
~, but it still appears certain that it
must be the atmosphere that supplies
1t. Il is Tin It's elements) in the air, the
rains and the dew which permeate the
soil, and in that laboratory of nature,
and decomposed and made available In
the form of ammonia. These facts, thus
briefly and imperfectly stated, teach
several lessons Of immense practical
value to the farmer. /. That different
classes Of plants have different modes of
feeding, as distinctly shown by their
roots. 2. That certain leguminous
plants, and probably all of them, in q
greater or less degree, are great pur-
veyors of heterogeneous plant food, and
should therefore be made use OF as
green soiling crops to enrich the land
for the grains and the fibre. bearing
plants, the lime and other ash elements
being cheaply obtainabIe to complement
them. 3. That in view of the fact that
the f~ertilizing elements which are elab-
Grated in the soil come SO largely from
She atmosphere, it is Of the utmost I'M
portance that the land be well broken
MP and the soil kept loose and porous
by iudicious and frequent cultivation,
20 that air and moisture can freely pene.
trate it.
4MEhOBEIuENI QH GIAXEG bOlLSs
One Of the principal defects of olayey
soils, especially where they rest upon d
subsoil of the same nature, is the ex-
cess of water which is held in them.
The only effectual way in q majority of
cases to get rid Of this is by thorough
understanding. This draws off by i'm
perceptible degrees all the excess of
water and opens The soil to the free adj
mission Of the air, which in its passage
through it imparts warmth and such
fertilizing gases as it may contain.
Open drains or bitches, though less
e~ffectual, are useful. In some cases
water burrows, terminating in some
ravine or ditch, serve a good pupoae.
Lime il exceedingly useful as an aneli-
orator Of clayey soils, inducing chemi-
cal combinations, the mechanical effect
of which is to break mp the too great
tenacity Of the clay, while IL adds, at
the same time, GA element of fertility
which may perhaps DO 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 its particles and de.
atroy their strong cohesion. glayey
lands must never bio plowed when wet.
oLovERAs AN AocUMULAToR o~FNrTRoaHN
We find il stated that DE-. VoeIcker.
By Q series 81 the most exhaustive an
Of soils and Of plants, has discoY-
cred and established the fact that al
immense amount of nitrogenous food
acsumulates In the soil during the
growth cf cloYer, especially in the sur !
face soil amounting, including that in
the clover roots and tops, to three and /
. half tons 81 nitrogen per acre ; equal
to four tons and 3 third OF ammonia, i
IL this be- q fact, the wonderful effects
Of clover, vstchs and similar plants on
the soil cease to be mysterious, and the
farmer need no longer buy ammonia il
his commercial fertilizers, but only add
20 the soil The line and other ash elee
ments required, which can be cheaply
furnished IL available forms.
cHEATaD-THE HoMUs EEcALEEUs swN-
DIN.
Sometime ago Il specimen of wheat,
-GAE %#&4M@ZI IL