The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-05
FARM AND PLANTATION TOPICS.
From the Rural Carolinian.


in its relation to agriculture, lately
showed us two interesting specimens Of
dried plsnts. One was the common
oat, which the botanists c,ass among
the Granairaeoe, or grasses, and the other
vetch, leguminous plant, allied to the
garden pea, the bean, the lupines, and
the cloveIs. 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 ard entire. The oat
plant, or, rather, clump of plants, pre-
scented a mass of roots which would be
likely to astonish the unobseIvirg farm
or 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,
the proportion was reversed-the roots
making not more than one-third OF the
entire bulk. Now the vetch, like the
clovers, is found to be exceedingly rich
in nitrogen, and therefore very valuable
as a green, soiIing crop. When ploBed
under, it enriches the soil by supplying
he 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. 1t was former
~ 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 it through the roots exclusive
II, but it still appears certain that it
must be the atmosphere that supplies
it. 1t is Gin its 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 10 the farmer. l. 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 a
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 obtainable to complement
them. g. That in view of the fact that
the fertilizing elements which are elab-
GRATED in the soil come SO largely from
the atmosphere, it is CT the utmost i'm
portance that the land be well broken
up and the soil kept loose and porous
by judicious and frequent cultivation,
SO that air and moisture can freely pene
trate it.
IMPROVEMENT OF CLAYEY SOILS.
One Of the principal defects of clayey
soils, especially where they rest upon a
subsoil Of the same nature, is tho ex-
cess of water which is held in them.
The only efectual way in q majority of
cases to get rid of this is by thorough
undertaking. This draws off by i'm
perceptible degrees all the excess of
water and opens the soil to the free ad-
mission of the air, which in It's passage
through it imparts warmth and such
ferti.izirg gases as it may contain.
Open drains or bitches, though less
effectual, are useful. In some cases
water burrows, terminating in some
ravine or ditch, serve q good pupose.
Lime is exceedingly useful as an ameli-
orator of clayey soils, inducing chemi-
cal combinations, the mechanical effac
Of which IS to break up the too great
tenacity OF the clay, while it adds, at
the came 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 its particles and de,
stroy their strong cohesion. Clayey
| lands must never be plOwed when wet.
| CLoyEBAs AN ACCUMULATOR OFNTTRoGEN.
We find it stated that DR.. Voelcker,
I By series Of the most exhaustive an
alyses Of soils and of plants, has discov-
cred and established the fact that an
immense amount of heterogeneous food
accumulates in the soil during the
growth of clover, especially in the sur
face soil ); amounting, including that in
the clover roots and tops, to three and
a half tons of nitrogen per acre; equal
to four tons and q third of ammonia.
If this be q fact, the wonderful effects
OF clover, vetch, and similar plants on
the soil cease to be mysterious, and the
farmer need no longer buy ammonia in
his commercial fertilizers, but only add
to the soil the lime and other ash ele-
ments required, which can be cheaply
furnished in available forms.
| CHEATED THE BROMUS SECAIINUS SWIM
DIE,
Sometime ago a specimen of wheat,
in which there were a few grains of
chess, or cheat, was presented to the
Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences. It seemed at first as if The
scientists wero to be coDfourded and
nature made TO contradict herself. The
specimen laid before the learned men of
the academy vas q head of wheat, to
which small branches Of chess were
united, and apparently in very natural
manner. The specimen was finally re-
ferred to the microscopicaI section, y
who report that the thing was a trick.
The chess was nearly inserted into the
wheat stalk, and held there by sub-
stance (which the committee believe
to be gum tragoclnth."
WINTER PLANTING IN THE SOUTH.
In ordinary seasons, our winters in
the lover south, or South Atlantic and
G-IF T1,ok Ill Z, Il