The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-03-08
Home ana Farm.


CHICKESs.-Thc saying often applied
to young ducks that they eat more
than they are WORTH" may Ec q very
unjust one. Several years ago We
were speaking with Il woman who
raised yearly large numbers of ducks
and chickens, regarding the compare
tive amount of food consumed to bring
them to their full growth. She stated
that "ducks eat less IN proportion to
their growth than chickens" Our
readers may be surprised at this, but,
upon giving the matter little thought,
they will understand the reason. it is
because the ducklings reach maturity
sooner than the chickens, and, Of
course, the longer it takes to bring a
creature to maturity, the greater the
expense, not only OF food, but of tine
and trouble. Experiment has demon
strated the fact that, with the same
quantity of food and care, the duck
lIBgs, in ninety days from the shell,
may be made to weigh nine or ten
pounds per pair or over, while chick
ems IN the same length of time, come
TO weigh only six or seven pounds per
pair. Hence the remark quoted at the
commencement of this paper does not
apply when ducklings are properly and
intelligently managed.-I'0uitry World.
THE ABsoRPTIvE POWER OF SOIL
1t is an important discovery of recent
date that soils have the power of sepa-
rating not only ammonia, but other
bases also from their solutions, and of
N n thaVn tan 70 of fa y
their absorption. Thus one hundred
grains of clay soil taken from the plas-
tic clay formation of England absorbed
1850 grams of potash from solution
of caustic potash containing one per
cent. of the alkali. 1t is interesting 10
observe that the liquid was not in this
case filtered through the soil, but the
cold solution was merely lettin contact
with 1t for twelve hours.
1t has been further shown that soils
have the ability to separate the aka
they are combined. When saline solu
tons were slowly filtered through soil:
five or six inches deep the liquids
which passed through were deprived
of their alkaline bases, as potash, sodr,
ammonia AMI magnesia, and only tn,
acids were to be found in combination
with some other base. Thus, wher
murIate of ammonia was filtered
through the soil the ammonia was re
moved and a corresponding quantity o
lime, in combination with muriatit
acid, was fond in the fl tered liquid
In the same way sulphate of potasl
was deprived of its bas :, and the liquIC
collected gave sui phate of lime.
Those soils which have the greatest
amount of capillary porosity will con,
dense the greatest amount of manuria
substances on their internal surfaces
will retain them longest against the ad
verse solvent action of water, and will
give them out most readily to the root
lets of the growing plant.
A mass OF adhesive clay will absOrI
but very slight amount of available
manure; but if this same mass j
rendered friAble, by mechanical pro
cesses, its power of absorption is amaz
ingly increased. In view of what ha
been stated, it is very clear that on
way in which blowing increases tn
fertility of land is by increasing it
porosity 10y pulserizatIon.
Again, many manurial substance
exist in the soil, which, being insolu
BILE, exercise no action on the gro VII
: of plants; bnt by the slow, thougl
regular action OF the frosts and TIL
rain, the air and the sunshine, insolu
pie aud refractory compounds are re
duced to a soluble state, and are appTc
: priated and held on deposit by tn
soil to the credit of the next cultivate
crop. This explains the well-know
l fact that soils which have been croppe
TO the very verge of barrenness wi
recover their fertility if allowel to II
: main long enough under the action c
climatic Influences to saturate the so
with the necessary plsnt-food, whic
they have unlocked from their chem
cal combinations, and given to the so
, in II perfectly physical: condition
These changes are brought about MOI
rapidly when certain mechanics
: changes OF condition are wrought upo
= the soil.
Calbonic acid is one Of the most a,
tive of the agents employed in brin.
Ing the insoluble organic mStter in ii
, soil into that physical conditIon
which it becomes available as plan
food. In order that this soil mag
: formed, it is essential that the carbon
aceous matter in the soil should |
) brought into direct contact with tt
. atmosphere, from which they procul
= the oxygen necessary to convert thcI
into carbonic acid. So long as sta;
nant water remains i'll the soil, or S
, long as the soil is in dense or vel
compact condition, it is impossible f.
the carbon to be converted into acid
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