The Democratic advocate., 1878-02-09

saonss 70 y; wolfe read a paper on the subject of
sAsEleuitnre as Developed by the DiscOxeries OF
ters." Al' anu "AAeE mat
On motion of Wood the proceedings OF thismee;-
ing, and the contribution Of commitis 49,
directed 10 be published in the adr9cIfs and Seus
newspapers OF Westminster -''''-'
An unofficial hurried insuae.fnD of -. ...,.,
s kAloAs1 soIne me looking horses. good cows and
hS5esS IN nan an or. orderly, oily condition.
contributions 10 next meeting
, Siae m az @adlourned % meet at James RAkesraws the
JAMES RAKEsrRAx, Prest.. protein
ResaoeTton Wood, See'y.
FAPER READ BY D. WOLFE BEFORE THE UNION BRIDGE
AGRICULTURAL CLUB.
Soil, We are taught Is formed from the dixintegra
ton Of rock; that this ertlrnbltnr nro-r.su - f
sols ~ s ever since the primitive rocks were formed
pnIyerlzing the mountains and hills and the rains
are washing them into the valleys furnishing con
suAnt supply of nouriShment % vegetation butthis
source Is inadequ uate 10 the demands OF aroyvine
crops nence the agriculturSt must study the wants
cheapest and best form 8 the probiem Gbsi 4; ,a.S
engaging the best minds of Europe and America
10 III enc agricultural Experiment Stations in
traes-GermAny taking the lead. Our own country
= now iollowing IN the wake and il is % be hoped
tcut has station that Is doing good service for her
farmers May We not hope thatthe farmers OF Mary-
And VIII heartily support the movement that Is now
being made 10 establish such Station in fhis efats
inese INSTITUTIONS, everywhere with others Of kin
area nature, but less magnitude are laboring hand
IN nAllu Tor the best interest OF the farmer Let Us
appreciate this philanthropic work and avail our
selves Of the benefits offered u.s. Let US study the
ptores OF science in It's Developments of facts per
tanning 70 agriculture BY doing this We will ele-
vale our business TO science; cultivate and disc-
pline our minds and take that rSosition IN society
which II Is our priviege-the first rank
IN this, and IN papers that may follow propose
". ny weakness, 10 present 70 this club some OF the
truths that science has discovered in relation TO
SOILS, plants and other matters connected with aRri-
culture And here let me ask your indulgence and
you viii have the kindness 70 guide nv stems aright
whenever you see they tending in the direction
~ error. dislike apologies and therefore shall
proceed at once To speak OF the soil. This we
nave said comes from the rock. Il would OF neces-
Sly then have the same composition as the rock
from which it came. Quartz rock could furnish lit
tle else than sand, but sand alone would form soil
absolutely barren. Slate dsintegrafed makes clay
the potash and soda in this are the fertilizers but
these alone could not support vegetation Other
rocks in their decay would furnish other elements
essential in plant food The blending OF ali these
IN soil would give it the required composition for
prodnetiveness- But all the different rocks do not
more or less widely How then are they broiight to-
gether and mixed as we find them in the soil? BY
heasvy rams they ere washed from their original
But how about the hills7 We find them more or
less productive. Freshes could carry the differ
ent rock-ingredients up the hills and comminTie
them as We find them. To understand how this
was done we must exercise faith little and be-
ileve tne teachings Of Geology. We are there
taught that all stratifed formations Of earth and
rock were formed at the bottom of the sea If that
be 50 America once, or perhaps many times was
going on as DOW, the floods carried the abraded pa=-
tiees into the ocean and deposited them all over its
bottom-hills and valleys alike.
But without further explanation as 10 how the
SOIL was formed let US inquire into It's composition
Certain lands we know are naturally productive
whilst others are not The one has ali the
ior fertility the other has not The important ques-
ton Is, what IS lacking in this unprOductive soil?
or, what are the ingredients essential TO vigorous
growth? The chemist has labored hard and long TO
Soils have been repeatedly decomposed in his labor
atory and every element Of them noted down. But
which were essential and which were n-essential
he could not know definitely. Neither could he ar
rive al any definite conclusion as 10 the proportion
Of the different ingredients taken up BY growing
plants. All his efforts at accuracy were baffsed 50
long as his experiments made in the soil itself
But new plan OF experimenting suggested itself
70 the fertile brain OF the German chemist Instead
OF using soil TO experiment in plant growing hesub-
sttuted water BY this method, termed water cul-
ture, all doubt as TO which essential elements
and the proportion OF each has been removed.
VIII Try % explain the mannero rof conducting ex-
remove all foreign matter Il may hold in solution
u Is then placed in glass jar. The seed that is %
grow the plant IS placed upon moistened cotton
the whole is placed in the jar As the plant starts
20 grow the rootles push out into the water search
Of food. The plant food is placed in the water and
is dissolved by it. The roots take Il up and apprO-
PIRATE II The experimenter can know exactly the
weight aud measure OF each ingredient added 70 The
water as well the different Ingredients used; and
when his solution gives vigorous growth to the plant
he knows that he has all the essentials for fertility
This plan Of experimenting gives the chemist per
feet control of the whole operation.
Prof s. W. johnson says: plants have been
grown as large as healthy and every way perfect
with their roots in water those raised the soil
Prom many series Of experiments and inveStiga-
tons made by different chemists. this conclusion
has been reached: That no agricultural plant can
attain full growth without q sufficient supply
through its roots, and by the soil of potash lime
magnesia, iron. phoSphoric acid suphuric acid and
some compound of nitrogen. Chlorine and perhaps
silica are sometimes If not always indispensable %
complete development. If any one OF these essen
tal ingredients are lacking the plant will suffer in
It's growth. With an abundant supply Of ALL growth
viii be luxurant
Here, then have all the requisites the soil need
contain. The atmosphere and rain or dew must sup
ply the rest. How much of vegetation is furnished
by the soil and how much by the air and water we
shall consider in subsequent paper. We will only
say here that the per cent. supplied by the soil Is
very small.