The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-26

Wnen IN l5l3 q Hook OF goats was imported
there. In 1888 Capt. Cavendish, commanding
the post, saw herds Of them numbering 4oOO
and 5000. In 1909 there were but few patches
OF timber on the island; and In 1909 the Brit
ish government had to order the destruction
OF the goats, 80 rs to protect the remaining
forests
IN DRY SOILS
vegetation is impossible, and all carbonnted
elements formerly contained i'm it are com
pctely burned.
We are somewhat providentially protected,
however, in Southern Louisiana, where the
prevailing southwest winds of summer carry
with the equatorial burden of heat the moiE-
ture Of the ocean
But we should beware and
PROTECT OUR FORESTS
as precious source of natural irrigation,
which human Industry can scarcely super
cede;. and the more our fields expand,
near forests or shelter, the better they will
ma the rains that growing crops need.
Fertiltzers.
NATURE OF MANURE
Neither forage after it's passage through
the body OF animals, nor the mixture of those
deJectlons with litter which produces manure
by the process OF fermentation, can acquire
any -
OTHER FERTILIzrNG PROPERTIES
than those which they contain in their print
tive state. The former belief that animal
deJections on account OF their origin had
contracted special fertilizing power, is err
roneous. Since we can obtain the effects OF
manure upon soils and plants with matter
that has not passed through the body OF ami
mails, we cannot admit that the fertilizing
cause contained In manure Is a quality due to
such origin, for the identity Of egeci proves
solely the identity OF cause, In that Instance
Manure Is the product OF fermentation and
mixture 1nassed. of litter and forage trans
formed into objections.
By the effect of fermentation fbo xIo;oo
lions and litter lose their nature and become
single homogeneous mass black and peaty
which Is
MANURE PROPER.
fermentation does not add anything to the
mass; on the contrary it causes il to lGse
water, heat and part of it gaseous sub
stances whose examinations impress our smell
so disagreeably
j, Besides this decrease. nothing is altered in
the composition of that mass, because the
same clements constituting il before ferrnen-
tation still constitute the fermented mass.
FERMENTATION is THE LIFE
OF microscopic inferior organic anmalcuIm
that iced upon clements which have been pre-
viously used In the sustenance OF superior or
game animals, plants and animals, while the
bodies of the latter are decomposng.
fermentatiOn Is transitOry form in the de-
composition OF organic beings; In fact, simply
mode OF destruction for that which life had
dli1erently constructed, q dissolution Of the
tissues and liberation OF their cOnstitutive
elements returning to organic life, their for
mer origin.
The following experiments will better Illus
trate what difference exists between
FERMENTATION AND DISSOLUTION
among organic subjects, or, between the vege-
tatlon and decomposition of plants
lake Two seeds OF equal sizes, and with
sharp knife extract the germ of one. which
insert In the other, while from that you ex-
tract nny part of equal weight and insert in
the second. One will terminate when kept
~ wet SPONGE and be transformed into q
plant, and the other will rot, gradually losing
q part Of the elements of which it Is formed
IN III" origin, however, both plants had the
same composition, but, while the vegetable
matter issuing from one is developing and in
crcasing IN weight. he other seed loses part
OF its substance and must deconpose
The cause Of the contrast is due SOLELY tn
the different manner in which chemical affinity
mas acted upon tho constitutive elements Of
.s seeds In the. first, place, that of
the seed from which the embryon or
germ was extracted, the affinity acted
alone; IN the second place that of
the seed containing the germ added. a
new new FORM has lntcrvcned, which is life itself
life. that adds its effect to those of affinity
and commands It,
L both seeds have been placed near each
other, the new plant of the one will absorb
the last soluble products of the others de-
composition. as formed by the affinity of ele-
lnents, and it will not take the decornposnp
material of its neighbor
IN THE FORMATION AND DISSOLUTION
of organic beings there are, therefore, three
forces or agencies: Two for the formation, /,
md one for the dissOlutiOn I'm vegetation |
affinity will work under the direction OF life
exactly as horse will under the harness.
AS soon as life ceases affinity acts alone
'nu Mt its leisure, az an unbroken colt, and it !
VIII then undo during its indeprndpnre. that
"hlcn IT had done during its drpn,dencr As
sisted by fermentation, which is an cphnme-
al HE, affinity decOmpOses those TISSUES IT,
1id formed and combines again these mate
lalS In another manner, whence are lastly |
produced more OF less soluble salts and isO-
ated clements
This example will explain the fertiizing
lctlOn of MANURE
PLANTS DO NOT FEED FROM MANrRF
therefore,, but merely from the more simple
substances that are produced by it's decon-
position.
THE NUTRITION OF PLANTS
S the next subject for our study.
Holding that products coming from the de-
composition OF plants are in reach of another
lVlhg plant they are absorbed, as we have
lst said, by the roots of that plant and will
nus ala In forming now one; because plants
7 = process OF decomposition are of no other
tlllly III the soil than on account Of the gas
GUS and mineral compounds therefrom bro
lced, ana not on account of their substance
rgancally combined.
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.