New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-03-17

some RECENT SCIENTIFIC DISCOV.
ERIES.
The past year has been prolific in
Investigations and in discoveries in ag-
ricultural science which have resulted
from them. In every civilized country,
but more especially in Germany and
England, a large number of intelligent
observers are constantly engaged in in.
vestigating uncertain or disputed ques-
lions in agricultural practice and
science, and in efforts to discover causes
for known but obscure effects. In the
two countries mentioned large num-
Der of experiment stations have been
established, which are provided with
elaborate, costly and effective appara-
tus for the carrying on of the. most intri-
cate Investigations. The results which
have 80 far been attained in these sta
tions have been of the most useful and
important character, but vast amount
of work has yet to be done before we
can consider that the practice of agri-
culture has been lifted out of the uncer-
tainties and obscurities which have hin.
dered and beclouded it. During 1873
many noteworthy additions to our
knowledge have been made. Among
the subjects investigated have been the
influence of electricity upon vegetation,
the influence of the color of soil upon
its temperature, and consequently upon
its productive capacity, the capacity of
the soil for absorbing and holding wa
ter, the effect of mellowing the surface
upon evaporation, the effects of hoeing
and rolling the soil, the physical prop
critics Of clay soil, the influence of CLAW
in the soil, the effects of lime and min
eral salts upon clay soil, the formation of
nitrates in the soil. and the character of
the agencies by which these are formed.
These do not by any means exhaust the
list; in fact they but enter upon it. so
to speak, but they are questions of the
greatest interest and importance in their
connection with our daily practice in
the field.
As regards electricity and its opera.
tons, NJ. Grandlau has gathered from
numerous experiments and long-con.
tinued investigation that it is an impor-
| tant factor in vegetable assimilation.
and that plants deprived of its influence
have elaborated in their tissues, in
equal times and circumstances fifty to
sixty per cent. less of living substance
than the plants which have been grown
in ordinary conditions. Berthelet had
previously proved that, under the influ.
ence of the silent electrical discharge,
free nitrogen of the air is taken up by
organic substances and enters into COM
bination with them. That free nitro
gen is. taken up by organic matter, and
is then assimilated by plants which feed
upon this matter, is sufficient to ex-
plain some things which have been
known but not we'll understood, for ex-
ample, the fact that clover, which is a
highly heterogeneous plant, will thrive
without heterogeneous manures, and leaves
the soil, after crop has been removed
from it, richer in heterogeneous matter
than it was before.
The influence III tho temperature OF
the soil upon vegetation is very marked.
and whatever tends to raise the temper.
ature of the soil at certain seasons is
of advantage to the cultivator. An
elaborate series of Investigations have
been made by Wollney in regard to
the influence Of color upon the tenn
perature of the soil, from which he
concludes that dark-colored soils are
warmer in warm weather and cooler in
cool weather; that, in other words.
they both absorb and radiate heat faster
than light-colorcd soils. Consequently,
the daily variations are greater in the
dark soils; hut these variations are
changed by the amount of vegetable
matter in the soil. NJ. Bequerel has
determined that soil covered with
heritage maintains a slightly higher
temperature through the whole year
than bare soil of the same character
The water-holding capacity OF the
soil has been investigated by Mr.. II. p
Armsby, the chemist to the Connecticut,
Agricultural Experiment Station. The
results of his researches tend to upse,
popular notions in regard to the advant-
ages of sub-soiling, anc also seem at
first sight to be opposed to established
facts. He concludes that fine compact
soil will hold surface-water, and will
draw water from the sub-soil with more
tenacity and vigor than loose soils. A
fine compact soil over a loose sub-soi
will not carry water down so quickly as
If the sub-s0il were finer, and conse-
quently an open sub-soil covered with
compact surface soil is not 80 well
drained as q compact sub-soil thus COW
cred. The contiglity of particles in the
finer and closer soils favors capillar,
force. which is exerted both ways to
equalize the amount of moisture. The
opinion is reinforced by the reason tina,
the open soil, being weak in capillar,
force, cannot raise sub-soil water fast
enough to supply the waste by evap-
Grafton from the surface. Sub-sOi
blowing and deep cultivation are mis-
taken and injurious operations, if Mr..
Armsby's conclusions are correct. But
he supports the general idea in regard
to tho beneficial effects of cultivating
the soil in dry, hot weather, in that he
finds the capillarity of the soil is broken
up by the loosening of the surface; that
the continuity of the capillary tubes of
the compact soil being destroyed, mois-
ture is not readily transmitted from be-
low, and is held more forcibly by the
soil Immediately under the loose sur
face. As is frequently the case, this
popular practice, known to be effective,
is found to be supported by reason as
well as fact.
this recommendation by scientific in.
vestigator would effect the regular use
OF the hoe and the roller, agriculture
would be gamer; and. although the
example of Moses and the PROPHETS"
which we have had always before us,
may have been disregarded. yet this
voice from the laboratory may be heard
with attention.
The properties of clay soils and the
character Of clay itself are well-chosen
subjects Of investigation. The fact that
clay is metallic oxide. allied in this