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

luton Of lime or gypsum, or the mere
sprinkling of these substances, or either
of them, upon it, opens and loosens the
texture, and renders it porous and pene.
trable by water. The well-known effect
Of lime upon clay soils is thus explained
bv the effect Of coagulating or curdline
the plastic tenacious mass, and causing
its adherent particles to separate into
small conglomerations, between which
well defined interstices exist. As the
lime slowly dissolves the effect disap-
pears, and the need for the regular use
of lime, which is an established practice
in agriculture. is thus accounted for.
One of the most important discoveries
has been that of the process of nitrifica-
ton of organic matter in the soil. The
nitrates are indispensable and invalua-
BILE plant-food. and the cost to the farm
er of their artificial supply is so great
as to seriously interfere with the best
and most successful culture of the soil.
The nitric acid in the soil comes from
animal or vegetable matter and from
ammonia, which are oxidized in the
soil. How this oxidation occurred has
long been one of the most interesting
problems of agricultural chemistry.
Experiments made very recently BY
Schloessing and Muntz showed that this
oxidation of nitrogen compounds could
be induced by organized ferments, q
low form of vegetable life. Mr.. r.
Warrington, of the laboratory of Lawes
and Gilbert in England, tested this dis
covery and confirmed it; so that it may
now be accepted as proved what was
suggested as probable in 1862 by Pas.
teur. The precise character of the or
ganisms which effect the production Of
nitric acid is not as vet ascertained; Il
has, however, been shown, or supposed
to be shown, that the various molds
and other low fungoid growths which
cause oxidation of organic matter
do not effect notification. but arc
antagonistic to it, and feed upon
the nitric acid which exists in the soil.
1t is an old and well known fact that
mold hindered the production Of salt
peter in the uiter-beds, from which
this substance was formerly produced
for the supply of gunpowder manufac-
turers. This supposition, however,
seems to us not at all satisfactory. be-
cause plant may have, and many
have, the power of producing their own
food from materials that are totally
inert until brought into contact with
their roots. So that those low forms
of life may still have the power of OK
idizing heterogeneous matter and pro-
ducing nitric acid, in the early stages OF
their existence, although they may not
appropriate the results of their action
until some time afterward. Similar
producing agencies are at work In
many other ways which do not fully
elaborate the products Of their activity
until the advent of their complete ma
turity. Nevertheless, we are at pres
ent requested to believe that the agen-
cies which do the work of notification
In the soil are not those which produce
alcoholic, acetic and other well-known
kinds of fermentation. Until tho
character of the particular agency.
then, is made known, the question will
remain an open one. On the whole,
the year 1873 forms an interesting
epoch in agricultural history.-M T.
Times