The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-03-30
THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIST.

CRATES by chemical action cannot be
denied, but This fact does not con
vince every one that sulphate of am
monia is formed IN all cases. as clover
is almost exclusively a lime and pot.
ash feeder, and requires, as stated
before, but very little ammonia. We
may look in another direction, how
ever and perhaps discover something
on which 10 found further theories.
Sulphuric acid is the most powerful
acid known, the weaker acids being
nearly always driven from their bases
by it. But there are times when the
/ weaker acids are able to push it aside,
and that is when ihey are applied
hot. Now, carbonic is one OF the
feebIest of all acids, and cannot
take the place of sulphuric acid but
sometimes, when heated, it is able to
dlsplace the stronger acid. Carbonic
acid has great affinity for lime, and
perhaps when plaster is mixed with
manure during the decomposition,
when heat is thereby generated, 1t
may under possible peculiar clrcum.
stances seize the lime OF the plaster,
freeing sulphuric acid, which, IN turn,
combines with the ammonia In the
manure. Heat is but the motion OF
the atoms, and during the heating OF
the manure heap hundreds OF COM
binations take place in it. Sulphates,
nitrates, phosphates and chlorides are
formed over and over again, and any
particular substance that may be
thereby set tree, if it does not form a
new combination, at once escapes
into the air or else is absorbed
an retained by some abb
sorbent material placed therein tor
that purpose. Experiments and OBJ
servatlons have confirmed one thing,
however, and thati is plaster a great
absorbent. 1t does not possess this
power in dry state very much, but
when moistened it absorbs and re-
;ains. May we not suppose that the
rains bring down ammonia to the
earth, where it is held by the plaster
absorbing and retaining il?
Having once absorbed it, like
charcoal, heat is necessary to Olsen.
gage it, which is a slow process
around the roots OF the plants; but,
while it retains the ammonia in its
gaseous state in that way, it gives it
up. by virtue OF this gradual heat,
just as it is needed by the plant and
no faster. In proof of this it may be
asserted that its effect on sandy soils
differs from that on heavy, close and
compact soils, as the over-heated sand
causes the escape OF the ammonia
before it can all be appropriated by
the plant. 1t must not be overlooked,
also, that ammonia itself, under GER
tain conditions, acts on the soil chem
ically, rendering soluable many sub
stances which water, unassisted, could
not dissolve. By these changes, and
by The action Of the rootlets, no
doubt the plaster is not only changed
In character, but assists i'll turn to
perform work outside of its ability
to supply lime and sulphuric acid to
the growing plant. Many wonderful
things are unfolded to the chemist in
the laboratory by experiment, but
there are still more wonderful
changes that occur In natures labora-
tory unknown to him; and the pro-
cess OF supplying food to plants when
fertilizers are placed at their roots is
beyond his penetrationyso far. While
much is known we have only gone
below the surface of science in that
direction. What is the action OF
plaster" is as yetnot positively known
but it is our duty To experiment and
give our views We are certain OF
this, however that plaster is the
cheapest of all fertilizers and the
farmer who uses it freely will be ben
Gifted from every crop on which he
applies it.
s.