The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-23
o,,4svens< fxeuenss 81 sstou3hss ard she
A4ae ia wntsh Tiesy Aests S~pre'e


x<5f75r< DiSpafohs 4 read many years skp
. nrw rnd incenious theory Of she pfheh-
cisl effects o. droaghts on soils 70 pfsnfunt
"a thr surface q ffes1 supply o. lno,san's
<e,-ns,tt,,cpts. bs Or. Higgins, o. bsaislofe.
sra.dss 4 looked Il up end send toyou TOT
.nuhlscstlon. IL may be 9 eonsolason 70
fhnss who have idt the o. the
nrofracfed snd excessive dry wessher 70
knsv tnst dfoughss are one 81 the nstuIai
causes 20 restore the constituents on crops
and rcnosate enlttvatcd soils. ne SaYs:
.fThe diminetsoa OF The mineral nalIeT
al cultivated coils taxes place sfem WV
csnsfss .
ssrrled a In crops aoa not reoured 10 sne
soil In manure. se
= second. The mineral matief carried on
~ rsir.water TO tbe sea by meaos OF iresn'
water streams.
Thcse two eauses, always In operation,
and eornserscted BY nothing, wouiu' IN
Tina. render TIE earth = bafreD waste, 10
xshs1h no yerdwe would Qui0ken and no
soilfarv plaut take root. A rational system
- agriculture eaonid obviste the frst cause
a. s%{erility. BIZ aiways restoring to the son
an eouigaIeat Ger that which Is taken on By
tbe eropk. but - this Il not done In all
rases. Providence has provided g way OF sts
owu 10 eounleract the thriftIessnesB OF man,
nv ipstilutiug drpoghts at proper periods
10 briug up from toe deep parts oil toe earth
food on which plants migbt feed when rains
should sgaln fan. TOE mauner IN which
dfouebts exercise their beBe1ielai snnuence
IL as follows: During dry weather o eoh.
finuai evaporation OF water taxes pace
from the surface q the earth, wBieh II not
supplied by any from TIE CLOUDS. Tue
evaporation from the surIsee crea1ee u
xsc,,pm TAO far as water Is c0DeerDed, which
10 N once flied by the water rising up from
fne snb. soil Of the land. the wster from the
sub-soil is replaced from the next stratum
below. and in this manner the circulation OF
xyater IN the earth IL the reverse TO that
which takes place ia wet weather. This
nroorese OF the water In the earth TO the
sniface msnifests itself sirikingiy 10 the
driving up of springs and streams which
ere supporsed by springs. IL is not. bow
ever. onIy the water which Is brought to
the snrface Of the earth, but also all that
which the water holds In solution.
"Tbese substances are salts OF lime and
magueIa of potash and soda, end indeed
whateyer the sub.soil or deep strata OF the
earth NAV contain. The water on reach
ine the surface OF the soil is eysporated,
and leaves behind the mineral salts here
enumerated-viZ., lime, as alr-slacked lime;
magnesia, as air-slseEed magnesia; phos-
pbate OF lime, or bone earth; sulphste OF
lime, or plaster OF Paris; carbonate OF
potash and soda, with silicaie OF potash and
soda. and also chloride OF sodium, or COM
mon salt.
"AIl these are indispensable to the growth
and production Of plants which are USED
for food. Pure rain water, as II JduS,
would dissolve but q very small proportion
OF some OF these substances. but when II
becomes soaked into the earth IL there be.
ONT strongly imbued with carbonic acid
from the decomposition Of vegetable mat.
Ter 10 the soil, and thus acquires the pro.
perty OF readily diss0lving minerals on
which before IT could have very little in
huence." s,a
DIR. Higgins continues : al was first led
10 the consideration OF The above subjects
by fDding on the determination OF a a SOIL
which l analysed several years before q
larger quantity OF q particular mineral sub
stance Than ] at first found. As none bad
been applied 10 the mean time, The thing
was dficult OF explanation until i remem-
bered The late long aud prolracted drought
OF 1854. L then also remembered that 10
Zacatecas and several other provinces IN
South America soda wps obtained from the
bottom OF ponds which were dried in the
dry and again filed up In the rainy season.
As the above explanation depended on the
principles OF natural philosophy, / at once
Instituted several experiments to prove its
truth. Neo :.
slnto q glass c ylinder was placed aswali
quantity OF CHORD OF berium 10 solution
this was then filed with a dry soil, and for
a long time exposed TO the direct rays OF
the sun on the surface. The soil on the
surface OF the cylinder was now treated
with sulphurlc acid, and gave a copious
pfeclpitate Of sulphate Of baryta.
ssThe experiment was varied by substitu-
ting chloride Of lime, suiphate Of soda, and
carbonate OF potash for The chloride OF bl-
rum, aud on the proper re4gents being
applied 10 every instance the presence OF
those substances was detected 10 large
quantities on the surface OF the soil Ia the
cylinder. Here, then, was proof positive
and direct, BY plain experiments In chem
istry and natural philosophy, OF the agency,
the ultimate, beneficial agency Of droughts.
al an happy to stslS that Professor Henry,
OF the ~SmithssEa0 Institute, has fully in.
dorsed the ,go6ye views.
The<a1y was written by DR.. Higgins in
1859, a&9e published IN the Southern Planter
in 1850. II his theory Is correct, what we
now regard as q calamity may be a blessing
IN disguise; and that droughfs renew The
storehouses OF plants 10 the soil, aud fur
nish an abundant supply OF nutriment fol
future crors. "The world Is a wheel an6
will always come round right" saiC
Endymion. And what We DOW consider
disa>ter may be a source OF fortune.