The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-09-20
Scientific AErieulture

Rsiup If the greatest Importance % agucui- I
tBrs. / will euieavor (bcfore speaking Of Its
valuable effects upon the soil, both neehani-
esllv and cheulicslly) TO explain the process
II urderroes before u is taken mp by the plant.
Tho first process is 10 burn the lime stone in u
kiln. Nov, in its primitive state, enc ton Of
lime stone eoniaius =. Cwt Of caIbouic acid
and 49, cvi Of lime. 50 you will observe
that, during the process Of burning, the s.
cwt Of csrbouic acid are driven %, and there
remains III. cvt Of pure lime, or what Is
uroDsrly called quick OF caustc lime. In It's
eaus,ie state i, attacks the skin O.. the band
and dissolves IL IN washing, and 1t acis just the
same way with animal and vegetable sub
stances. The next process is to slake il, and
abe more uniform and complete the shaking
the finer will tho powder Of the lime be. By
this process (slaking) the water combines
chemically with The line. 3ib Of pare lime
take ID lib OF water, and give alb Of slaked
lime, OF what is properly called by chemists
bvdraiC Of lime. II this hydraIed stsieis the
lrnper lime 10 apply 70 90 the soil IN quantities
carving from 20 90 SO bushels 20 the acre, and
the ro6ner Il is used the better, for IT left e.
.hs sctiur If the air 10 loses lis Caustic prop
critics. suH the lib Of wafer which first com
bined with the Inns will be replaced by lib OF
cs-bonic acid. This action eventually takes
place in the soil and is DOW What u was be
fore burning, carbonate Of lime. In It's caus-
nc slate its first acIinn is 10 combine viii
every purtiun uf free acid matter the soil may
contain, aui thus 80 sweeien the soil. At
The same time IL renders a stiff soil less ten
acious Il materially promotes the rapid de-
composition Of both the organic ana niineral
pou,nueuts Of ,Ao soil, and neu.rsli-es all
iron compounds 10 l.. Il prepares . promis-
iuE habiiaJiun for plants, and puts more uuITi-
neli a the disposal Of them. Il gives ID,
straw OF cereals great stiffness by rendering
the mineral constituents soluble above All
silica, and also hasteus the ripeuIng Of the
seed and produces al earlier harvest. There
is also one further specially regarding tie
action q caustic lime, ia thai il is . musi
effective remedy IN destroying insects 10 TIE
soil; and ever since I became acquainted viii
agricultural chemistry, Eel. fully convinced
that IL is the best and surest remedy for The
cure q uidium and pbyllOzeTa 10 the grape,
tic American blight 10 the apple, gu specie
Of diseases affecting the orange, and also tie
rust IL wheat. Lime ought never % be sp-
piled q, the same tine with other mauuTes,
because il lIberales ammonia with tie greatest
csse from lie cuuhiugiiuns, but ID Two months
from Tie time Of applying il 10 tie land b
loses its Csustic properties. Lime should
always be applied 10 sii8 soils, and also o.
aestv or buggy soils. II has lille Cdecl
where vegetable OF animal matter is deficient.
Lining : soil tor tho purpose Of rendering il
CO for lie cultivation q plants, and mschsni
1ally preparing Il fer . similar purpose by
plUuEiuF, narrowing, &c, may be COMPARED
20 our present railway system and the stage
coach; the journey sc can now accomplish 10y
rail ID - hours, a. uue time touk q week 10y
the coscigi and in the course OF o few week.
ty tie Use q lime the sell can DO placed in
much better condition than it could IN as many
months by any niechsJiicsl process. Chemistr!
discovered steam, and SO It did tlo use Of
lime.
Nitr1-gl Is the most valuable element iu al
Substances employed as manure. because II
Is required 81 the earliest period Of the growth
Of plants, enabling them 10 fz the character
OF their whole lu,er development. II % tie
6rst stage Of their life they are able 20 make
a vigorous start, then their stalks ana leave
arc loneer and stronger, and are subsequently,
able 10 put forth more blossom and seed. On
the other hand, IL there is q Cehcicnly Of nj
:rogen, the plant has siuuied gowth, for If
g plan; is 20 increase in size, nitrogen must bt
present. Bu; It must be borne IN mind that
an the mineral constituents essential 10 thu
growth Of plant must, az tie same time be
10 The soil, and in @ soluble state, an5 even It
one Of these constituents Is wanting she crop
VIII be poor. There arc many plants capable
lf extracting an the nitrogen they require
from the air, as !le air contains four 6fths Of
nitrogen, such as clover, peas, beans, lucerne,
and sugar cans. The clover extracts al the
nitrogen i requires from the cir.
a sample Of earth was calcinsd 10 s urooelain
furnace in order 70 destroy all nitrogenizsd sub
stances which may have existed IN il; this earth
vas then mixed with phosphate Of limo, potassa.
and lime. and vatarcd With pure distilled water.
Clover, sovn il H. CruE perfectly well, and the
crop being analyzed demonstrated the presence OF
q largo proportion oi nitrogen evidently d1c 10
he ar, since therC was nonc IN the soil.
Barley and rye extracts 60 per cent, and
wheat 81 per cent while other plants extract
less. and, consequently, what they are unable
10 obtain from the cir must be furnished from
the soil As the soil Is never 10 DC depended
upon far tic supply OF nitrogen It Is always 1
better 30 furnish tie soil with ii il mauures, /
and tie ue1t question 10 decide, which are the /
cheapest and hest nianares rortaiuinE nitrogen. /
Sulphaie Of ansiuouia a. iss per cwt. IS, ] be- Z
lieve, tie test and ch-spesi, as Il furnishes the I
soil with 20 Per cent az Nitrogen. Its claim 4
for pre-emiuenos above other uitrosenous man /
urGs which / shall mention, is that being 10 Q 1
stipulated siste, {. e., being associated with 4
suiphuric acid, tie ammonia is h-ed, and can /
not hs liberated 10 the air, or washed ont Of I
the soil Peruvian Cuauo contains about - /
PCT cent. Of nitrogen, that is 20 ssy If you 1
obtain tht senuiuC article, which should con- 4
tain about 5sits 81 salts Of ammonia, and . |
per cent Of phosphate CT line, and Its price .
tsiuE i55 psr cwi, i Is Tot 60 eficacioUs Is .
The sulphaie Of ammonia. Moreover, salts Of /
ammonia instead u sulphais Of ammonia, in I
some instances give rise 70 chloride Of mag
uesia and chloride Ut calcium, Which act very
unfarorable On vegetation. Nevertheless II il .
IS possible 20 Obtain good gua11 % the above
price, Il is 2 valuable MANURE Tor mixing with
ether constituents, such IS dried blood, bouc-
dust, and sAlphate # potash. Nitrate Of soda
contains about Il per cent Of nitrogen, and
e1eris . bsDe6cisl effect upon wheat sDd po-
.sioes IN their first periods Of growth It's
price in this colony is 22s per cUi; and
although dear would stroiEly recommsnd its
Use IN mixed manure, as i materially assists
the decomposition Of other constituents. /
have tried both The sulpha;e q ammonia and
nitrate OF soda 90 orange trees and Obtained
beneficial results. Nitrate Of putassa (sal;-
pe'rs) contains about Is per cent. OF nitrogen,
and il . very valuable manure, but It's prise Is
The obstacle 10 its uEe. There arc also other
manuTes rich u nitrogen, such IS amuouizcal