Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-09-20

American Farmer.

subjects / an 10 attempt 10 discuau
are Of vital Importance 10 farmers. /
hope 70 be understood a. discussing
the use Of commercial mannres Is a
part OF a system Of agriculture, not az
Enake-shift TO obtain a great crop
regardless Of the cost Of production
and regardless Of the condition Ia
which the land may be left for the
growth offuture crops. five grow pay
ing crops and at the same time improve
our land. we are farming scientiGcal-
ly, otherwise not. Combined nitrogen
and phosphates are Or az .ferlilizina
pss Fials rpost imp0ft4nt u they
are at once the most costly and the
most deficient. naturally, in our soils
nitrogen especially being also most
subject to be leached out Of the soil,
and so completely and finally lost.
Next in importance is potash and lime.
In the first place. invite attention
to few general facts and principles
as basis Of mutual understanding az
l proceed with the arguments pur-
pose to bring forward. The slemeu-
tary constituents Of plants are thirr
teen in number. Four Of these sub
stances are the common gases, oxy-
gen, hydrogen, nitrogen and chlorine;
five of them are metals, viz, potas.
sium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and
iron; four are netaloids, viz. silicon,
phosphorus, sulphur and carbon. These
thirteen elements are essential to ag-
ricultural plants, and substances con-
slsting Of varied combinations of them
Constitute plant food. Each and every
one of'these substances enjoys a prac-
tically universal distribution at the
surface Of the earth, as does also alum
mum, the basis of clay, important TO
'.he physical texture Of soils. No 9TH
er substance does-a fact not explain
able by evolution, hypothesis or neb-
ular theory; a fact wonderful in it.
self, but not accounted for by any
modern atheist or infdel.
Now please observe, that so far as
Is known, no plant can, under any
circumstances, assimilate or utilize
as portion of any Of its structure
any one Of the elements named in its
full or uncombined states. said,
therefore, with definite purpose, that
plant food is composed of substances
formed by divers combinations of the
elementary substances named a. en-
tering into the composition Of their
structures. The nutrition of plants
is accomplished by the decomposition
of compound substances, mainly OK
ldes, and the reconciliation of the ell
ements thus set free into the tissues
Of plants by the physiological forces
of the plant This is an important
general law. invite your attention
to it.
We have first chemical combina-
tions Of the elements according 10
chemical laws, forming the substances
upon which plants feed, then the de-
composition of these compounds by
rlants, and the formation out of their
elements of physiological structures
in accordance with physiological laws.
The physiological forces are not mere
ly a sort of physico-chemistry, as SO
often stated to be. They are capable
of reversing both chemical and physi-
cal laws and subordinating them TO
the uses of living organisms
If plant be burned in the air, 95
per cent. Of it will disappear in invisi-
ble gasses, diffused into the surround
ing air; 8 per cent. of it will remain
unburned, constituting the ash.
The combustible parts of plants
are composed of four elements. viz,
potassium, sodium, calcium, mag
nesium, iron, silicon, chlorine, phos-
phorus and sulphur; these last are
conveniently termed the ash mine
rails. The carbon, hydrogen aud
oxygen Of plants are derived from the
carbonic anhydride and water every
where present in the air and in fertile
soils IN quantity superintendent for
the uses Of all agricultural plants.
The nitrogen of plants is derived from
nitric acid, possibly in part from am
monia. These substances exist also
everywhere in the air aud in the soils.
but not in quantities sufficient to sup
ply the waste of constant cropping. as
demonstrated by experience.
The ash minerals exist in all soils,
as stated, but not. as frequently sup
posed, in inexhaustible supply. Ex-
peIience, that great teacher, demon
strates that the phosphates are espe-
eIally liable TO be or to became, af-
ter continuous cropping. deficient for
the full needs of our cereal crops. In
like manner and in some soils, potash
and lime are deficient.
1t is true, as have already stated,
that phosphates and nitrogen com
pounds are the substances ofehiefim-
poTtance in commercial manures. The
phosphoric acid utilized by plants ex-
lists usually and mainly as phosphate
of lime. 1t combines in several pro-
portions with lime. One equivalent
OF acid combined with three of lime,
forms the so-called tribasic or trical-
cic or "bone phosphate oI lime" This
form is insOluble in water. and only
when very finely pulverized soluble
to any extent in solution Of ammonium
citrate. When finally ground, have
evidence that tricaloic phosphate issol-
uble IN ammonium citrate, and when
finely ground aud properly mixed with
kainit and other materials Of that sort,
it is largely and freely soluble in am
monium citrate. Combined with two
equivalents of base. the phosphoric
acid dissolves freely in ammonium