The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-26
The Value of HumuS in the Soil.

A factor of the soil to be considered
in the light of a plant nourisher, ard
through its chemical influence favora-
BILE to tree growth, is the hatn2ts, Y hich
forms the covering OF all good forest
soils, and is produced by the decay of
the yearly ia len foliage twigs, etc.,
and other decaying vegetab matter,
and consists of the combination of neu-
trail sa is. The acids, which are formed
In some humus soils. according to Lie
big, are not components of a fertile hui
mus, but belong to that of peaty and
marShy s)ils, which are not fay rable %
tree growth. Carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen are the main components of hui
mus. 1t has been asserted that the hu-
mus ought t. be co: sidered as furnish
ing the supply of carl O., which forms
the largest part in the composition OF
the woody hbor For any one who has
seen the forests of large extent along
the dunes of Southern France and the
seasand of the North German plain,
lacking all traces of humus, nay, con-
tanning so little carbon that after heat
ing it will not leave trace of black
coloring, it needs not to cite Liebig's
proof of the insuficiency of the humus
OF any part OF the soil, to prove the
amount of carbon necessary for the
building up of the tree and aforest. Be-
sides, who could reasonably accept, as
logic would compel us, the creation of
decayed organic matter previous, and
as a condition of following plant life!
Yet that there is a chemical in 1uence
of the humus on forest growth cannot
be denied. Not only does the decaying
vegetable matter develop considerable
amount OF ammonia, which, impaired
to the atmosphere, enriches it with. the
needed nitrogen, but also of carbonic
acid, which contributes largely to the
disntegration of the rock, andincreases
the solubility of the carbonate and
phosphate of lime. This influence will
be readily admitted as important, when
we remember that in ten thousand parts
of pure water only one part of carbon
ate OF lime is soluble, while in the same
quantity of water calculated with car
bonic acid, ten parts of that salt will
dissolve.
But the greatest signifi ance of the
humus lies in its physical influence,
VIII CHI is the more important where the
other factors of ''soilbonity = depth,
looseness, humidity, are lacking A
considerable layer of humus increases
depth; a bad conductor Of heat counter
acts the drying effects of the sun, which,
added to its capacity of absorbing easily
and retaining long the meteoric precipi-
tations, makes it very desirable GOV.
ering of the soil. The humus being of
me ii0m looseness tends to dim nish the
extremes of the physical pro- critics of
the soil.
We may sum up the influence of the
soil on forest growth by stat NO that it's
chemical composition is only of minor
Importance, almost all soils furnishing
sufficient inorganic bas of the descrip-
ton which is needed by forest growth;
that its main in iuence consists in it's,
physical properties, represented by
is depth, looseness and depending on
these, the capacity Of absorbing a re-
tanning moisture, which properties may
be increased or even compensated for by
a sufficient layer of humus The ex-
istence of these properties in their
highest perfection in due proportion are
inducive to the prosperity of any
species, yet the necessity of their ex-
istence is relative one with regard to
the different species. - Cor. National
Farmer.