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


lnFsl q salt II thua happens that the
nitro acid appears IN tks drainage IL
the form Of nltfates, ~ not 0nlY vast.
Tag liaelf, bot becoming the vehicle of
- lmpofsant part " tlla ashmlnefala
u The soil and depoFling them also.
~ y exceedingly important. therefore.
% understand fully the history Of
combined nitrogen h the soil The
lawa which govern lhe activity Of tho
nitric termsnt are very we'll known.
WheE the temperature declines a0s
T. Il ceases % at. ~ II does Rlao when
on the other hand the Temperature
rises above i40s Il. II Is mosl active
at vss +, and its activity declines
somewhat rapidly a. the Temperature
Fiaea above ~ fails bul0w ~ M 1
full strong light, with free aooeaa n
oxygen, is activity ia much impalred
or altogether destroyed. hence ita sub.
teFFanean habitat. The functions of
the nitric GaFment In nature IA to trans.
for the nitrogen Of organic matter
from ita lnsoluble combination with
oxygen, forming nitric acid, soluble
and assimilabIs by plants, whereas
tho same decline Of temperature which
nj the approach Of winter arrests the
growth Of crops, arrests also the f9r.
nation Of nitric acid, and tho waste
which would otherwise occur IL thus
prevented.
have already stated that the nj.
trio ierment likewise transfers the nj
trogen Of ammonia salts from its com.
binatiOn with hydrogen to oxygen,
forming nitric acid. Here then we
come upon ono Of the most beautiful
and important Of the great series Of
checks aud balances upon which the
perpetuity OF the universe depends.
II we apply nitrogen 10 our fall-sown
grain In the form Of nitrates. ~ nj
trogen Of soda, the plants will take up
only a very small portion OF it before
the frOsts ofwinter check their growth,
but during the winter washing rains
aud melting SHOWS will carry great
portion of the residue OF the nitrates
into the drainage water and it will be-
lost In this way, beyond dispute,
millions Of dollars have been lost by
farmers. Nitrogen is cheaper ia so
dinm nitrate than in other CONNER
mercial forms, hence that substance has
been largely used to "fortify" the
analysis of so-called ammoniated su.
per-phosphates as wheat manures"
of the various manufacturers which
are universally applied in the fall,
and often late in the fall at the very
verge Of winter, a practice wasteful
and ruinous. Now ttaose ehemioal.
analysis, which are to protect the far
mers, report this nitric rs ammonia,
or az nitrogen-yielding ammonia The
farmer pays so cents pound for it,
and then casts it into the ditch water
and sees or hears Of it never again.
This is the law put no onitrates on fall
sown crops; top-dress with them in the
spring, the latter half of April in
this locality. When We reflect upon
the fact that the wheat crop natures
within six weeks after the nitric fer
ment begins TO be active, we should
have no difficulty in comprehending
why this crop needs such large arti.
fetal supplies Of nitrogen. Whereas
corn, cotton and tobacco cover in the
period Of their vegetative activity the
whole period Of the activity Of the ni-
trio ferment, including July, August
and September, its period of greatest
activity; therefore, we do not wonder
that corn, cotton, tobacco, clover, etc,
10 not need artificial supplies Of nj.
trogen, and, ~ a matter Of fact, ex-
perience demonstrates that they are
little benefited by any nitrogenous
manure. Nitrogen purchased at 80
cents per pound TO apply to crop not
benefited by 1t IL costly waste. be-
cause a great part Of ii will be lost be-
fore the land IL occupied by crop
which can utilize IT, Ii may be- stated
as a rule that nitrates aud salts Of am
monia are either taken up by vegeta-
tion or lost in the drainage water IN
one season after their application 10
the soil. Therefore, they are Of little
benefit 10 any crop which comes after
that one in the rotation TO which they
are applied. Ia the light Of this fact
we comprehend why no Improvement
but often material damage 10 poor
land results from empirical use Of
Peruvian guano. II Is proven that
the most economical way 10 feed any
animal is to supply il with the opti-
mum Of food ia kind and quantity ev-
cry day OF It's life, from birth TO
slaughter; that the same law holds
good Of agricultural plants there can
be no doubt. We cannot house our
crops nor control the seasons, but we
can control their food supply and pro-
tect them from the plundering Of hos
tile weeds invading their commissa-
riat.
II is in vain that We supply our
plants with an overplus Of phosphates,
potash aud other ash minerals when
the supply Of nitrogen Is insufficient
The idea that plants obtain nitrogen
from the air by assimilating il direct
ly in its free state is fatally disas-
trous error, erroneous ia theory and
pernicious in practice. IL II only
combined nitrogen, such as il farnish-
ed in manures, which il plant food.
Twelve or thirteen bushels Of wheat
is probably the limit OF the capacity
Of production Of our soils supplied
with an oyerplus Of ash minerals with
out artificial supplies Of nitrogen. The
ash minerals present IN that supply
which constitutes the optimum or best