Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-07-17
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
faFAEIMaNrs WIrn #nEAr.
A North CarOItnian'a Views ON Nitri.
Gcaffon OF the ROtl.


iicatdon or the soil.
A North Carolina correspondent Of the
Son hen Caifiratlr writes IS follows re.
gArding some u his experiments on i'm
proysmsnt OF the coil Last summer my
teamR hauled several iosda OF partly
daoompoaod wheat straw and made two
piles Of II on q CALLED piece OF land, 80
sterile az TO DO Almost upproductive.
These two piles remained in place for
couple Of months or more, and previous
to breaking the land for wheat, were
aeattered over the adjacent ground, care
being taken to remove every particle OF
tho straw where the piles had been. This
was done with view Of testing the effect
which would be produced upon the soil
by leaving the piles in place to continue
decomposition until removed.
When the ground was broken the
wheat was drilled in al the rate OF three
pecks to the acre, and fertiljzsd with $50
pounds OF acid phosphate and ksipit,
equal parts (75 pounds eAoh), aud the
growth of grain closely wstohsd. Nov,
lthe 18th Of April) the wheat ou those two
spots is thick ana much moro vigorous In
growth, with dark green color, while
the growth near is much smaller and OF q
paler green color. The difference in
appearance is most striking, being three
times IS high, having broader leaves,
stronger stems, and completely hiding
the ground everywhere in fact, Is more
than knee high, while the growth near
IL 10 only eight or 10 inches in hight aud
showing plsinly the spaces between rows.
Yet the latter had the benefit of the de-
composed straw from the time OF seeding
to the present time, while the two spots
were deprived Of every particle Of it from
the time Of seeding.
While the straw was in piles, during
the latter part of the summer, several
heavy rains fell on it, followed by the
Intense heat of the summer sun, ana this
caused nitrifcstion to take place, aud the
nitric acid was washed or leached into
the soil from the piles. AS the piles
were scattered later, and the weather
was dry and comparatively cool, nitrifca-
tion almost oessed entirely, and this
caused the difference in the appearance
OF the wheat. As the weather from row
on will get warm, the smaller wheat will
be benefited by later nitrincation and
catch mp somewhat, but will never be as
good as the stronger growth.
This plainly shows that we cannot get
the full value OF manure when applied
late in the fall to crops Of grain 1t Is ex
pected to assist, still it will not be lost,
as its remaining strength will go into
after crops. This is my second expert.
ment with wheat straw. The first was
given you in former article on nitriiioA-
tiou. ln II the wheat straw, partially
deoomposed, was placed on an old road
absolutely bare Of all organic matter and
very hard. The straw was about six
inches thick upon this ground, and corn
planted in the straw grew vigorously and
yielded we'll, not being worked at all, nor
was the ground broken.
It seems clear from these two expert
ments, that free nitrogen, during decom-
position, is assimilsted from the air. II
We can learn the laws of nature, and
follow them, success ia certain. My
opinion that nitrogen Ia made available
in many ways, il we only knew it, aud
that this is one of them. | am not writing
my articles for learned sgriuulturists,
but for those who do not understand
these things, and will make the spplics-
ton so that they can comprehend
clearly.
To improve vermont land, It ia essen
tial to add to the soil both the ash aud
the organic matter Of plants, When this
is done at the proper tins nature does
the rest, and the results are satisfactory.
Ash. lma.ter iss the residuum left when
plants are burned, and what goes away
in smoke is the organic part. A hundred
pounds Of oak timber will make about
five pounds Of ashes, and the other %
pounds goes to the atmosphere in smoke
and gases, where it came from. To be
benefited BY these two component ele.
ments-ssh and organic matter--ior the
growth OF plants, requires their united
presence IN the soil. Like begets like.
Put them in the ground as manure and
they will reproduce themselves when the
seed are 5own,
This thing Of nitrogen changing it's
inert form in the air and becoming
assimilRted, ia OF continual occurrence
during weather warm enough 10 accom-.
plish it. The mixture OF acid phosphate
and kaiait did II, am certain, as
noticed it shortly after mixing, and when
tOl-dresseG my garden with Il, could
notice it for several days afterwards
Sunlight seems 10 be essential to IL, and
yet 1t 10 accomplished in the shade also
do not believe IL is done al night, but
only in daylight. And l thiuk any
finely Gommtnuled soil can do 1t under
certain circumstances, but there ID much
to learn abOu. it,snd further experiments
by scientific experimenters are needed. |
believe S. w Johnson Of Connecticut
knows more about ii than any man in
America, although he won't give his de-
duetions until he writes his book on
mRnures,