The Red Cloud chief., 1884-08-15
Plant Growth.

The sunbeam has been said to plav
She most important part in all the
changes and evOlutlonS going on in the
vegetable world. 1t is possessed OF
three distinct functions or powers; e,
besides be ne able TO supply light and
heat, il has actinIc force. by which il
may produce chemical decomposition
~and decomposition This chemical in
Sluencc of the suns rays is all-import-
ant, as upon it depends the termination
of the seed and growth of the plants.
1t has been conclusively shown that
seeds will not gcrminate in the light.
even when supplied with heat and
moisture, if the actinic rays are shut
of. As these rays are absolutely cS-
, %Sential, the Importance o. not burying
the seeds SO deeply that they are hidden
from them is evident. OF the organic
constituents of plants, oxygen. nitro
gen. hydrogen and carbon, only oxygen
and nitrogen exist as such in the plants;
e. q, hall the dried weight of a plant is
carbon, vet it does not exist rs free ear
bon, but is found in combinations. Any
y one of these elements, ii applied TO the
plant, Hill act as a poison. 1t Is com
mon TO speak of a soil requiring nitro
gtU- Dil lilt tttllltilI IL litSShbt'' III iiiS
form of a combination, as ammonia or
nitric acid, and, to use the latter with
perfect safety, it is necessary that it be
associated with an alkali, as potash or
soda. The presence of nitrogen is alb
~solutely necessary for plant growth; it
is present in great quantities in the air
about us, and vet is a costly element to
be obtained in fertilizers. As a gas
- - nAY
utilized by the plant n in the
form of ammonia and nitrous or nltri"
acids, in which it might be OF value.
there are such minute traces that 1t IL
wholly made 1uate. Hence the supply
must come from the soil. which, aS
there is often a scarcity, must be as
sisted by the application of manure or
artificial fertilizers. Carbon Is supplied
to the plant by the atmosphere. in the
form of carbonic nc d, and any carbon
ate with the exception of potash or
soda is practically of no account to the
farmer As a fertilizer. Hydrogen is one
of the elements of water, and can be
presented to the plant only through
this agency. and. entering the plant IN
this FORM. it renders the different forms
of food ~assimllable. Great quantities
of water are taken up by growing
plants. and it has been claimed that one
gallon passes through a single plant OF
wheat in a season. and that the exhaia-
ton of water in the form of vapor from
the disk of a suniiower amount each
day to six oreight unces. Phosphorus
is an essential ingredient in plant food.
1t combines with oxygen. forming phoS-
phoric acid. and rs such enters the
plant. The am punt OF this acid in the
soil is frequently so small that it should
be supplied artificially. 1t is found in
animal eNcrement, in bones and in de
posits in South Carolina; from these
substances superphosphateS are made.
and sold for manurial purposes. Potash
is another very important element for
the growth of plants. as an example OF
which it need only be stated hat an acre
of wheat, producing twenty-five bushels
of grain and 5000 pounds of straw. re
moves forty pounds of potash; and that
a CT p of fifty bushels of corn to the
acre will rem we fifty pounds of this
eIement.-Farmers' Rccie4.