The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-03-16

uOI dUie W uidW 0uGlt supply oue "a ~
atmosphere, but are induced to con
sumo the nitrogenous matter within
the soil or manure.
Other plants, all the legumes, peas
vetches, lupines clover and lucern'
(Medivago sativa) do not need any, O.
at the most only in their younges
E state, nitrogenous matter within the soil
They are able to take all their nitrogen
out Of the atme sphere. It is yet un.
known what faculty enables them to d.
SO. It is wonderful fact that leg1mes
} and clover, so rich 10 nitrogen them.
seles, are quite independent of nitro
genous matter in the soil that. on the
! contrary, they help to enrich the sol
in nitrogen.
u Professor Wagner, at Darmstadt
mixed sterile, dead sand with phosphor
ic acid, potash, lime, but left out all
kind of nitrosenous or ammoniacal
matter; filled pots with this soil, and
SOVIET in half of them grains in the
others, peas and vetches.. The first
pots produced very miserable plants OF
grains. one aud half to two grams Of
plant substance (oats); the latter half
Qikewise without nitrogeu) fuil,devel-
oped peas aud vetcbes, so grams of
plant substance. Equal knowledge is
gained by 9th ,r learned men.
Whenever we use nitrogenous ma
nure, we make use of Chill saltpetre
(nitrate of soda). Experience has
proved that all nitrogen. before being
taken up by plants, is converted into
nitrates Chill saltpetre has better
effects on vegetation than ammonia !; it
may be on account of its richness in
soda.
While it is permissible to call nitro
gen the regulator of al vegetable pro.
duction, we have to care, not to use
nitrogen in an unwise manner. for many
reasons: |. Nitrate Of soda is high 10
price. 2. By long continued rains it is
washed very easily into the subsoil.
3. 1t never will fulfill its purpose, un-
less all other nutritious matter is al
ready in the soil. 4. All the nitrate
not used up for the present vegetation
will either become volatile or sink into
the subsoil. 5. It may happen that
when the nitrate is used the plants
develop too luxuriously and suffer
afterwards, when the saltpetre is all
used up. 6. Or by applying the salt
petre too late, the plants begin to grow
again, and their ripening is delayed.
Sugar beets, for instance, when strewed
over with Chill saltpetre every two
weeks, will become sugarless. in conse
quence of not ripening at all.
GREEN MANURINa.
The high price of Chilli saltpetre, the
danger Of losing great quantity of it,
by sinking into the subsoil, or as vola-
tile gas into the atmosphere, we prefer
more to prepare, or rather collect, nj
trogen ourselves, by growing plants,
such as will collect nitrogen out of the
atmosphere, just as your farmers do by
plowing under clover, or COW peas, etc.
For many years we have sowed
lupines and turned them under before
ripening the seed, and our experience
is, that after blowing under lupines,
rye, barley, oats and potatoes give even
larger crops than after plowing under
stable manure. The last named, of
course, will last longer.
THIS bulk of green plants we plow
under either in the fall or spring, and
so amply provide the next crop with
nitrogen.
This way of gaining nitrogen. at
least, does not require ready money.
One more advantage comes by this
operations: Nitrogen, in this way, is not
SO much in danger of being washed
into the subsol or to become volatile
it dissolyes slowly and becomes last
ing and timely source of nitrogen for
the next following crop.
/ However, it may be said once more
to grow good bulk of green plants
collecting nitrogen, sufficient quantity
of phosphoaic acid, potash and lime is
necessary in the soil !; likewise. sufficient
water. Plants never live on phosphates.
potash, lime or nitrogen alone, but on
these nutritious matters combined
Happy that farmer whose soil is rich
in all by nature.
LINING.
| One thing I should like to say yet !:
Lining the land is very good thing;
lime sets the soil in activity and is itself,
for grain and legumes, necessary ele.
ment however, lining requires after
wards good manuring, or it makes, as
we say, ''rich parents. but poor Chi!
dren."
The Dairy.