The Colfax chronicle., 1890-05-10
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
THINGS WORTH KNOWING.


seH Weuborn Reviews Some Of the Things
He Learned In 1889.
In reviewing what I have gained in
point of agricultural knowledge during
1859, feel like shouting, ''Hurrah for
Dixie" lean see nothing hit the dawn
ing OF the greatest boom that has ever
been known in agriculture. Although
the scales" are fast falling from our
eyes, our minds had become so be-
numbed or led astray by manifold Jack
o-anters" that 1t Is hard for us to realize
what science and nature yoked together
can accomplish. Things have been
brought TO light that have hitherto
been wrapped in mystery! Aye even
things considered ''unknowable" for all
time past
What is it We have learned that is 80
important?
We have learned how to gather nitro
gen. the costliest of all fertilizers-and
carbonic acid gas, the combustible part
OF plant life-both gases of the atmos-
Phere. Nitrogen, as we all known, is 70
Per Of the atmosphere along the
earth's surface and always greatest in
low places, and when the atmosphere
becomes cold sinks into the soil. 1t Is
many times greater nearer the Gulf OF
Mexico than 1t is near the Northern
lakes, although large quantities are car
rted from the South to these Northern
climates, during the summer when it Is
too warm to condense it, and blows
steady from the equator northward. As
all vapor is caused by the heat of the
sun, it must by necessity be condensed
by the opposite element-cold- While
In vapor It floats upon the
winds; when condensed it mus
sink to the earth where 1t Is
swallowed up, and plant life gathers
1t up (where nature has not been inter-
fered with by mani, distils from 1t its
plant food and returns it to the atmos-
phere, through the pores of the leaves,
pure air. Thus the two gases, nitrogen
and carbon, the great enemies of animal
life when they are in excess as they are
at the South. and especially in low
lands, are converted into animal food,
and the air made pure by their absence.
These two gases, although different
emanate from the same causes. Car
bonic acid gas is heavier, and in large
quantities more fatal to animal life,
yet II possible, it is more essential to
plant life.
1t has been known for many years
that nine-tenths of all vegetable life is
formed from these two grasses. Science
worked at the wrong end of the plants,
and therefore it seemed impossible to
handle these two gases. They could not be
caught and held to the leaves until the
plants absorbed them through the pores,
which serve the function also Of ridding
the plants of all excesses of air or gas.
How can the leaves take in these gases
while inviting others, for the plant can
not evaporate or throw of these gases
except when the surrounding atmos-
phere is warm enough to evaporate the
plant food in the air? When the plant
is throwing of in greatest profusion the
atmosphere is fullest Of these gases.
Can we exhale and inhale air 1T the
same time? If we can, then the plant
gathers this s'nine-teuths" of its food
from the atmosphere through its leaves;
otherwise not
Yes, we know nine-tenths Of all the
plant-food taken into plant life is gath
cred from the air, for we know that all
except the potash and phosphates (ashes
and lime) pass back into the atmosphere
when vegetable matter Is burned or rots.
II it did not come from the air, 1t could
not return to air; besides II it was taken
from the soil and turned to nothing we
would soon burn up the earth. We see
that the earth does not diminish in the
least; we see high places washed down
into low places, but while the high
places are being lowered the low places
are being elevated; SO nothing can be
wasted; 1t only changes forms or locali-
ties.
The carbonic acid gas and nitrogen
turned loose by burning brush heap
floats in the air until condensed by cold
air, then it is driven back down into the
soil to grow more brush; IL the weather
is warm it is not likely to settle in the
vicinity of the burned brush heap. but
the wind will carry 1t in whatever direc-
ton it is blowing, although it must
eventually when cooled), come back to
the earth.
Every reader knows that for several
years past have only claimed to be
child of nature; that have never stud
led chemistry, botany or geology; that
had no idea of what nitrogen, carbon,
potash or the phosphates were; knew
the soil was dirt; knew plants grew
out of this dirt; knew that all the food
the plant got came out of this dirt; I
knew that rich dirt was made by the
decaying of vegetable matter; I knew
that vegetable matter could not decay
without heat moisture and air.
BY watching found that when the
soil was too loose to hold water the
plant roots ran very deep; when the soil
was compact or full of water they come
to the surface. found that II the air
was shut OF from the roots by excess of
water or hacked soils the plant died.