Nevada County picayune., 1890-03-26
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
THINGS WORTH KNOWING.
JeT WcIiborD Reviews some of tine Things
 He Learned in 1889.

1889, feel like shouting, "Hurrah for Dixie" lean see nothing but 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- numhed or lei astray by manifold Jack o'-anters" that it is hard for Us to realize what science and nature yoked together can accompI sh. 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 so important?
 We have learned how to gather nitro gen, the costliest of all fertilizers-and carbonic acid gas, the combustible part of plant lifc-both gases of the atmos- phere. Nitrogen, as we all known, is 70 per cent of the atmosphere along the earth's surface and always greatest in low places, and when the atmosphere becomes cold sinks into the soil It is many times greater nearer the Gulf of Mexico than 1t is near the Northern lakes, although large quantities are car ried from the South to these Northern climates. during the summer when it is too warm to condense 1t, and blows steady from the equator northward. As all yapor is caused by the heat of the sun, 1t must by necessity be condensed by the opposite elcment-cold. While in vapor it floats upon the winds; when condensed it must sink to the earth where it is swallowed up, and plant life gathers it up twhere nature has not been inter fered with by man., distils from it it's plant food and returns it to the atrnos- 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, if possible, it is more essential to plant life.
 It has been known for many years that nine-tenths of all vegetable life is formed from these two grasses. Science worked al the wrong end of the plants, and therefore it seemed impossible to handle these two gases. They could not be caught and held 10 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 eyaporate or throw of these gases except when the surrounding atmos- phere is warm enough to eyaporate 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 at the same time? If we can, then the plant gathers this ''nine-tenths' of its food from the atmosphere through it's leaves; otherwise not.
 Yes. we know ninc-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 yegeta ble matter is burned or rots. If it did not come from the air, it could not return to air: besides if 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 sec 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; it 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 1t is driven back down into the soil to grow more brush; if the weather is warm il is not likely to settle in the vicinity of the burned brush heap. but the wind will carry it in whatever direc- ton il k blowing, although it must eventually twhen cooled), come back to the earth.
 Every reader knows that for several years past have only claimed to be a child of nature; that I have never stud jed chemistry, botany or geology; that l had no idea of what nitrogen, carbon, potash or the phoSphateS were; l knew the soil was dirt; l knew plants grew out of this dirt; l knew that all the food the plant got came out of this dirt; l knew that rich dirt Was made by the decaying of vegetable matter; 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 tho plant roots ran very deep; whom the soil was compact or full of water they come to the surface. l found that if the air was shut of from the roots by excess of water or packed soils the plant died. From these observations I concluded that plants could not feed below where the air could not enter the soil. l also concluded that fl a plant would give way where even tho air was cut of from the roots, it could not take in much nourish- mcnt from the leaves. l also observed that board lying on the highest ridge, as soon a~ Itraincd so as to cement around the edges so that the air could not get into the soil under the board, the roots came up against it and ran out 70 the edges where they could get air. In rainy spells 1 noticed that the plant roots on saturated, clean soils came clear up out of the ground, and that all fbrous roots on the deep run nLg roots came back towards the sur face From these observations l was thoroughly satisfied that tap-root plants a a a l-. lrs Z.l