The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-02-24
HOW THE PLANTS GROW.
ARE ABLE TO TAKE FOOD ONLY
IN MINERAL FORM.

= scribed-The Plant Possesses Very
Limited Powers of Assimilation.
The Epitomist gives a very good
description of the methods of. plant
growth so far as they are understood
The difference between the growth Of
animals and plants is plainly de-
scribed. The article is as follows:
Like all living things, plants grow
by the assimilation of food, plant food,
| therefore, is the raw material from
which the growth of new substance
is produced, says the Epitomist. The
| only difference between animals and
plants in this respect lies in the fact
than animal organs are able to take
food in the form of organic matter,
which has existed in animals or plants.
Plants, on the other hand, are able to
use only materials in mineral form.
OF the many substances entering into
the composition of agricultural plants
all, except carbonic acid and water,
come directly from the soil, through
plants, namely nitrogen, really comes
from the air, but it enters the plant
through the soil to which it Is car
ried by the rain. Plants are composed
OF both organic and inorganic mater
tals. Each eXerts indispensable infiu-,
ence in the action of the other. The
soil material or mineral matter, is the
means of changing air materials into
organic compounds. These compose
much the larger part of all vegetation.
In similar manner atmospheric plant
materials are indispensable to the
changing of soil substances into these
important organic materials. Each is
essential to the action of the other,
and is, therefore, necessary to plant
growth. There is an important differ
ence between plant food and mere ma
terial fed to plants This difference Is
as definite with the plants as it is
with animals. The animal feeder new
er forgets that only a part of the
substance fed to his animals is actu-
ally utilized or enters the body as
part of the new growth made. or the
total material fed to animals, it is
known that only part is digestible
and has actual food value. The feed
er has visible evidence that consid-
cradle part of the material consumed
by his stock is actually eXcreted, prov
ing that only a portion has been used.
The plant possesses equally limited
power of actual assimilation, though
is excretes no usused material From
the entire material supplied to- the
plant as source of food it is able to
take up and use but a comparatively
small part. In ether words, of the
entire soil and air material from
which the plant draws its food, or
from the material supplied as fertilizer
only a comparatively small part is
really consumed. Only this small part
ever actually becomes a part Of the
of being used is really plant food. Too
many farmers act on the supposition
that manure, phosphate, potash salts,
ashes, nitrate Of soda and other forms
of fertilizers, are plant food; and that
the mass of material thus placed at the
disposal of the crop is a guide to the
real fertilizing or food value of the ar
ticle. OF each of these materials
only comparatively small part is ever
really used by the crop. Phosphate
supplies only phosphoric acid. In like
manner potash salt supplies actual
potash; nitrf g of soda contains nitro
gen. the reaA Nlant food in each case
is only a part r ingredient of these
materials suppl. a. The remainder of
these substances is simply present as
a necessary medium, or conveyor, to
make the real plant food economical
convenient for handling, or in some
way make the substance required by
the plant more practically available
Plant growth takes place by the ac-
.ual formation of new material. This
aew material is made from the plant
food of the soil and atmosphere, with
IN the plant itself. The real plant food
actually becomes part of the plant
itself. The other constituents of the
soil, cir and fertilizing materials are
simply rejected by the plant. These
are as distinctly not available for
plant growth as is the case with ami
mails in respect to the material eX-
GREETED by them. The new material or
growth of plants consists of two diff
fcrent classes of substances, organic
and inorganic, that is animal or vege-
table material and mineral matter. No
organic matter, as such, is real plant
food; it is simply source of plant
food. Manure, blood and cottonseed
meal all organic materials, must be-
come decomposed and changed into !
mineral matter. Wood in like man.
ner is first reduced to ashes before ac-
tual plant food, always in the form of
mineral matter It's own life work. or