CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 2C5 



by mixing them deeply with the soil. Plant shallow. Keep roots of all 

 trees, plants, and vines, as near the surface as possible. There are weighty 

 reasons for the position assumed in the last sentence, which I have not 

 space now to enumerate. I say again, plant shallow. Let your soil be 

 deep and dry, but plant near the surface. To farmers I would say, manure 

 upon the surface as much as possible. Top-dress your grass, after mowing 

 in July or August, under a burning summer sun ; top-dress in the fall, be- 

 fore and during the autumn rains; manure the surface while snow is on the 

 ground, while the March winds blow, and while the April rains fall. Ma- 

 nure your grass, instead of your corn and wheat, broadcast, at any time 

 when you have manure and leisure, and I will guarantee that you will be 

 abundantly satisfied with the result. 



To fruit-growers I would say, do not fill your soil with manure before 

 you plant trees, grape-vines, etc. Plant in good natural soil, and manure 

 from the surface, spring and fall, liberally and properly, and I will guarantee 

 you success far greater than if you plant in holes and trenches filled with 

 manure, as the custom is. Surface-manuring and mulching are the true 

 doctrines. I am sure of it. Mr. Bright, Gardener's Monthly. 



ON THE ESSENTIAL MANURING CONSTITUENTS OF CERTAIN CROPS. 



At the Aberdeen meeting of the British Association, Prof. Yoelcker de- 

 tailed the results of certain field experiments, having special reference to 

 the turnip-crop, which had extended over a period of four years. These 

 are the most important points cited: 1. That fertilizers destitute of phos- 

 phoric acid do not increase the yield of this crop. 2. That phosphate of 

 lime applied to the soil in the shape of soluble phosphate (super-phosphate) 

 increases this crop in an especial manner, and that the practical value of 

 artificial manures for root-crops, chiefly depends on the relative amount of 

 available phosphates which they contain. Thus it was shown that three 

 cwt. of super-phosphate per acre, produced as large an increase of turnips 

 as fifteen tons of farm-yard manure. 3. That ammoniacal salts and nitro- 

 genized constituents yielding ammonia on decomposition, have no beneficial 

 effect upon turnips, but rather the reverse. 4 That ammoniacal salts ap- 

 plied alone do not promote, as maintained erroneously, the luxuriant devel- 

 opment of leaves; but that they produce this effect to a certain extent 

 when salts of ammonia are applied to the land in conjunction with the 

 mineral constituents found in the ashes of turnips. The report likewise 

 states that numerous analyses of turnips have been made, from Avhich it ap- 

 pears that the more nutritious and least ripened roots invariably contain 

 less nitrogen than half-ripened roots, or turnips of low feeding qualifies. In 

 the latter, the proportion of nitrogen was found in several instances two to 

 two-and-a-half times as high as in roots distinguished for their good feeding 

 qualities. 



Similar experiments upon wheat showed that nitrosrenized ammoniacal 

 matters, which proved inefficacious in relation to turnips, increase the yield 

 in corn and straw verv materially, and that the increase of wheat was 

 largest when the ammoniacal constituents were associated with mineral 

 matters. 



ACTION OF THE SOIL ON VEGETATION. 



The late Professor Gregory left the following summary of recent views 

 relative to the action of soil on vegetation : 



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