WHY DO PLANTS DETERIORATE. 



vincin g proofs of its correctness are daily before us, both in the field and garden. We 

 consider it a fact perfectly incontrovertible, that plants and vegetables do emit from their 

 roots an excrementitious slime of a quality inimical to their health and existence. Take 

 a naturally good soil, and grow in it successive crops of any one kind of plant. In spite 

 of the application of manure in liberal quantity, that soil will become deteriorated, and 

 unfit for the growth of that particular plant. How is this fact to be explained.'' Why will 

 not the plants do as well as they did at first.'' The soil is prepared, it is well vianured, but 

 the result is a failure. Now to our mind, the deterioration results, not so much from the 

 abstraction of nutrition, as from the emission of deleterious substances. But we have 

 palpable evidence of this emission. Take a bulb in a growing state, and place it in a 

 vessel of water, but do not change the w^ter. What is the consequence? In a very few 

 days, the roots will become enveloped with a viscid, slimy substance, the water is thick 

 and ropy, and soon begins to smell un[ileasantly. Whence comes this exudation but 

 Jrom the roots 1 and unless it is removed by a fresh supply of Avater, the health of the 

 bulb will be materially injured, and its death certain. Here then is our theory, and we 

 believe it to be generally admitted and established, therefore a few general remarks may 

 be offered relating to the particular influence of vegetable foeces on certain plants, and 

 thence drawing some practical inferences affecting the cultivation of those plants which 

 are most easily and materially injured thereby. 



That the soil is deteriorated much sooner by some plants than by others, must be ac- 

 knowledged by all who have made this subject a matter of investigation, and the reason 

 why they do thus speedily contaminate the earth is — that their excretions are either more 

 abundant, or more virulent in character. What the cause of this difference is, has not as 

 far as we know, been elucidated by any writer, and it 3'et demands a satisfactory explana- 

 tion. It is as likelj' to be the result of repletion as of anything else, — or to state the case 

 differently — it seems that those plants which are supplied with, and are capable of im- 

 bibing a larger quantit3' of liquid nutriment, must necessaril}' transfuse a greater portion 

 of that sustenance in the form of excrementitious fluids; and, in corroboration of this 

 opinion, the fact may be adduced, that all those plants possessing very strong and succu- 

 lent roots, the soonest cause the greatest amount of damage to the soil. If this is a cor- 

 rect solution of the difficulty, it follows that when a plant is b}'' any means over supplied 

 with moisture, it becomes so completely saturated, that an unusual discharge of refuse 

 matter takes place, which, accumulating about the roots, generates unhealthiness; it in 

 fact makes the soil what gardeners term " sour." Very frequently, plants grown in pots 

 are observed to be in a sickly condition, and the reason assigned is, " stagnant water." 

 But the true cause is, we think, to be found in the accumulation of excrementitious dis- 

 charges, increased by too much watering, and retained by bad or defective drainage. It 

 frequently happens when plants get into this sad condition, that they are taken from the 

 pot, some of the ball of earth removed, and then repotted in fresh soil. But no benefit 

 is derived from the change; they still remain sickly. The only effectual remedy is, to 

 clear their roots of every particle of soil, wash them in clean water, and then pot them in 

 entire fresh compost. Their health and luxuriance will be speedily restored, and they 

 will again flourish with decided energy and vigor. Again, who has not seen orange trees 

 lose every leaf, because their roots have been seriousl}' injured by superfluous moisture. 

 Take them from the tubs, carefully clean and wash the roots in weak soap-suds, and then 

 replace them in their tubs with a fresh soil. Now put them in a warm moist heat, and 

 soon they will commence growing, to be again clothed with healthy and bright foliage 

 Nor is this process alone confined to orange trees, for many if not most other plants may 



