381 



By tbeso means mauurcs are produced containing all the organic and inorganic con- 

 Btitueuts indispensable to the structuvo and dovolopraeut of plants, witb such a per- 

 centage of ammonia as would enable it to compete with guano even if that valuable 

 manure were not, as it unfortunately is, now nearly exhausted. I may observe that in 

 the instance of some waste substances of vegetable origin, purchasable at a small 

 cost for conversion into manure, and which are known to contain a considerable per- 

 centage of ammonia, phosphoric acid, «fcc., instead of incineration, or conversion into 

 charcoal, they will be dissolved by sulphuric acid, in order to retain the ammonia ; and 

 to increase the percentage of soluble phosphate — the phosphates contained in focal 

 matters not being considered sufticient for the cultivation of turnips or root crops in 

 general by the scieutilic farmers of the age — a suiticieut quantity of bone-dust will bo 

 mixed with the excretie in the evaporating-chaniber at each operation, which, by the 

 action of the acid and other chemical substances applied thereto for the retention of 

 the ammonia, will convert the bonc-dnst during the operation into soluble phosphate 

 of lime, without any other treatment. 



BOTANICAL NOTES. 



By George Vasey, Botakist. 



Forest-tree culture. — Unquestionably one of the most important 

 questions engaging the attention of the American people is that of forest 

 culture. The demands of our rapidly growing country have for many 

 years so drawn u^ion the resources of our native forests, which at one 

 time seemed inexhaustible, that we must now contemplate their early 

 extirpation, and address ourselves to the task of conserving what forests 

 we have remaining and providing new sources of supply. 



Much has been written on this subject, but so difUcult is it for us to 

 realize the bearing of remote evils that comparatively very few farmers 

 or land-owners have yet seriously engaged in the work of replenishing 

 their woodlands. The arguments for this work are strong and nume- 

 rous, and have been cogently presented by many writers. Many facts 

 have been observed which appear to show that the presence of forests 

 has much to do with the climate and rain-fall of a country ; thus, it is 

 said that the extreme dryness of Spain is due to the absence of trees ; 

 that many districts in France have been materially injured by denuda- 

 tion ; that Palestine and many other parts of Asia and northern Africa, 

 which in ancient times were the granaries of the world, are now deserts 

 or infertile regions, in consequence of the loss of their forest^s. It is also 

 stated that a beneficial change in climate and rain-fall has in several 

 instances followed the introduction of trees and plantations in regions 

 that were formerly destitute of them. Thus it is said that in Lower 

 Egypt, where anciently rain never fell, the introduction and cultivation 

 of extensive plantations have been attended with the fall of a good deal 

 of rain, so that showers are no rarity even at Caii'o. It is also affirmed 

 that, in l^ew England and other wooded sections, the clearing up of 

 forests and cultivation of the soil have had the effect of causing the dry- 

 ing up of many springs and small streams. 



There are some who doubt the correctness of these conclusions with 

 respect to the climatic influences of forests, but, as these iutiaences must 

 bo of very gradual operation and require observations over a long series 

 of years, the qu'estion may be considered open for future inquiry. 



13ut leaving that question out of view there remain abundant reasons 

 to stimulate every land-holder in our vast prairie-regions to give prac- 

 tical attention to the subject. 



Trees are wanted for their fruits, for their shade and protection from 



