now in excellent common grass; intermixed with red 
and white clover, and some blue grass—parts of it 
much layed, owing to the wet season. . tal 
I have, from this and many other occurrences, long 
been of opinion, that the plaister must come in con- 
tact with some animal or vegetable manures, or pu- 
trefied substances,(/t) to give it its proper efficacy. 
~G 
(t) “ Charcoal or carbon exists ready formed in vegeta- 
bles. Chaptal 36, 37.” 
vegetable almost entirely formed of hydrogene, he, in the 
the same page says “the nitrogenous gas (and he afterwards 
adds the carbonic acid) more particularly serves them for 
aliment. ‘* Hence it arises that vegetation is more vigorous 
when a greater quantity of these bodies which afford this gas, 
are presented to the plant; these are animals or vegetables 
in a state of putre/action. “Carbonic acid predominates in 
the fungus, and other subterraneous plants.” Page 453. Ingen- 
hausz on the food of plants, 6. “Ad/ manures, principally dung, 
produces a great quantity oi the carbonzc acid, either by itself, 
or’ by decomposing the air in contact with it.” Hassenfratz 
asserts, that the brown sediment of dung is carbone. And 
Ingenhausz, though he does not exactly agree with Hassen- 
fratz, allows that this brown sediment may become carbone 
by ignition. It appears then that the gases, which are the 
food of plants, according to the present theory, exist in vege- 
tables ready formed; and in animal or vegetable substances 
ate 
with dung. I must be understood here to mean, a repetition 
of the plaister. For in the first application, it has. generally 
thrown up as great a burthen, as any combination could pro- 
duce. 
a 
Although Chaptal, page 452, asserts, that “we see e the cae 
