

Miscellanies. 179 



ped, and if the atmospheric air be removed from it by the well known 

 method, clear visible sparks may by day light be discovered disengag- 

 ing themselves from the neck, just a few moments before the freez- 

 ing takes place. This phenomenon appears to be a steady and a 

 sure guide for indicating, whether the freezing will soon take place 

 or not at all. — Translated by Dr. Lewis Feuchtw anger, from the 

 Central Blatt, July, 1 833. 



AGRICULTURE, DOMESTIC ECONOMY, &£C. 



Translated by Prof. /. Griscom. 



I. Observations by M. Boutigny D'Evreux, on a new theory 

 of the action of manures and of their employment ; by M. de la 

 Giraudieu. — M. de la Giraudieu, President of the Agricultural So- 

 ciety of Loir-et-Cher, concludes from his own experiments that 

 the weight of the produce of land is in proportion to the weight of 

 manure with which it is enriched ; and that soil, of whatever nature 

 it may be, has only a mechanical agency in vegetation, and is no 

 otherwise important than as a support to plants. 



The first of these conclusions deserves notice, and agriculturists 

 are indebted to M. de la G., for a communication of the curious and 

 important fact, of a direct ratio between the manure and the pro- 

 duce. To assert, in fact, that the amount of produce is in propor- 

 tion to the manure, is as much as to say, increase the number of 

 your cattle that you may increase your manure, and thus double or 

 treble your harvest. Better advice cannot be given, and no one 

 has a better right to give it, than the President of the Agricultural 

 Society of Loir-et-Cher. Since it is suggested by the result of ac- 

 tual experiment. Experientia index. 



But I am far from uniting in opinion with M. de la G., with re- 

 spect to the action of soils, independently of manure, and of the 

 manner in which manure operates. 



This author pretends, that calcareous, argillaceous, ferruginous or 

 sandy soils act only as supports, like sponge, pounded glass, &c, 

 this, I think, is erroneous and that no one can call in question the 

 action exerted by the soil on vegetation. Who does not know that 

 a soil composed in equal parts of siliceous sand, clay and carbonate 

 of lime possesses great fertility, when well watered, although it may 

 be completely destitute of vegetable remains? But how can this phe- 

 nomenon be explained ? 



Admitting that tUe clay retains water, a portion of w T hich however 

 evaporates, an electric current is established ; — admitting also, which 



m 



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