180 Miscellanies. 



is unquestionable, that the carbonate of lime yields carbonic acid 

 to the vegetable, and that the lime absorbs a fresh portion from the 

 air which establishes a new electric current, under which there is no 

 vegetation or perhaps life, possible. Sand acts by dividing the other 

 ingredients, by multiplying the points of contact, and increasing the 

 number of atomic piles. 



Some experiments, which I intend to repeat and publish, with all 

 the needful developements, justify me now in concluding, first, that 

 manures exert only an electro-chemical action on vegetation, second, 

 that the best are those which are the most speedily decomposed, be- 

 cause they establish the most numerous and powerful electric currents. 



These views may at first appear paradoxical ; but if examined 

 without prejudice or pre-conceived opinions, it will be seen that they 

 are not inadmissible. 



Every body has observed the influence on vegetation of a warm, 

 moist and stormy atmosphere, or in other words, of one charged with 

 electricity. It is sufficient, for this purpose, to walk in a garden, du- 

 ring such a spell of weather, and to return the next day. One hard- 

 ly knows it again. 



No one doubts the energetic activity of animal manure ; now it is 

 that kind which gives rise to the greatest number of new combina- 

 tions, and consequently to the developement of the most active and 

 numerous electric currents. 



We know also that oxygin is necessary, and even indispensable to 

 vegetation and especially to germination. Oxygen acts here in the 

 same manner, in combining with carbon, or one of the various ele- 

 ments of the vegetable or grain and in establishing an electric cur- 

 rent which ceases when the vegetable has passed through all the 

 changes of its existence. 



Does not oxygen act in this case as it does in fermentation? It can 

 neither be affirmed nor denied perhaps at present. 



With respect to the absorption of manure by vegetables, it is suffi- 

 cient to notice the experiment of De Saussure, to refute the opinion. 

 He found that a sunflower had absorbed only the twentieth of its 

 weight of manure. 



The action of plaster on meadows is yet but little known. I have 

 reason for believing that it may be advantageously replaced by cal- 

 careous marl, pulverized and simply dried in the sun, or heated in 

 an oven, after the batch has been withdrawn. If this opinion be cor- 

 rect, it will open an immense source of profit to the farmer. Jour, 

 des Gonnais. Zltuelles. 



