THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 229 



years ago. The growing stems of wheat that are pro 

 duced on such old charcoal-beds are seldom affected 

 w^ith rust ; and besides this, the straw is always much 

 stiffer than that which grows where there is not a dress 

 ing of charcoal. Before charcoal can promote the growth 

 of plants of any kind, the particles must be thoroughly 

 decomposed, and reduced to a liquid condition. For this 

 reason, previous to the application of charcoal dust as a 

 fertilizer to any kind of soil, the coal should be run 

 through a mill that will reduce the small pieces to fine 

 powder. And even when charcoal is thus finely com 

 minuted by some mechanical means, the action of the 

 fertilizing matter on vegetation will be very slow. 



It is said that charcoal possesses the power of ab 

 sorbing ninety times its own weight of ammoniacal 

 gases. This fact suggests that charcoal dust, which 

 may be procured in large quantities, at simply the ex 

 pense of carting, in and around many of our populous 

 cities, should be scattered in the stables of domestic 

 animals, after having been ground very fine, where it 

 will absorb large quantities of the choicest fertilizing 

 material, which, if mingled with the soil, would impart 

 a rich store of pabulum to the roots of growing crops. 

 But whether a farmer would be warranted in purchas 

 ing charcoal, grinding it to powder, scattering it in his 

 stables, and applying it the soil, is a question that can be 

 decided satisfactorily, only by well-conducted experi 

 ments. The probability, however, is that it would not 

 pay, for the reason that the decomposition of the frag 

 ments of the coal would be so exceedingly slow, from 

 year to year, that the beneficial effect would not be a fair 

 equivalent for the expense incurred. Where a farmer 

 can procure charcoal dust for the carting, he can well 



