OF AGRICULTURE. 43 



stimulating, quick acting manures require vegetable 

 mold in the soil. This mold has a very great absorb- 

 ing power for moisture. 



In many cases the farmer cannot obtain swamp 

 muck or peat, and hence, cannot follow the method 

 here recommended. He can, however, raise green 

 crops, say of peas, clover or buckwheat, and turn them 

 under, so as to form vegetable mold in the soil. When- 

 ever this is done, he may confidently rely upon a large 

 crop from the use of his concentrated fertilizers, since 

 the vegetable mold will retain sufficient moisture to 

 meet any ordinary drouth. 



Ashes, when they can be obtained in sufficient quan- 

 tities, either fresh or leached, arc a very valuable 

 manure on sandy loams or dry soil of any kind ; but 

 they do not act so favorably on wet or cold clay soils. 

 On fine silicious sand soils, containing two or three 

 per cent, of vegetable mold, ashes alone are a perfect 

 amendment, capable of supplying food for plants for 

 a number of years. Guano and superphosphate of lime 

 would add greatly to the fertility of such a soil, with 

 an ordinary season, but would be liable to fail in one 

 of extended drouth, unless supported by an adequate 

 supply of vegetable mold. If so supported, they not 

 only make the crop grow with astonishing rapidity, 

 but hasten materially its maturity, say, often as much 

 as from fifteen to twenty-five days, in point of time. 



It is a well ascertained fact that all substances which 

 will generate ammonia are known to be valuable 

 manures, for they supply nitrogen and other elements 

 wWch the plant has not the power to draw from the 

 atmosphere. Hence the advantage of, and sometimes 

 absolute necessity for, an artificial supply of nitrogen- 



