O F A G 11 1 C U L T U & E 45 



Lime also decomposes the sand or silica directly, 

 displacing the alkalies and rendering the sand soluble* 

 Clay acts mechanically in giving consistency to the 

 soil, retaining moisture and absorbing ammonia from 

 the aii\ 



CHAPTEE Til. 



ABSORBENTS. 



Charcoal^ in an agricultural sense, means all forms 

 of carbon, whether as peat, muck, charcoal, dust from 

 the spark- catchers of locomotives, charcoal hearths, 

 river and swamp deposits, leaf mold, decomposed 

 spent tan- bark, or saw- dust, etc> In short, if any 

 Vegetable matter is decomposed with the partial 

 exclusion of air, a portion of its carbon remains in 

 the exact condition to perform the best agricultural 

 offices of charcoal. This carbonaceous matter, when 

 properly applied to manures in compost, has the 

 following effects : it absorbs and retains the fertilizing 

 gases which evaporate from decomposing matter ; it 

 acts as a divisor, thereby reducing the intensity of 

 powerful manures, thus rendering them less likely to 

 injure the roots of plants, and also increases their bulk, 

 eo as to prevent fire-funging ; also in part prevents the 

 leaching out of the soluble parts of the ash, and keeps 

 the* compost moist, 



With these advantages before us, we must sec the 

 importance of an understanding of the modes for 



