266 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 5 



with those on our other rivers — use and improve 

 the gills and advantages, of which nature has 

 been so lavish, and you will soon find arguments 

 acainst moving west. 



CAPABILITIES OF SOILS. VEGETAELK PHYSI- 

 OLOGY. 



Extract frotn Dr. C. T. Jackson's Geological 

 Survey of pari of Maim. 



It is evident that plants are not endowed witli 

 creative powers, and consequently are unable to 

 produce any new elementary substances; hence 

 the various substances which enter into their com- 

 position, must be derived from the air, water or 

 earth. All the saline and earthy matters which 

 they contain are readily traced to their origin in 

 the soil ; while the carbon, hydrogen, oxigen and 

 nitrogen that exist in them, are elements which 

 they draw from air, water, and the animal and 

 vegetable substances used as manures. 



The atmosphere is composed chiefly of the two 

 gases, nitrogen and oxigen; mixed together in aeri- 

 lorm solution, in the proportion of four-fifths nitro- 

 gen, and one-fifth oxigen ; besides which gases 

 there is always a certain proporiion of carbonic 

 acid gas, amounting to one-ten-thousandth part, 

 and variable proportions of aqueous vapor. 



From the carbonic acid gas of the atmosphere, 

 plants derive a large share of their carbon, which 

 is the basis of all vegetable matter. Some of it is 

 also furnished by the fermentation of vegetable 

 and animal substances, which decompose in the 

 soil, and this gas is either decomposed by the 

 leaves of vegetables, or is carried into their roots 

 by aqueous solution and absorption. All fresh 

 growing plants decompose the carbonic acid of the 

 air, take up its carbon, and exhale oxigen gas, 

 and this operation goes on more rapidly while the 

 sun shines upon them. In darkness, plants give 

 out carbonic acid, but the quantity is relatively 

 small, when compared with that which they ab- 

 sorb during the day. So that if a plant is grown 

 under a bell glass, containing air mixed with this 

 gas, the carbonic acid is soon removed, and re- 

 placed by pure oxigen. 



Thus vegetation is continually removing a sub- 

 stance deleterious to man and all animals, and re- 

 placing it by pure vital air — a gas absolutely ne- 

 cessary for their respiration. This beautiiial law 

 of nature should never be lost sight of by the 

 farmer, nor should he ever forget the relation 

 which the green woods and fields bear to the 

 healthfulness of the country. 



Seed will not germinate, without the joint ac- 

 tion of air, water, light and heat. Without these 

 essential conditions, the germ remains, as it were, 

 asleep for an unknown length of time. Seeds, 

 taken from the tombs of ancient Thebes, in Egypt, 

 where they had remained in a dry, dark and se- 

 questered spot for more than three thousand years, 

 were found still to possess their vital properties, 

 and >vhen planted in a botanical garden in Lon- 

 don, sprang forth, to flourish in the present age. 

 How long a seed, thus immured in darkness, shut 

 out from all the causes which would produce ger- 

 mination or decay, would remain alive, is wholly 

 unknown ; but from the known facts respecting 



spontaneous rotation of crops and of forest trees, 

 it would seem that the seed remain buried in the 

 soil for enormous lengths of time, before the cir- 

 cumstances necessary lor their pulling forlh ar- 

 rive. Dead leaves of the Ibresl shut out light, 

 and preclude, in some measure, the influence of 

 the atmosphere, while the sombre foliage hangs 

 over the soil, and serves, by its shade, as an addi- 

 tional cause preventing germination. Thus, I 

 suppose, the seed, buried in the forests, remain 

 dormant unill the removal of the shade trees, or 

 the burning of the leaves, gives free access to the 

 causes requisite (or germination and growth of the 

 hidden plants ; and we consequently perceive a 

 new growth almost invariably follows the remo- 

 val of the primeval forests. According to Decan- 

 dole, plants exude from their rootlets certain sub- 

 stances, which have the property oi' eventually 

 eradicating their own species, while they are not 

 preventive of the growth of other plants; hence 

 he accounts for nauiral rotation. It is probable, 

 also, that one kind of vegetables may exhaust 

 their proper nutriment, and thus render the soil in- 

 capable of supporting their kind, while there are 

 other principles left, suitable for the support of dif- 

 ferent species. This subject is, however, the most 

 obscure department of vegetable physioloory, and 

 one which demands the labor of modern chemists 

 and botanists. Thus much we know, that the 

 conditions above stated are essential requisites to 

 healthy vegetation, and that the soil must furnish 

 certain substances not attainable alone from air 

 and water. When we analyze a plant, we al- 

 ways find a certain quantity of silex, alumina, 

 lime and potash, forming a large proportion of the 

 ashes which is left on burning the plant. All 

 these matters are contained in the soil, in greater 

 or less proportions, and some of them are essen- 

 tial to the growth of the plants. The coating of 

 wheat, rye and barley straw is silex, and gives the 

 necessary strength and hardness to the stalk. 



The analysis of the grain of wheat gives a 

 large proportion of the carbonates and phosphate 

 of lime, and we know that this grain only thrives 

 upon a soil containing calcareous matter. It was 

 long ago observed in Massachusetts, and is also 

 seen in certain districts in Maine, that wheat 

 straw grows very well, but the grain does not fill 

 and present a plump and solid appearance, but 

 looks wilted, and is not heavy. This was former- 

 ly supposed to be owing to the climate, but on 

 more careful examination it is found to arise from 

 the want of lime in the soil. Many animal ma- 

 nures contain a little of this substance, and it ac- 

 cordingly appears, that where a farm is well ma- 

 nured, wheat will grow well upon it, but a large 

 annual expenditure is required for the purpose. It 

 is observed, that all the grain regions of the coun- 

 try have soils more or less calcareous, and we find, 

 that, by adding lime to the soil, we may produce 

 by art the material wanting; and it appears by 

 the analyses here presented, and by the results of 

 certain experiments which have been made in 

 France, and repeated here, that a very minute 

 proportion of lime is amply sufficient for the pur- 

 pose. Thus one or two i)er cent, of carbonate of 

 lime will answer the purpose, and this small quan- 

 tity costs so little, that any farmer can well afford 

 lo'apply it to the soil. Indeed, I do not see how 

 he can aflbrd to do otherwise, since he will be a 

 loser, and his more skilflil neighbors will be ena- 



