No. 4.] CHEMICAL AND FARM MANURES. 159 



1. It serves as a direct plant food. 



2. It is a potent factor in binding sand and in rendering 

 clay soils more friable. 



3. It promotes the decay of organic matter and the for- 

 mation of humus. 



4. It increases the nitrogen content of humus, l)y which 

 its efficiency as a source of nitrogen is increased. 



5. It is indirectly an active agent in promoting the change 

 of ammonia and inert forms of nitrogen into immediately 

 assimilable forms. 



6. It hinders denitrification, or the loss of nitrosfen in 

 the gaseous form. 



7. It is an important agent, when applied to soils, in 

 com])ating the club foot of the cabbage, turnip, etc. 



8. Upon quite acid soils, while not increasing greatly the 

 total yield of potatoes, it has a marked favorable influence 

 upon the percentage of large potatoes produced. 



9. It overcomes the acidity of upland and other soils, 

 which, though resulting injuriously to cranberries, black- 

 berries, lupine, azaleas and perhaps a few other agricultural 

 and ornamental plants, and favoring potato scab, neverthe- 

 less aids in the extermination of common sorrel, and favors 

 in a wonderful manner the growth of most agricultural 

 plants, among which may be mentioned, by way of illus- 

 tration, wheat, barley, onions, beets, spinach, lettuce and 

 asparagus. 



10. It sets free potash, within the soil, and where phos- 

 phoric acid exists in large quantities, in certain forms which 

 are but slightly assimilable, its application may liberate suffi- 

 cient phosphoric acid to wholly supply the needs of plants 

 for several years. 



11. These are not all of the beneficial influences that 

 might be briefly summarized ; but, to abbreviate, further 

 allusion will on\y be made to a recent observation, an 

 account of which has just been published in Belgium, to the 

 eft'ect that in malarial regions the fever disappears after the 

 land is limed. Should this be established, it would but 

 verify the claims brought forward by Ruffin, in Virginia, 

 early in this century, and prove a boon in this way not only 

 to the farmers but to others as well. 



