THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



7$ 



be completely dispensed with." At page 216 he 

 says "ihiU with every pound of" urine a pound ol 

 wheat might be produced." 



At page 241-2 he slates that liquid animal ex- 

 crements, such as the urine with which ilie solid 

 excremenis are imprognaied, contain the greai- 

 est part of ihuir ammonia in the stale of salts, in 

 a I'orm, Iherelbre, in which it has completely lost 

 its volatility ; when presented in tliis condition, 

 not the smallest portion of ammonia is lost to 

 j)!anis, it is all dissolved by water and imbibed by 

 their roots." 



I will quote but one more passage which goes 

 to show ihe great superiority of human niai'ure 

 over that of other animals. "In respect to the 



occurred in the vicinity of Gottingen. A pro- 

 prietor of land, "in order to obtain°potash, plant- 

 ed his whole land with wormwood, the ashes of 

 which are well known to contain a large portion 

 of the carbonate of that alkali. The consequence 

 ivas that he rendered his land quite incapable 

 of bearing grain lor many years, in consequence 

 of having entirely deprived the soil of its pot- 

 ash."* ' 



Licbig says, " it is (he greatest possible mia- 

 lfike to suppose that the temporary diminution of 

 leriility in soil is owing to the loss of humus; it 

 is the mere consequence of the exhaustion of the 

 alkalies."! He states a variety of facta to corro- 

 borate this opinion. When we reflect that the 



quantity of nitrogen contained in excrements, 100 principal ingredient, hjrnished by humus to the 

 parts of the urine of a healthy man are equal to growing plants, is carbon in the form of carbonic 

 1300 parts of the fresh dung oi' a horse, accordinif acid, and that plants derive a very abundant sup- 

 to the analysis of j^iaeair and Marcet, and to 600 pl^' of this element, after the formation of their 

 parts of those of a cow." leaves Irom the atmosphere, by means of their 



Ashes o( wood and vegetable substances from 

 which potash is derived, is also a very important 

 manure. "Most plants, perhaps all of them 

 contain organic acids of very different composition 

 and properties, all of which are in combination 

 with bases, such as potash, soda, lime or magne- 

 sia."* Without alkaline base.-', Liebig says, 

 "most plants could not exist." And it is a re- 

 markable fact that where there is a want of the 

 usual alkaline base in a soil, suitable to a particu- 

 lar plant, another alkaline base will be substitut- 



absorbing power, we cannot but regard the opi- 

 nion that the diminution of fertility in soils is more 

 owing (0 the loss of alkalies than humus, as at 

 least very plausible. Liebig is of opinion that 

 the great diminution in the lertility of the soil in 

 Virginia, since its first settlement, is owing to the 

 exhaustion of its alkalies. He estimates that 

 " from every acre of this land, there were re- 

 moved in the space of one hundred years 1200 lbs. 

 of alkalies in leaves, grain and straw ; it became 

 unfruitful iherelbre because it was deprived of 



ed.f This (act shows the indispensable necessity j every particle of alkali which had been reduced 

 of an alkaline base in all plants. If further pioolj to a soluble state ; and because that which was 

 weie wanting the fact that all trees and plants ' rendered soluble again in the space of one year, 

 contain more or less of the alkaline bases would j was not sufficient to satisfy the demands of the 

 be perfectly satisfactory. Some trees require i plants."! 



much less alkali than others. Thus pines and j Silicate of potash is an ingredient of iodispen- 

 fir trees require a much smaller quantity of the | sable necessity to the vigorous growth of the 

 alkaline bases than other species. And consa- small grains, and of all plants of the grass kind. 



quently the former thrive well on a soil where the 

 latter could not exist. f One hundred parts of 

 wheat straw yield 15.5 parts of ashes ; the same 

 quantity of the dry stalks of barley S.54 parts ; 

 and of oats straw only 4.42. The ashes of all 

 these are of the same composition. "§ The liicts 

 here stated, prove that wheat is much more ex- 

 hausting of this particular manure than barley or 

 oats. 



Of such great value are ashes esteemed in 

 Germany, that they are transported, as Liebig 

 informs us, " from the distance of 18 or 24 miles." 

 They are particularly valuable to meadows, as 

 these are constantly drained ol their potash by the 

 annual removal of the crops of hay — a crop con- 

 taining a large portion of that ingredient. 



It is obvious that if a soil contain only a limited 

 quantity of potash, it must in time be entirely ex- 

 hausted, if the growing crops are annually remov- 

 ed, and no part of the product is restored, unless a 

 supply is derived from some other si^urce. 



The atmosphere furnishes a small quantity, but 

 by no means sufficient to replenish the waste oc- 

 casioned by the growing crops, and hence the 

 necessity of making up the deficiency by the ap- 

 plication of ashes and other manures, containing 

 potash. 



Lie|;)ig relates an extraordinary instance of the 

 effects of depriving a soil of its potash, which 



• Liebig's Organic Chemistry, 148. fib- 149. 

 t lb. 198. § lb. 199. 



Ashes is the source whence it is derived, and 

 hence the importance of saving and applying this 

 manure to our cultivated land, and particularly to 

 that which is appropriated to meadows and rais- 

 ing of wheat. Ashes which have not been lixi- 

 viated are of the greatest value, aa a manure, but 

 after having undergone that process, they still 

 contain silicate of potash, and salts of phospho- 

 ric acid, and consequently are of great impor- 

 tance as a succor to all plants of the grass kind. J 



Phosphoric acid is also a very important ingre- 

 dient, particularly for the small grains. It is found 

 in the ashes of all plants, " and always in combi- 

 nation with alkalies and alkaline earths." " The 

 seeds of corn (wheat) could not be formed with- 

 out the phosphate of magnesia, which is one of 

 their invariable constituents. "§ 



I cannot quit this subject without recommending 

 to every agriculturist, a diligent study of Liebig's 

 very able work an agricultural chemistry, and 

 particularly that part of it which treats of manures, 

 and the means of preserving the fertility of 

 soils. 



Although the manuring of lands, if proper 

 care be taken in collecting, preserving and distri- 

 buting them, will do much towards preserving 

 their Ibrlility, and renovating such as have been 

 deteriorated by bad husbandry, yet other means 

 can be resorted fo, with great advantage in has- 



* Liebig's Organic ehemistry, 161. 

 Jib. 228, § lb. 200, 20). 



t lb. 196. 



