54 Mineral Food of Plants in the Soil [Jan., 



of plants and animals, their decaying bodies mingle with, and 

 form a part of the soil; it also has been divided in the same 

 way, and the portion derived from decaying organized matter has 

 been termed in like manner organic, while the original mineral 

 portion has been called inorganic. Probably no soil has been 

 found which does not contain, in some degree, organic matter. 

 If no plant has ever grown upon it, yet the insects or worms 

 which people air and earth and die on every inch of surface, or 

 the animals which have perished throughout all time, have min- 

 gled a portion of their dust with the soil, and thus have served to 

 prepare the ground for the purposes of agriculture. This forms in 

 all good soils but a small proportion. 



The mineral portion of the soil constitutes its chief bulk and 

 serves various purposes to the vegetable kingdom. Its use as 

 food to growing plants is the one to which we would call atten- 

 tion now. It was stated above that even under the application of 

 ordinary manures, soil would deteriorate. But if at the same time 

 certain mineral substances are applied, they have a marked effect, 

 in many cases. It is undoubtedly true that the action of these is 

 not altogether as nutriment, and they have therefore been often 

 regarded as only stimulants, or a sort of condiment required by 

 the plant to aid its digestion. At the same time it is equally true 

 that they do form an essential article of food. Their constancy 

 in all plants warrants this belief, as well as the effect they have 

 when applied. It therefore becomes a question of consideiable 

 importance whether they may not be applied with great benefit, 

 and whether they ought not to be very extensively applied to soils 

 in all the long tilled sections of the country. These soils gene- 

 rally contain a considerable portion of organic matter, and yet 

 are not so productive as they were. Would not the use of mine- 

 ral manures do much towards restoring their fertility? Analysis 

 may detect their presence in the soil already, but they may not be 

 in the state which renders them available to plants, and as they 

 exist the process may be very slow which prepares them to be- 

 come soluble, and thus capable of being absorbed. 



Experience teaches the use of many. The different forms of 

 lime are those most commonly used, and the benefit resulting from 

 them is universally known. In some parts of the country wood- 

 ashes is an indispensable manure. It is probable, that on very old 

 farms their value would be abimdantly shown by a fair trial, and 

 where peat abounds it will often be found best to bum it and ap- 

 ply the ashes to the soil than to use it in any other way. In the 

 vicinity of villages and cities where large quantities of anthracite 

 coal are consumed every winter, great use may be made of the 

 ashes thus produced, which are usually, entirely wasted. On clay 

 soils this kind of ashes may be foimd highly useful in ameliorating 



