MR. NEWELL S ADDRESS. « 



In this may be involved the question, whether atmospheric air is 

 taken up by the soil and communicated to the plant through the me- 

 dium of the roots, or whether the, leaves alone are the medium of 

 deriving nourishment from the air. These questions may be imma- 

 terial to the farmer, as it regards his crop, but may not be as it re- 

 gards cultivation. 



One thing seems settled, that a soil rich by nature or art, is more 

 productive than a poor one ; showing pretty clearly that nourishment 

 is draAvn from the earth, by the roots, or the leaves catch it, as it 

 escapes in the form of gas. A mellow soil may be favorable to either 

 supposition ; by the one, the gasses may the more readily escape, 

 and by the other, the roots more readily feed it out. Whichever of 

 these propositions you may undertake to defend, it seems to me a 

 portion at least of the manure, when practicable, should be put under 

 the soil. For if the whole of vegetation depends upon the leaves 

 feeding on evaporation, if the whole of the manure is left on the sur- 

 face, it must soon be expended ; and suppose evaporation is no agent 

 to give off support to the leaves, then before the rains or the absorb- 

 ing power of the soil draws down the manure, the plant will suffer. 

 What but a thorough knowledge on this subject, can determine Avhen 

 and how the manure should be applied ? To collect, preserve and apply 

 manures, is one of the grand means to ensure successful cultiva- 

 tion. 



A barn-cellar under tlie stalls, is the best store-house — not so 

 much because it preserves the solid manure during the winter from 

 loss by evaporation in heaps, but because it saves all the liquid. The 

 comparison made by the use of dung from the heaps exposed to the 

 weather, and that from cellars, has led many to infer that the cellar 

 improves the quality of the manure one half; when, as I believe, 

 never one half of the fertilizing qualities of the excrements from the 

 animals, ever went out of the stalls to the manure-heap. Where the 

 floors are open, most of the liquid goes through them and is lost, when 

 by a cellar, all goes among the solid manure and is saved. In cases 

 ■where the sohds will absorb the hquids during the winter, I conceive 

 there is no benefit derived in adding soil to it before applying it to the 

 land in the spring, unless that soil would of itself improve the land to 

 which the manure-heap is to be added, or unless the dung is con- 

 stantly kept covered a sufficient depth to prevent the escape of its 

 valuable qualities. None of the strongest advocates for compost, 



