MANURES. 201 



manure in the hill. This is upon the supposition that all the 

 richness of the manure is imparted to the roots. But it may 

 be a question whether a proportion of the manure, or the 

 ammonia, — as it is sometimes called, — does not escape into the 

 atmosphere, and is from thence imbibed into the plant through 

 the medium of the leaves. 



And another fact exists which is not taken into consideration, 

 that is, the roots of corn are very long, ten or twelve feet, hence 

 we can see that manure spread upon the ground and ploughed 

 in is, on the whole, preferable to manuring in the hill. 



Again, muck and clay are often used with great success upon 

 certain soils, and hence by some they are supposed to contain 

 important elements to sustain vegetation. But their use 

 depends upon adaptation. Sandy soil is supposed to leach. 

 This conveys the idea that the richness passes through into the 

 earth and is lost through the action of drenching rains. This 

 idea is probably false. The richness more likely escapes into 

 the atmosphere through the heat of the sun upon the dry sand, 

 and then whatever strength of manure is applied, rapidly passes 

 off in the form of gases. But, be this as it may, sandy land 

 does not retain the elements of fertility, and the question is, 

 can any thing be applied to give the sandy soil a sufficient body 

 (so to speak) as to retain its fertility like other soils. We 

 answer yes. Clay applied in abundance and well worked into 

 sandy soil will supply, in a great measure, the necessary ingre- 

 dient. It tends to neutralize by the coldness of its nature the 

 effect of the sun upon the dry sand. For the heat of the sun 

 tends to draw all the essence of fertility which the soil may 

 contain, into the atmosphere, and thus all soon passes off and 

 the land is left barren. The object of clay is to neutralize the 

 effect, and thus the soil is enabled to retain the fertilizing ingre- 

 dients like other soils. 



Muck will also do this, in a measure, and it contains also 

 many ingredients of fertility. Let the farmer try this and 

 apply clay and muck in abundance, and he will find in a few 

 seasons his barren sandy lands brought to a high state of fertil- 

 ity, and a fertility that will last ; and his clay and muck when 

 thus liberally applied will be found in a few years to be of more 

 value than the richest stable manure. 



Liquid manure also is of great value to the farmer. Let 



26 



