Artificial Manures for Swedes. 1 



decomposition, carbonic acid and water only. But as all 

 cultivated soils contain vegetable remains, which afford a much 

 more ready and liberal source for carbonic acid, and as, moreover, 

 by far the greater proportion of the carbon in plants is derived 

 from the carbonic acid existing in the atmosphere, it is needless 

 to make special provisions for the supply of carbonic acid. I 

 have admitted for brevity's sake that tarry matters are readily 

 decomposed, which, however, is by no means the case, for every 

 one knows that tar is extensively employed for preserving timber 

 from decay. As far as tar itself is concerned, I am therefore 

 inclined to ascribe to it an injurious effect as a fertiliser, for it 

 must retard the decomposition of organic remains in the soil or 

 in the compost heap to which it is added, and must thus delay 

 the necessary preparation to which most organic refuse matters 

 must be submitted before they can be assimilated by the growing 

 plants. If notwithstanding gas-tar produces a good effect, it is 

 only on account of the ammonia contained in ammoniacal liquor 

 with which it is mechanically mixed. There cannot remain, 

 however, a shadow of a doubt, that the ammoniacal liquor is a 

 far more powerful and at the same time economical manure, which 

 will produce no injurious effects, and just as beneficial effects as 

 gas-tar, when properly diluted with water. And as ammoniacal 

 liquor is cheaper than gas-tar, and as a fertiliser goes at least ten 

 times as far as the tar, the utility of knowing on what principle 

 the fertilising effects of both refuse manures depend will become 

 at once apparent. 



Again, shoddy, a wool-refuse of flock-works, is recommended 

 by some as an excellent manure for wheat and corn crops in 

 general, whilst others condemn it as quite useless. How can 

 these differences of opinion be reconciled, when equally good 

 men have ascertained practically the value of shoddy, and know 

 by experience what it is worth as a manure ? I have seen shoddy 

 applied to wheat apparently without the slightest effect, and in 

 other cases the effect produced by the same refuse on wheat was 

 wonderful. A reference to the analysis of shoddy, and a con- 

 sideration of the physical condition of the soils to which and the 

 time at which it is applied, readily explain this contrariety of 

 opinion. Shoddy often contains 20 to 25 per cent, of oil, which, 

 by excluding air and moisture from the interior of the wool-hairs 

 which compose this refuse, prevents its decomposition as effec- 

 tually as the oil in the sardines a 1'huile protects the fishes, or a 

 cover of grease the potted meat. At all events, the oil in shoddy 

 retards its decomposition for a very long time ; and as it natu- 

 rally contains hardly any constituent which is of much value as a 

 fertilizer, no effect is produced if shoddy is applied to the land 

 when the young blade of wheat has already made its appearance, 



