JOHN P. NORTON'S ADDRESS. 235 



ing sands of Holland, the arundo arenaria, (a species of reed,) 

 the spurry, and various other plants are cultivated, which flour- 

 ish in these places. When a few crops of these have died and 

 decayed, there has enough organic matter accumulated to sup- 

 port more valuable plants. So it is frequently in this country ; 

 if we can, by adding manures, bring our sandy soils up till 

 they will bear clover, they can afterward easily be kept in good 

 condition. The argmiient then, tells in favor of the organic 

 theory rather than against it, inasmuch as it shows the necessity, 

 to our valuable plants, of organic matter in the soil. 



There is scarcely any land which does not improve, to a cer- 

 tain extent, by lying idle ; this takes place, even where the 

 worst possible system is pursued, as in some parts of Holland, 

 where they grow rye every season, until they cannot get their 

 seed back, and then let it lie for a few years. In the Highlands 

 of Scotland, the same course is adopted with oats. I remember 

 a story of a gentleman who remarked to a tenant, that he had a 

 very poor crop of oats on a certain field; '"deed, sir, and it 

 ought, said he, it's the jiftecnihP But even, on such soils, rest 

 does not fail to produce a certain degree of renovation, so that, 

 after the lapse of a few years, crops can be again obtained. This 

 arises, partly, from the accumulation of organic matter, and 

 partly, from the decomposition of fresh quantities of inorganic 

 substances, which are thereby made ready for the sustenance of 

 plants. These two sources of benefit have caused the extensive 

 employment of naked fallows ; by leaving the land, for a sea- 

 son, "without a crop, and frequently stirring it, the inorganic 

 substances accumulated; indeed, this was the chief benefit of 

 the system, as the organic matter, owing to frequent turning 

 over, and exposure to the air, was decomposed, and disappeared 

 to an extraordinary degree. 



Now, by the introduction of green crops for ploughing under 

 we are enabled to produce a much greater supply of inorganic 

 substances for the next crop, and, at the same time, to increase, 

 instead of decreasing the organic part. The roots of clover, 

 and other green crops, bring up, from the lower part of the soil, 

 inorganic substances, which are, with the plant deposited on 

 the surface, in readiness for the support of the succeeding crop. 



