J. E. TESCHEMACHER'S REMARKS. 247 



Ammonia, he considered as the great promoter of kixiiriant 

 growth of stem and leaves ; by its means, a large surface of 

 healthy, dark-green vegetation is produced, which, exposed to 

 the action of the atmosphere and light, matures the various 

 juices, such as gum, starch, sugar, 6cc. contained in the plant. 

 But all the ammonia which can be got into a crop, unless there 

 be also, abundance of the phosphates, sulphates, and other inor- 

 ganic substances, will give nothing but a worthless vegetation, 

 and no grain, of value. Those who have raised crops, by the 

 application of nitrate of soda alone, unless the soil contained, of 

 itself, a sufficiency of these inorganic salts, have found, that, 

 however beautiful they appeared when green, they were com- 

 paratively of little value when dried. 



So, with trees, superabundance of ammoniacal manure will 

 give beautiful looking, thick, long shoots; but they will be 

 spongy, long-jointed, and will neither bear fruit in quantity or 

 quality, at all resembling those which are manured with abun- 

 dance of inorganic salts, combined with the ammonia. In these 

 latter, the shoots are hard, very short-jointed, and full of fertile 

 blossom buds ; the fruit also has a much better flavor, although 

 perhaps, not quite so large as the other. The reverse of this, is 

 also true, that inorganic salts alone, without ammonia, to give 

 a healthy breadth of vegetable surface to the maturing influ- 

 ences of the light and air, will afford nothing but barrenness. 

 This, he had repeatedly proved, and preserved specimens 

 of various growths. It seems very easy to comprehend that, if a 

 tree, or other plant, has all the requisite ingredients to feed on, 

 as soon as the light and air induce, in the juices, the necessary 

 changes of ripening, a bud, (blossom, or otherwise,) is formed, 

 vegetation proceeds ; in another short space, another bud is form- 

 ed. Now, if one or other of these ingredients are insufficiently 

 supplied, vegetation must go on, until, from this niggardly sup- 

 ply, sufficient thereof is obtained to form a bud. Ammonia in- 

 creases the vegetable growth rapidly, and this continues until 

 sufficient inorganic salts are procured thereby, to form first, a 

 leaf-bud, or, if more is procured, a blossom-bud; if, in forming 

 a blossom-bud, these salts are exhausted, leaf-buds will next be 

 formed, until the supply is again obtained for blossoms. He had 



