278 [Assembly 



spring, from this cause, the supply of organic pabulum may be 

 insufficient, hence the necessity of top-dressings, containing both 

 inorganic materials in a soluble form, and organic stimulants to 

 secure their appropriation From the position they occupy on 

 the surface, passing down in solution, they come in contact with 

 young roots, which otherwise could not reach their proper foody 

 for it' placed beneath these roots, except so far as they could be 

 reached during the process of evaporation, the pabulum would 

 be beyond their reach j whereas, when placed at or near the sur- 

 face, the humidity of the soil places these top-dressings slowly in 

 solution, pervading its whole surface, and gradually sinking so as 

 to meet these roots, and be absorbed by them during their down- 

 ward passage. During the fall and early winter, while growth ig 

 sluggish, and sufficient increase is insured to enable the young 

 plants to withstand the action of the winter, and after the process 

 of growth ceases, their roots become a receptacle, acting as a store 

 house until required for spring use. 



Top dressings in tiie spring stimulate the plants to an earlier 

 growth than would be attainable during the low temperature of 

 the iirst spring month. Indeed, the action of top-dressings is to 

 make the slight amount of soil occupied by young plants the re- 

 presentative for a time of the whole depth of soil which the per- 

 fect plant will afterward pervade, and in the choice of top dress- 

 ings strict reference should be liad both to the requirements of 

 the soil and of the plants. Thus, a soil deficient of potash, or 

 soluble phosphates, cannot raise full crops of wheat or grass. 

 Whfen short of sulphuric acid and lime, the clover crop cannot 

 fully succeed ; and thus with each crop, its leading requirements, 

 if absent from the soil, should be added, and with these such sti- 

 mulants as will cause their appropriation by the growing plants. 

 The amount of stimulants used for spring top dressing may and 

 should be much greater than for fall use. When two ingredients 

 are required by the soil, which are antagonistic to each other, such 

 as potash and ammonia, then tliey sliould be separately applied; 

 suffering the ammonia to sink into the soil before the application 

 of the alkali, so that if the acid with which the ammonia has pre- 

 viously been rendered non-volatile, should be abstracted from the 



