il.. XXII.no. 43. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER, 



339 



id, whilst the fluid in which the plnnta vegeta- 

 reiriaiiied clear. It was necessary, as a inat- 

 jf course, thai the latter sliuuld undergo a 

 lar cliancru, since iho air was not e.\cliided 

 1 the vessel ; but, in consequence of the pre- 

 ;e f>f the plant, this occurred in another way. 

 action of air, on the e.\tractive of mould dia- 

 ed in water, is limited by the absorption of ox- 

 n ; carbonic acid is formed, which remains dis- 

 ed in the solution, and a brown or black 

 3sit of the oxydated humus, as it is called, is 

 sratcd. The formation of carbonic acid and 

 deposit go on independently of each other ; 

 in the fluid which contains the root.", the car- 

 ic acid formed is perpetually removed. It can- 

 contain either free carbonic acid or free 0x7- 

 , simply because both are absorbed. In the 

 •r arrangement, then, all the conditions are 

 ent fur allowing the air to act continually on 

 organic matter contained therein," 

 (ere, attain, we find Liebig ascribing the disap- 

 •anca of the humus to the formation and absorp- 

 of carbonic acid. If he so thinks, the only 

 ition at issue is, the assimilation of the disap- 

 ■ed humus. On Liebig's view, this can no 

 ;er be a question. The fundamental of his 

 rine is, the assimilation by plants of the carbon 

 arbonic acid. This last is the only source of 

 carbon of plants, says Liebig. On this ques- 

 of assimilation, we will present the views of 

 ssure in your next paper — remarking now on 

 e assertions of L. above quoted. 

 St. It has always appeared singular that Liebig 

 never offered experimental proof of the sound- 

 I of his own views of the action of mould. We 

 e now his reason : he believes all Saussure's 

 eriineiils incapable of a definite result. If, 

 1, the amount of humus absorbed by roots can- 

 be ascertained, neither can the amount of car- 

 ic acid so absorbed, be defined. L.'s rea- 

 ing is, therefore, equally conclusive against his 

 I vievs, so far as the roots are concerned. 

 !d. Liebig states in his Agricultural Chemistry, 

 d C'linibridge edition, pp. US, (!7 — " Each new 

 icle fibril which a plant acquires, may be re- 

 ded as constituting at the same lime a mouth, 

 g, and a stomach. The roots perforin the func- 

 I of the leaves, from the first moment of their 

 inatiun. A plant gains another mouth and 

 macli with every new fibre of root." This doc- 

 \e is decided. Il is explicit. Consequently, 

 amount of carbon absorbed, either as carbonic 

 1 or as humus, by the roots, must be dependent 

 the developeiiient of the plant. What reason, 

 n, has L. to assert that a growing plant will 

 orb in 100 days the same proportional quantity 

 las in 14? His own doctrine teaches us to ex- 

 t a ditferent and increasing quantity. 

 Id. The assertion that humus is insoluble in 

 ter, because our springs and brooks are color- 

 3, is refuted by common and every-day observa- 

 The most casual observer sees brooks and 

 jrs deeply colored by vegetable matter. Rain- 

 ier is highly charged with it. In these cases, 

 xists dissolved. The most colorless water, al- 

 y holds dissolved in it organic matter in some 

 pe, in some form of humus or mould. All nat- 

 1 waters have this common character. It can- 

 , be gainsaid. No argument, then, can be rea- 

 iibly drawn from this source, against the doc- 

 le of Saussure. S. L. D. 



Lowell, April 18, 1844. 



From the Maine Farmer. 



USE OP LEACHED ASHES AS MANURE. 

 Dr. Holmes — Having read with a good deal of 

 interest the communication of Mr Stetson on this 

 subjoct, in No. of your paper, I have thought 

 that possibly some one of your numerous subscri- 

 bers may be interested, and perhaps profited by the 

 "relation of my experience." 



Twelve years ago, some timo in the month of 

 June, I turned over a quarter of an acre of green 

 sward, for the purpose of raising a crop of riila 

 bagas. My manure had been so nearly " used 

 up" for other crops, that, by close scraping I was 

 able to get but one cart-load ; to this I added one 

 load of leached ashes — probably about .30 bushels. 

 This formed a dressing for the piece, scanty as it 

 was, and it produced a fair crop of turnips. The 

 next year, the land adjoining was broken up, and 

 the whole planted to corn. This piece of ground 

 has been treated over since exactly in the same 

 manner as that on each side of it, and in every 

 crop, except the first corn crop, there has been a 

 perceptible difference in favor of the piece on 

 which the ashes were put ; anJ the last season, a 

 greater ditference than ever before. The field had 

 been mowed so long aa to be what we term " bound 

 out," that is, producing nothing but spear grass, 

 except on this quarter of an acre, which had twelve 

 years before received the dressing of leached ash. 

 es; on this there was a crop of red and white clo- 

 ver, very thick, but short; the contrast with the 

 adjoining parts of the field was so great as to be 

 distinctly seen at the distance of half a mile. It 

 was the opinion of the man who assisted me in 

 haying, that this quarter of an acre produced three 

 times as much hay as an equal piece on either 

 side of it, and in his opinion I fully concur. The 

 land is high and gravelly. 



Now, Mr Editor, I have a two-fold object in 

 making this communication thus particular — that- 

 those who leach ashes may not suffer them to be 

 washed away as valueless, and that the experience 

 of others may be elicited. 



I should not do well to close this communication 

 without expressing my thanks to Mr Stetson for 

 his article on this subject. I recollect that some 

 years ago, I planted a piece of potatoes on land 

 upon which leached ashes had previously been 

 pretty freely used, for raising turnips. The pota- 

 toes were very scabby, but it never occurred to me 

 that ashes produced that eS'ect, till I road Mr Stet- 

 son's communication. I have no doubt of it, and 

 shall be able to avoid a like occurrence. 



Will some one tell us what fertilizing property 

 is left in ashes after the alkali is exhausted.' In 

 the case which I have elated, the twelve years' 

 leachin" must have been sufficient to get out all 

 the pota'eh. N. FOSTER. 



East fVinihrop. 



^[^j'Wa would suggest to friend Holmes, of the 

 Maine Farmer, that if he would copy into his pa- 

 per the section of Dr. Dana's Essay published in 

 our last number, he might furnish his correspon- 

 dent some information on the subject of his ques- 

 tion. Dr. Dana says, (Essay, p. 34,)—" In ashes, 

 we have one part which may be leached out, and 

 a part which remains after leaching, called spent 

 ashes. Let us see then in leaching, what parts we 

 ! lake away. First, we take away all the acids ex- 

 cept the phosphoric. Secondly, we take away 

 nearly all the potash and soda. What is lefi ? 



The phosphoric acid and all the bases. It is evi. 

 dent, therefore, that the strength of aslies can nev- 

 er wholly be leached out, if that depends upon the 

 salts. In spent ashes we have nearly all the bone- 

 dust left ; and besides this, a portion of what is 

 usually considered the real strength, that is, the 

 potash. This is chemically united to certain of 

 the other constituents of ashes. I'ou cannot leach 

 it out, leach you never so long." 



AMMONIA— IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS 



Dr. Lee, of Buffalo, one of the editors of the 

 New Genesee Farmer, (who, in addition to much 

 scientific learning, has the advantage, as he states, 

 of having been " bred a farmer,") in an article on 

 charcoal as an absorbent of ammonia, remarks : 



" When 1 stated, in the January number of the 

 Farmer, that twenty years' experience had taught 

 me the great value of cliarcoal to absorb the fer- 

 tilizing ingredients in urine and manure, I publish- 

 ed a fact of considerable importance to the practi- 

 cal agriculturist. Let any one take an old barrel 

 that will hold water, fill it with pounded coal, place 

 it under his wood-shed, and empty his chambers 

 into it, until the coal is saturated with human urine. 

 Not a particle of ammonia, pr of any offensive gas, 

 will escape till the coal is saturated. Then apply 

 this substance in the quantity of a tea-eiipfuU to a 

 hill of corn or potatoes — in the hill. 



" Dissolve one fourth of n pound of sal. ammo- 

 niac, which will perhaps cost 6 cents, in two quarts 

 of hot water, and when reduced to blood-heat, put 

 two quarts of seed corn into it to soak. Let it re- 

 main eighteen hours, then plant in a row by itself, 

 after il has been rolled in plaster. (I have soaked 

 some in urine with good effect.") 



If ammonia is of such great use in promoting 

 the growth of plants, as has lately been claimed 

 for it, it seems to us that the above suggestions — 

 particularly the first — if put in pratice, would de- 

 monstrate contlusively the value of this gas as an 

 aid to vegetation. We would esteem il a favor if 

 some of our readers would test the above sugges- 

 tions the present season, and give us the results. 

 A half barrel, or vessel of less size even, might be 

 used to put the pulverized charcoal in, if it be desi- 

 ! rable to saturate a quantity in a short time, or be- 

 fore planting time arrives. The coal should not 

 be used until it is certain that it is thoroughly sat- 

 urated, — and this, according to Dr. Lee, may be 

 ascertained by the smell : thai is, no off^ensive odor 

 will arise until the coal is fully saturated. 



JVitrate of Soda for Strawberries. — The propor- 

 tion in which nitrate of soda has been successfully 

 applied to strawberries, is three ounces to the square 

 yard, sprinkled regularly over the surface of the 

 bed, just as the plants begin to grow. Although 

 it may injure the foremost leaves, the succeeding 

 ones will soon put forth with redoubled vigor. — 

 Card. Chron. 



Valuable Salve Take three carrots and grate 



them i place in a vessel and cover with lard, with- 

 out salt. Boil thoroughly, strain, and add suffi- 

 cient beeswax to make a paste. This is a most 

 invaluable ointment or salve, for cuts, burns, scalds, 

 or wounds of any kind. — Sat. Cour. 



The weekly average of deaths in London for the 

 last five years is stated at 94(3. 



