1864. 



NEW ENGLAND. FARMER. 



37 



Q. Whence do those supplies come ") 



A. They come from three sources ; first, from 

 the breathing of animals, since all animals throw 

 off a small quantity of carbonic acid from their 

 lungs every time they breathe. 



Second, from the burning of wood, coal, can- 

 dles, &c, since the carbon which wood contains, 

 when it burns in the air, forms carbonic acid gas 

 just as carbon when burned in oxygen does. 



Third, from the decay of vegetables and roots 

 in the soil, since this decay is only a slow kind ot 

 burning, by which the carbon of plants becomes 

 converted into carbonic acid. 



Q. Do animals and plants thus appear to livt 

 for each otliefs support ? 



A. Yes, the animal produces carbonic acid 

 upon which plants live, and from this carboni 

 acid and water together, plants produce starch, 

 &c, upon which animals live. 



ATMOSPHERIC INFLUENCES UPON 

 SOILS AND PLANTS. 



The essential elements of vegetable productive- 

 ness are Earth, Air and Water. If we can place 

 the first of these, the Earth, in proper condition, 

 the other two will follow as a natural sequence. 

 That is, when the soil itself is in a favorable con- 

 dition to receive atmospheric influences, it will re- 

 quire, and be greatly benefited by them, without 

 further agency on our part. For instance : If a 

 field is thoroughly drained, and then plowed and 

 pulverized as is usually done where a good crop 

 of grain is obtained, that field wlli constantly re- 

 ceive fertilizing influences that a field undrained 

 will not receive, although just as" well plowed and 

 pulverized. 



When a shower falls upon the drained field, the 

 water percolates slowly, but constantly, through 

 the whole earth to the bottom of the ditches. It 

 does not rest upon the surface, nor meet with con- 

 siderable obstruction on its way to the lowest 

 point of drainage. The withdrawal of cold, stag- 

 nant water has permitted the air to enter the soil, 

 taking heat along with it, so that it has actually 

 become warmed and dried to a certain extent, and 

 has caused it to occupy less space than it did be- 

 fore it was drained. The evidence of this may be 

 seen in innumerable cracks, or crevices, which 

 may be found on examination to exist through the 

 whole mass of earth, from the surface to the bot- 

 tom of the drains, even though they go down 

 four or five feet. This is the first effect of drain- 

 age, and is the prime operation, on our part, to 

 make the land ready for the reception of atmos- 

 pheric influences ! 



Now the field is ready for the shower, or the 

 dews that are distilled upon its surface, or upon 

 the herbage tkat covers it. Rain water is charged 

 — in greater or less degree — with salts as well as 

 moisture, that act an important part in the growth 

 of plants. These, finding little obstruction, de- 

 scend freely among the particles of soil, heating 



or oxygenizing a Httle humus here, starting it into 

 the fermentative process so that it shall be easily 

 soluble — for the young rootlets to take up — or 

 touching a grain of sand there, and fitting it to 

 strengthen the tender plant, by covering its outer 

 surface with a coat of mail as brittle as glass it- 

 self, such as we find on the straw of wheat and 

 other plants. 



But this is not all, — moisture descends in com- 

 pany with these salts, and carries heat along with 

 it. It descends freely through the cracks or fis- 

 sures, already mentioned, imparting its warmth as 

 it goes, so that after passing through the soil and 

 reaching the outlet of the drain, it will often be 

 found ten degrees colder than when it first entered 

 the surface! 



This moisture is contained in the«t>, held there 

 in solution, too thin and unsubstantial for mortal 

 eye to see, and is continually passing into'the soil 

 and ranging freely through it, — as no cold and 

 stagnant water is present to prevent its passage. 

 Here, then, are two most important atmospherical 

 operations upon soil that is fitted to receive them ; 

 one actually imparting elements of fertility, and 

 the other supplying a geneious warmth through 

 its recesses, with all the kindly influences that are 

 gained from a well-constructed border, or the 

 genial bottom heat of the hot-bed ! But there is 

 another agent at work no less important than 

 these. 



Suppose the season to be a dry one ; the earth 

 languishes for the summer rain ; the grass with- 

 ers, the corn-leaves roll and the surface of our 

 fields becomes like ashes. Can we rely upon any 

 atmospheric influence under this condition of 

 things, or has He who created the wonderful phe- 

 nomena with which we must deal, left us helpless 

 and incapable of securing the accustomed crop 

 upon which our lives may depend ? There are 

 no clouds that promise rain, but the sun shines 

 on, 



"All in a hot and copper eky," 

 as though all vegetation must perish under it. In 

 the midst of such a drought, however, the atmos- 

 phere is crowded with moisture, containing more 

 than it does when showers are frequent. This at- 

 mosphere rests upon the surface with a pressure 

 equal to fifteen pounds to every square inch ; and 

 the soil being light and porous, greedily receives 

 it and passes it along from particle to particle, 

 distributes its ammonia and other salts, and its 

 heat, as it goes. 



At length it reaches a point where the soil is 

 cooler than itself, and is at once condensed into 

 water, and thus the atmosphere tcaters the well- 

 drained soil through a pinching drought, and 

 brings its plants to perfection. The beneficent 

 operation, which is thus ever going on through 

 the long, hot days of July or August suns, is often 



