1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



503 



ble matters, will be comparatively easy. The 

 necessity of these conditions to ensure fertility 

 and productiveness is demonstrated by the 

 well-known physiological fact, that plants do 

 not possess the power of generating for, and 

 of themselves, a single elementary particle of 

 which they consist. They are only possessed 

 of the capacity of modifying, to a certain ex- 

 tent, the form in which these particles are com- 

 bined with each other. These facts are far 

 too generally overlooked by the farmer. 



When the cultivation of a particular plant 

 proves unsuccessful on one species of soil, tiie 

 observing cultivator tries it on another species 

 — changing oftentimes from clay to sand, and 

 from sand to clay. This method is frequently 

 successful ; the plant finding its proper aliment 

 in its new location, grows, and produces its 

 seed, well-developed and mature ; but another, 

 adopting the same migratory system, does not 

 meet with the same result as the former. 

 Hence chemical analysis is requisite to explain 

 the difference in the results. 



All clay soils are not produced from the 

 same kind or sort of rocks. There may be, in- 

 deed, a wide difference in this important par- 

 ticular, and yet the eye be wholly unable to 

 detect it. The same remarks hold equally 

 good in regard to sandy lands. All soils are 

 composed of the debris of rocks — old, rotten, 

 broken rocks — or the disintegrated particles of 

 them, which overspread the earth in the form 

 of sand, gravel and clay. 



Mould is for»ied by the addition of decay- 

 ing vegetable or animal matter to these, and 

 is "the half way house between the living and 

 the dead in the organic and inorganic world." 



By examining the subject critically, we find 

 that nearly all the sand found on the earth's 

 surface is derived from water- formed sand- 

 stone, or fire-formed granite and other rocks, 

 marked by the characteristics indicating an 

 igneous or fiery origin. 



The purest sand known is denominated sili- 

 ca, a term derived from the Latin word silex, 

 ^'Jiint.'''' This is a simple mineral, possessing 

 acid properties. It is produced by a chemical 

 union of oxygen and silicon or silicum, in the 

 propoitions of two atoms of the former with 

 one of the latter. It is sometimes called sili- 

 cic acid, in consequence of the facility with 

 which it combines with lime, soda, alumina, 

 potash, magnesia and iron, to form the sub- 



stances called silicates, such as silicates of pot- 

 ash, silicates of soda, lime, &c., &c. 



Oxygen, it is well known, is the vital prin- 

 ciple of the air, which supports respiration 

 and combustion, &c. ; and in sand derived from 

 the pure flint or silex, we find there are, in 

 every one hundred parts, by accurate meas- 

 urement, fifty-two parts of oxygen and forty- 

 eight of silicon The quantity of oxygen, 

 therefore, contained in rock.^, is very great. 

 It has been estimattnl by philosophers, that 

 more than three-quarters — probably 80 per 

 cent. — of all the rocks, are composed of silica ; 

 consequently more than one-haif of the actual 

 crust of the earth is oxjgen. 



If we burn the straw of wheat and analyze 

 the ash remaining after deflagration, we shall 

 find that 67 per cent, of the mass is silica. 

 The same is true of sugar cane, the ash of 

 barley, rye, oats and Indian corn, and the 

 maize plant generally. Yet sand is but very 

 sparingly soluble in water. The action of the 

 roots of vegetables effects its decomposition, 

 to a very limited extent, and slowly. Pure 

 silica is not extensively found ; a little is sup- 

 plied by crystalized quartz or flint, but the 

 great mass is composed almost entirely of the 

 silicates of lime, alumina, pota.<h, iron, mag- 

 nesia, soda, and manganet^e. These silicates 

 act with greater or less energy upon vegeta- 

 tion, and are, in part, the cause of fertility in 

 soils. To render them soluble, and fit to as- 

 sist in supporting cultivated crops, is the great 

 object, or one of the objects, of manuring. 

 Unless they be rendered appropriable, it is vain 

 to expect a sound and well-developed crop ; 

 they constitute the bones of vegetables which 

 can never attain vigor, or health, without them. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 FEEDING STOCK. 

 Cutting Hay. 



The questions have been asked in the Far- 

 mer, will it pay to cut good hay for stock ? 

 What are the real benefits of the practice .'' 



Young farmers are often puzzled by the di- 

 versitj' of opinions and practice on this subject. 

 The arguments sometimes advanced by the 

 advocates of the practice are so plausible that 

 many are captivated by them ; but after whirl- 

 ing the hay cutter a few years, and due reflec- 

 tion, they usually conclude that our domestic 

 animals have pretty good hay cutters of their 

 own ready for use, and if better ones were 

 necessary, nature would have provided them. 

 If those who have any doubts upon the 



