No. 129.] 405 



Dr. Pasey came to the conclusion that the organics were chief 

 and mineral secondary. Liebig, upon commenting upon the sub- 

 ject of fallowing land, said that in the effects produced by time, 

 especially in a fallow, that is the period in which land is at rest, 

 science discovers chemical action going on continuously by the 

 influence exerted by the constituents of the atmosphere upon the 

 surface of the soil. By that of the carbonic acid and the oxygen 

 of the air, with moisture and drain water, the power of dissolv- 

 ing in water some constituents of rocks separate from the inso- 

 luble parts. All cultivated plants require alkalies, though used 

 by them in various quantities. Silicates naturally differ materi- 

 ally in their tendency to solution, &c., Liebig was mistaken in 

 this. Nitrogen, which exists in all parts of vegetables, and with- 

 out which a soil, otherwise rich, cannot grow a plant to matu- 

 rity, must therefore be supplied. As the fallow land absorbs it 

 from the air, and thus lias its fertility regained, and rotation of 

 crop gives it, if the soil be first rich enough for the restoration. 

 Chemical science has now determined to a single pound weight, 

 how much of any mineral manure is necessary for any given 

 crop. In the use of bone manure it is found to be necessary to 

 add the mineral, except that which is always to be found in 

 organic manure. Guano gives to the Swedish turnip more solidi- 

 ty than cow dung does. Wheat, by means of highly nitrogeni- 

 zed manure, lias acquired the great quantity of thirty-three per 

 cent of gluten — the ordinary amount being not more than half 

 that. Tlie ammonia is not present in cow dung. Plants receive 

 warmth from ammonia and with it they make more woody mat- 

 ter and more leaves, and afterwards live on air. All seeds con- 

 tain starch and gluten — these decompose in the ground and am- 

 monia warms the growing plant. By using the organic maiiures 

 we but follow nature. Farmers consider their barn-yard ma- 

 nures as the best of all, but they do not all think that their barn- 

 yard receives only tlie refuse of the crop, that the great mass of 

 vegetation has been sold off the farm and is forever lost to it. 

 The exhausted lands of our State are made so by carrying off 

 the organic, not the mineral constituents of the soil. Sulphate 

 of lime will be taken by roots of plants if they can reach it. I 

 think that the proper relative value of the mineral and the or- 



