PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 323 



from the sea, as tliey there meet with the conditions suited to 

 their existence. 



Plants that require the nitrates and ammonia follow man, as 

 the domestic animals do, because they find where he is protection 

 and food. Wheat, rye, corn and oats thrive where fully supplied 

 with the phosphates, ammonia and magnesia, and these they can 

 only obtain where men and animals congregate. 



Saline matter, raised by evaporation from the sea, and carried 

 into the atmosphere in very minute quantities, is still sufficient 

 to furnish plants with the alkaline food they require, which may 

 be shown by the fact, that a single grain in each pound of earth 

 one foot deep, is more than equal to four hundred and ninety-five 

 pounds in each acre — enough to supply cereal crops thirty-five 

 years, if the straw is returned as manure. So the atmosphere, 

 which only contains a thousandth part of its weight of carbonic 

 acid gas, holds a sufiicient quantity to supply all animated beings 

 with all the carbon they require for ages to come. " Sea water 

 contains 1-1 2400th of the weight of carbonate of lime, and this 

 quantity, though scarcely appreciable in a pound, is the source 

 from which myriads of marine mollusca and corals are supplied 

 with materials for their habitations." All grass plants require 

 silicate of potash. I examined last season the melted ashes of a 

 haystack that was burned, and found large quantities. 



If you have an over-cropped soil, that the excretions of the 

 usually cultivated crops have rendered noxious and unfruitful, 

 3^ou may freshen it up, and neutralize the effects, as well as induce 

 the decomposition of the excrementitious matters which all plants 

 deposit, by a top-dressing of sea weed, which not only accelerates 

 the decomposition of the many organic substances, but likewise 

 leaves in the soil iron, alumina, lime, silica, magnesia, carbon, 

 carbonic acid, sulphuretted hydrogen and sulphuric acid. Not- 

 withstanding all that has been 'said in favor of sea weeds, kelp, 

 &c., I am of the opinion that nearly the same effects may be pro- 

 duced in inland situations, where they cannot be readily obtained, 

 by a mixture of ten bushels of salt and twenty bushels of lime, 

 well incorporated together, and allowed to remain in a heap, 

 covered with sods, for ninety days. 



By this time decomposition takes place, and chloride of cal- 

 cium and soda, the most deliquescing or moisture absorbing sub- 

 stances, are formed, which will produce a manifest improvement 

 on any crop, not only readily supplying soda to it, but also act- 



