rROCEEDIXGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 465 



BARLEY SPROUTS. 



The refuse from the brewery 3-ou are sure to find valuable ; it 

 cannot be otherwise ; they are the same constituents that in 

 nature's progression made the barley, and particularly that part 

 of the barley most ready for reappropriation — the germ — and 

 they must be highly valuable as manure. 



Dr. Thompson. — Why does the soil under the board, that you 

 spoke of, differ from that by the side of the board? 



Prof. Mapes. — Simply because a larger amount of fertilizing 

 gases, and the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, pass through 

 that under the board than through the other. It is kept in a 

 state of humidity, so that the carbonic acid can travel rapidly 

 through it. Carbonic acid will travel readily through moistened 

 surfaces, so that by placing a wooden board over the earth, the 

 earth then acts as a syphon. The board is not tight enough to 

 exclude the atmosphere, but keeps the soil moist, and free from 

 the battering of the rain which in excess often causes the alumina 

 to form an impervious coating. 



IRRIGATION. 



You are all aware that chemical action takes place best when 

 the material to be absorbed by the plant is in the most diluted 

 state. There is very little water that does not contain inorganic 

 matter in solution, consequently in irrigation you present the 

 inorganic matter in exactly the state to be most readily absorbed. 

 Not only that, but you set in motion such inorganic matter as is in 

 the soil ready for appropriation, but not brought into mechanical 

 contact with the roots. Therefore the same water that has 

 yielded up to one root its material recharges itself in passing to 

 another, and again yields up its inorganic matter ; and thus it 

 goes on, carrying food to a large number of roots. In addition 

 to this, as the water passes down through the soil, the air must 

 follow it ; and that which has been there gives place to air con- 

 taining new quantities of fertilizing gases. 



TAN 



wdien the bark becomes old enough to be readily disintegrated, I 

 have seen very good results from decomposing it with the lime 

 and salt mixture. And so with a large amount of factory waste. 



BURNING. 



Whenever you apply fire you get up conditions that vitrify 

 some of the elements, or render them less soluble and less sub- 

 [Am. Inst.] DD 



