30 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



appropriate them, hence, animal matters which are easily 

 rendered soluble, have a much greater effect when first 

 applied, than vegetable manures, but the latter are more 

 permanent as their constituents gradually become soluble. 

 It is by putrefaction that all animal and vegetable remains 

 are rendered available to'plants, but if they are allowed to 

 putrefy without care, the loss is immense — the soluble parts 

 are washed away, the gases pass off into the air, and at 

 least 50 per cent, of the manure is dissipated. 



Some manures ameliorate the soil by absorbing and re- 

 taining moisture from the atmosphere. This property is 

 as beneficial to a clay as to a sandy soil during drought, 

 as at such times clays are often baked so as to be imper- 

 vious to the dew, and suffer nearly or quite as much as 

 more sandy soils. The best absorbents of moisture are 

 stable manure, thoroughly decomposed tanbark, and the 

 manure of the cow and pig, in the order named. After 

 these come sheep and fowl manure, salt, soot, and even 

 burnt clay is not without its virtue. All these absorbents 

 are much more effectual when finely divided, and the soil 

 itself is a good absorbent in proportion to its richness, and 

 the friability produced by frequent culture. In the power 

 of retaining moisture absorded, pig manure stands pre- 

 eminent, next that of the horse, then common salt and 

 soot. 



Some manures are beneficial in absorbing not only mois- 

 ture, but nutritious gases from the atmosphere which they 

 yield to the roots in a concentrated form. All animal and 

 vegetable manures have the power of attracting oxygen 

 from the air during decomposition. 



Charcoal and all carbonaceous matters have the power 

 of absorbing carbonic acid gas in large quantities, supply- 

 ing constantly to the roots of plants an atmosphere of 

 carbonic acid, which is renewed as quicklv as it is ab- 



