THE WHEAT CrXTTTRIST. 



229 



years ago. The growing stems of wheat that are pro- 

 dnced on such old charcoal-beds ai'e seldom affected 

 with rnst : and besides this, the straw is always much 

 stiffer than that which grows where there is not a dress- 

 ing of charcoal. Before chai'coal can promote the growth 

 of plants of any kind, the panicles mnst be thoronghly 

 decomposed, and rednced to a liquid condition. For this 

 reason, previous to the application of charcoal dnst as a 

 fertilizer to any hind of soil, the coal shonld be run 

 through a mill that will reduce the small pieces to fine 

 powder. And even when charcoal is thns finely com- 

 minuted by some mechanical means, the action of the 

 fei*tilizin^ matter on veojetation will be verv slow. 



It is said that charcoal possesses the power of ab- 

 sorbing ninety times its own weight of ammoniac al 

 gases. This fact suggests that charcoal dust, which 

 may be procm'ed in large quantities, at simply the ex- 

 pense of cai'ting, in and around many of our populous 

 cities, should be scattered in the stables of domestic 

 animals, after having been ground very fine, where it 

 will absorb large quantities of the choicest fertilizing 

 material, which, if mingled with the soil, would impart 

 a rich store of pabulum to the roots of growing crops. 

 But whether a farmer would be warranted in purchas- 

 ing charcoal, gi-inding it to powder, scattering it in his 

 stables, and applying it the soil, is a question that can be 

 decided satisfactorily, only by well-conducted experi- 

 ments. The probability, however, is that it would not 

 pay, for the reason that the decomposition of the fracr- 

 ments of the coal would be so exceedingly slow, from 

 yeai* to year, that the beneficial effect would not be a fair 

 equivalent for the expense incun-ed. Where a farmer 

 can procure charcoal dust for the carting, he can well 



