234 
FERTILIZERS. 
« 
organized beings ; these are all marine. At the present time a large supply, at least of the 
four bodies, oxygen, hydrogen, etc., or the products of their combinations, are derived from 
previously existing organized substances. Although they have formed the organs—have been 
organized, we have seen that it is necessary that they should undergo a dissolution, before they 
can become again organized. The carbon of a vegetable, as it exists therein, is not suitable for 
an aliment, until it has been changed ; it is neither fitted for a vegetable nor an animal—can not 
enter their textures and become a component part of their organization, any more than if it 
existed in the mineral kingdom, in some of its common combinations. 
Fertilizers are divided into three great classes, according to the source from whence they are 
derived : 1. The mineral fertilizers : and 2. The vegetable fertilizers. 3. Those derived from 
animals. The first embrace those substances which belong to the mineral kingdom exclu¬ 
sively, as iron, lime, potash, phosphorus, etc. Those of the vegetable kingdom embrace cer¬ 
tain combinations of carbon with oxygen and hydrogen, and hydrogen and nitrogen. It will 
be observed at once that the foundation for this division of the fertilizers is very slight, in 
reality, inasmuch as each of them belong to the mineral kingdom, and were derived originally 
from that kingdom. But the vegetable manures, as well as animal, have undergone transfor¬ 
mations in the tissues, and hence may, for the sake of convenience, receive the denominations 
in common use. The organic fertilizers have usually been subdivided, into those which belong 
to the vegetable and animal kingdoms. There is one substance which is not properly ranked 
among the manures, but may, with propriety, be denominated a fertilizer : 1 refer to water. 
Of its importance, and of its injurious effects when applied in too great abundance, I have al¬ 
ready spoken : such is the constitution of every kind of matter which lives and grows, that it 
must be supplied. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the mode or means of applying water. Ir¬ 
rigation may be resorted to in all those places where a stream has a sufficient descent, or where 
it flows over moderate slopes. What is necessary to secure the good effects of water, in irri¬ 
gation, is to give as moderate a current as possible : it should not stand upon the surface and 
become stagnant, neither should the surface be made too wet where it does not accumulate. 
Advantage should be taken of streams flowing through meadow and pasture lands : small 
streams flowing out from the main stream will materially increase the value of the land. The 
water of the road gutters also should be turned so as to flow, if posible, upon the pastures or 
meadows. 
Previous to entering upon the detailed consideration of manures it is necessary to observe 
that the effect of manures and fertilizers will depend much upon the annual average quantity of 
rain which falls upon any given place ; if the place is dry, comparatively, the effects of certain 
kinds of fertilizers will be greatly modified : guano, in a dry season, will be lost nearly. Ar¬ 
tificial fertilizers, similar to Liebig’s patent manure, will also fail, in many places, for the same 
reason : hence it is that great diversity of opinion exists in regard to their value. A season 
may favor the use of one fertilizer, and at the second application fail ; another may fail from 
either, an extraordinary dry or wet season : hence, too, the necessity for a careful investiga¬ 
tion of the character of the seasons as to water, heat and cold. The first volume of the Agri¬ 
culture contains many facts on these subjects, which may be applied to some useful account 
