1879 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
59 
•of Aug., Sept., Oct., and Nov., on Dry cultivated 
Hand, Wet cultivated land, Dry grass land, Wet grass 
land, and Forest soil, at 3 to 6 stations in each case, 
and at from 4 to5 o’clock each morning; in this 
series numbering nearly 900. In each case the 
temperature was taken of the air, the surface soil, 
and at 5 inches deep. The results confirmed those 
previously obtained, being even more remarkable. 
From Aug. 1st to Dec. 1st, the soil at 5 inches 
deep averaged 12.345° warmer than the air. It 
has heretofore been taught that wet soils are cold, 
as corrrpared with dry, from which assumed fact 
important conclusions have been drawn ; but this 
long series of observations prove the contrary. 
Practically, at the depth of 5 inches the tempera¬ 
ture of wet and dry soils is the same. “The day 
temperature of the dry soils is higher than the wet, 
and the diurnal variation greater ; but the equality 
of temperature at night indicates pretty clearly that 
temperature is by no means the only factor to be 
considered in discussing the condition and improve¬ 
ment of wet land.” 
The Temperature of Growing; Plants, 
as compared with the air at night, was the subject 
of over 100 observations from June 14 to Septem¬ 
ber 5, on a great variety of plants and different 
parts of the same plant. To take the temperature 
of grasses and similar plants, a bunch of the leaves 
and stems are tied together late in the afternoon, 
and a thermometer inserted in the center at 4 
o’clock the next morning. For plants having thick 
6teras or leaves, these were pierced with a steel 
rod, and the bulb of the thermometer inserted in 
the cavity. Though there was often no difference 
between the temperature of the plant and the air, 
in no case was the air warmer than the plant, and 
in many the plant was the warmer. We quote a 
few examples in the following table : 
June 14.Bunch of rapidly growing white clover.58” air 57” 
July 14.Center of growing corn-plant .69” “ 68” 
July 14.Center of growing clover-stalk .69” “ 68“ 
Aug. 6.Center of bunch of purslane.68" “ 68* 
Aug. 14.Center of corn-plant.60“ '•* 58“ 
Aug. 14. Apple on the tree.57“ “ 57° 
Aug. 14.Pumpkin rind...... ..57“ ”* 56” 
The plants averaged nearly li° warmer than the air. 
"Where Does Dew Come From P 
The general belief is that the soil obtains water 
from the air at night by absorption and condensa¬ 
tion, to such an extent as to be of the “ utmost 
agricultural value,”- and that in times of drouth 
this moisture of the air invigorates and sustains 
plants which otherwise would perish. The ob¬ 
servations of Professor Stockbridge show the soil, 
from May to November, both at the surface and 5 
inches deep to be warmer than the air, it is hardly 
possible that the moisture on the surface in the 
morning was deposited from the air. A more 
reasonable conclusion is that the vapor which rises 
from the surface is condensed as it comes in con¬ 
tact with the colder air. The phenomenon of so- 
called “ dew fall ” is usually attributed to the sup¬ 
posed fact that soil and plants are colder than the 
air at night, and so condense its moisture in the 
form of “ dew.” The “ dew ” on the ice-pitcher is 
the common illustration to prove the theory; but 
as we have seen, the conditions in this case are the 
reverse of those with soil and plant, which are both 
warmer than the air at night, while the ice-pitcher 
is colder. Further investigations were made in the 
study of this question. A tin-box, without top or 
bottom, was filled with soil and placed in growing 
grass ; the next morning the grass was loaded with 
dew, but not a trace appeared on the box, and the 
temperature of the soil was 66°, and of the air 60°. 
This experiment was repeated many times with the 
same results. Then a loose tin cover was placed 
on the box (fig. 1); in the morning the top of the 
cover was dry, but the under side (fig. 2) was 
“thickly studded with drops of water”—dew. 
If the theory of the absorption of water from the 
air by the soil is correct, then a given bulk of soil 
would be heavier in the morning than the previous 
evening. To test this question, two boxes, each 
holding one cubic foot, were filled with soil with¬ 
out disturbing it; one with loam, the other with 
peat. These were placed in a trench with their 
tops level with the surface of the ground, exposed 
to all weathers, and their weights taken night and 
morning. The result was a loss in weight for each 
box every morning but 5 out of 17 ; in the 5 cases 
there was neither gain or loss. Figure 4 shows a 
double walled tin-can, of which fig. 3 shows the 
inside ; it is one foot square and bottbmless ; the 
spaces, A, A, contain ice-water to cool the air 
and condense the vapor in the space, B. C is a 
gutter to catch the water collected on the inner 
surface, and conduct it by the rubber tube into the 
jar, E. The following table shows the results; 
Date. 
Humidity 
of air in¬ 
side. 
Total wa¬ 
ter inside. 
■ 
Total wa¬ 
ter collect¬ 
ed. 
?■* 
& 
Tempera¬ 
ture of aii- 
outside. 
Tempera¬ 
ture of 
soil. 
nis 
lit. 
pr. ct. 
grains. 
gr’s. 
barrels. 
July 
8 
82 
0.1555 
2.55 
8,950 
70” 
75” 
9 
96 
0.3045 
19.22 
70,941 
76 
79 
10 
95 
0.2786 
33.06 
122,216 
76 
79 
13 
92 
0.2267 
.445 
818 
70 
74 
15 
82 
0.1555 
13.05 
48,364 
63 
74 
16 
86 
0 1684 
17.43 
64,745 
65 
72 
Remarks: (1). Leak at tube. (2). Soil wet by heavy 
rain previous day. (3). On garden soil recently hoed. 
(4). On a board. (5). On dry sandy land. (6). On grass 
land ; grass under vessel wet with heavy “ dew,” and but 
little outside. 
The large amount of water collected by this ap¬ 
paratus, as well as the other experiments, shows that 
evaporation from the soil goes on at night, the same 
Fig. 2. Fig. 1. 
as in the day time. These various observations and 
experiments teach that the soil does not absorb water 
from the air at night, or receive it by the deposit of 
“ dew ; ” on the contrary,they teach that the “dew ” 
is vapor evaporated from the soil and condensed 
when it comes in contact with the colder air. The 
striking phenomenon known as “ground fog,”is 
further corroboration of this. It is a sheet of mist 
from a few to many feet in thickness, seen at night 
when the air is still, and always over wet land or 
water. The surface beneath the fog is many de¬ 
grees warmer than the air, and contains vastly more 
water. Its abundance and warmth cause rapid evap¬ 
oration of vapor, which is condensed and made 
Fig. 3. Fig. 4. 
visible by the colder air.—Further experiments on 
evaporation of water from plants, in connection 
with the above observations on temperature, others 
showing the relations of the soil to water and 
fertilizers, and the practical deductions from the 
experiments are reserved for another number. 
American Produce Abroad. —At the fall 
dairy shows in England, American factory cheese 
took such a prominent position, as to cause the 
London “ Times ” to say that it was driving “ Eng¬ 
lish Cheddar’s out of the market.” Be it un¬ 
derstood that English Cheddar cheese is of a similar 
grade to the American factory product, and is the 
main reliance of the English market. A prominent 
American gentlemen writes from Vienna, that the 
prospects of this country as viewed from abroad, 
promise an era of great prosperity, because we are 
finding a market in other lands for so much of our 
produce: horses, cattle, dead meat, butter, cheese, 
grain, and manufactured goods. The larger pro¬ 
portion of animal products we can ship abroad the 
better, for that means that we are feeding grain, 
and thereby saving the fertility of our farms. For, 
as wc have shown in various articles, the land is 
more exhausted by selling grain, than by feeding it 
and selling meat, butter, cheese, etc., and by the 
latter course we get two prices for the grain ; one 
in the product sold and one in the manure. 
Amber Sugar Cane. 
Readers of the American Agriculturist will re¬ 
member that wc planted five acres of the “ Amber 
SugarCane” last spring, and that the cold, wet 
storms so injured it that the piece was plowed up 
and sowed to turnips. (This root-crop fully paid 
the expense of the experiment). A small patch in 
one of the fields was left, and as the warm weather 
of July came on, it grew with great rapidity, in the 
course of the season attaining eight to ten feet in 
hight. At maturity the cane was cut and sent to 
the cane mill at the Massachusetts Experiment 
Station. The product was a superior quality of 
syrup, nice enough for any table. Experiments by 
others in the Eastern States were similar in result 
to this, some or them succeding better on aecount 
of less rain during the month after planting, and a 
warmer soil. In the West the “Amber Cane ” has 
proved more of a success, perhaps from more ex¬ 
perience in growing sorghum, of which the “Amber 
Cane ” is only an improved variety. 
Last season’s result in our own experience and 
that of others indicates that the “Amber Cane ” 
may be a profitable crop, both West and East, under 
proper conditions of soil and cultivation. In 
numerous cases the yield is reported as high as 
200 gallons per acre, and in some cases, 300 gallons. 
It is stated that sugar is easily obtained from this 
cane at mills iu the West, and that it is a profitable 
part of the manufacture. In the investigations at the 
Mass. Experiment Station, a considerable propor¬ 
tion of grape sugar was found in the juice, which is 
less sweet than cane sugar in general use in families, 
and is chiefly obtained from Indian corn (the grain) 
and is worth only one half the value of cane sugar. 
Less of this undesirable “grape sugar” was found in 
the juice from fresh cut cane, than from that which 
had lain some time before being ground. It is 
hoped that improved culture and manufacture will 
increase the percentage of cane sugar, which ap¬ 
pears to be already done by Western cultivators. 
The requisites for success with this crop in the 
field are : a light dry soil, cultivated at least one 
year previous,thoroughly pulverized by plowing and 
harrowing, and made fertile by previous manuring, 
or the application of well decomposed manure or 
artificial fertilizers, similar to those used for com ; 
planting the seed early, and covering it not over 
one half inch deep ; thorough after cultivation, and 
keeping the soil light and entirely free from weeds. 
The main reason why a crop like this is so profit¬ 
able, after the details and difficulties of cultivation 
and manufacture are understood and overcome, is, 
that it makes no draft upon the resources of the 
farm as the constituents of the syrup or sugar 
are obtained from the air. The pulp from the 
mills is composted to make manure to return to 
the soil; the leaves make excellent fodder, and the 
seeds are said to be equal to oats for use as food. 
Breeding as an Art.—Prof. Manly Miles, in 
his recent book on “Stock Breeding,” calls atten¬ 
tion to the fact that no previous work has been pub¬ 
lished, that contains in a convenient form for study 
and reference, the known rules and principles of 
the art of breeding, notwithstanding the fact of 
the great importance and vast extent of the live 
stock interest. The acknowledged first principles of 
