228 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[May 
tremities we find numberless rootless which 
correspond to the twigs and leaves at the op¬ 
posite extremities of the tree. Going a step 
farther, and by the aid of the microscope, 
we find that the breathing pores, or stomata, 
of the leaves, have their equivalents in the 
so-called root hairs. These hairs are delicate 
elongations of the surface cells of the rootlets, 
barely visible to the naked eye, but so numer¬ 
ous as to greatly increase the absorbing sur¬ 
face of the root. The cut represents a portion 
of a rootlet, much magnified, covered with 
root hairs. Through these root hairs is ab¬ 
sorbed the water, with food materials dis¬ 
solved therein, for the use of the plant. Be¬ 
tween roots and leaves there constantly goes 
on the operation of supply and demand, 
though located at the opposite extremities of 
the plant. So nicely are their powers ad¬ 
justed that, disregarding outside influences, 
the amount of water in the plant always re¬ 
mains nearly the same. 
That roots may perform their office of 
feeders it is necessary they come in contact 
with water, and in accomplishing this they 
exhibit wonderful powers of growth and 
penetration. Trees send out their roots hun¬ 
dreds of feet for this purpose, and so small a 
plant as the clover has been known to push 
its roots perpendicularly downward to a dis¬ 
tance of eight feet. But their efforts to ob¬ 
tain water are not confined to mere extension. 
A drouth will cause the number of root hairs 
to be increased until the rootlets present a 
velvety appearance. If, on the other hand, 
there is an abundance of water in the soil, 
the root extension is proportionally less and 
the root hairs fewer. Hence a drouth fol¬ 
lowing a wet season is unusually destructive, 
owing to the inadequate root area previously 
produced under the influence of abundant 
moisture. The power of these delicate root 
hairs to absorb water and force it upward in 
the stem, against the downward tendency of 
the water which it already contains, and op¬ 
posed to the force of gravity, is something 
wonderful. A single root of the black birch 
has been known to exert an upward pressure 
equivalent to supporting a vertical column of 
water 84.7 feet high. Instances are record¬ 
ed of roots penetrating crevices of rocks, 
ultimately bursting them asunder, and of 
distorted roots, which, in forcing their way 
through a compact and stony soil, have en¬ 
closed large stones and overgrown them with 
woody tissue. In whatever aspect we view 
them, roots present many curious and in¬ 
teresting phenomena, and in all cases we 
find them most emphatically essential organs. 
Common Salt as a Fertilizer. 
Salt is not a direct fertilizer. Its chief 
value lies in the power it has of rendering 
various kinds of plant foods soluble, so that 
they can be used by the plant. Ammonia, 
potash, and phosphoric acid are rendered 
soluble by the action of salt. A prominent 
scientist calls salt a “soil digester.” The 
visible effect of salt is to retard the maturity 
of the plant, thus lengthening the period of 
growth, and therefore insuring a better yield. 
As the ripening is naturally delayed suffici¬ 
ently on heavy soils, salt in this way would 
there produce no beneficial effect. Light 
soils are almost invariably benefited by salt. 
It is not a successful insecticide. An entomol¬ 
ogist writes: “I have experimented enough 
with salt on the cut-worm to know that you 
can kill your plants before you can kill the 
worms.” Impure, unrefined salt is much to 
be preferred, being cheaper and containing 
other valuable plant foods. L. H. B. 
The Black Medick or Nonsuch. 
--O-- 
There are very frequently sent to us speci¬ 
mens of a small plant, usually accompanied 
by the question, “What clover is this?” 
The plant, shown in the engraving, of its 
real size, appears much like a clover. It was 
early introduced from Europe, and has now 
spread far and wide. It is called in England 
the Black Medick, and sometimes Nonsuch. 
It is a yellow-flowered annual species, Medi- 
cago lupulina, of the genus of which Lu¬ 
cerne or Alfalfa, M. sativa, is a purple- 
flowered perennial species. There is, in the 
older States, at least, a little yellow-flowered, 
creeping clover (Trifolium procumbens), also 
introduced, which so closely resembles the 
Medick that the two may be readily con¬ 
founded, unless they are in fruit. The Low 
Hop-Clover has its little straight pod inclosed 
in the withered flower, while the Medick has 
a spirally-curved black pod, without any 
remains of the flower, appearing as in the 
engraving. The clover is quite worthless, 
growing usually in sandy places, and with¬ 
ering, without any substance when dry, 
while the Medick, though small, will cure 
into good hay. The Medick has such an 
abundance of seed pods, that correspond¬ 
ents are tempted to gather them for the pur¬ 
pose of making a trial of the plant in culti¬ 
vation.. This has been done long ago abroad, 
and its value well ascertained. While very 
nutritious, there is not enough of it, and it 
is of no value where clover can be grown. 
Though highly praised at one time, as indi¬ 
cated by the name, “Nonsuch,” it has nearly 
dropped out of use, except to occasionally 
sow with Rye-grass. When it “comes in” 
in a pasture, it is well enough to have it, buf¬ 
fi is hardly worth the trouble of introduc¬ 
ing it by sowing the seeds. 
It is a matter of surprise that our farmers 
are indifferent and permit bulls to grow up 
in idleness and consequently vicious. Hav¬ 
ing resided for a number of years in the 
West Indies, we observed that most of the 
work required of animals, such as packing 
produce to market, was carried on the backs 
of bulls, who were quite as docile as any 
animal performing such labor; they were 
under the direction of quite small boys, and 
sometimes even driven and ridden by girls. 
There seems to be no more difficulty in hand¬ 
ling them than horses, and during the five 
years’ residence we observed no accidents, or 
heard of none, that was not likely to happen 
with working horses or cattle. The bulls are 
not worked hard, but bandied so frequently,, 
“Horse Cultivation” in the Garden. 
--O-- 
The custom of most farmers and villagers is 
to raise their garden crops almost exclusively 
by hand cultivation. This is a necessity with 
flowers and with those vegetables and fruits 
that are planted in beds, or in close runs, but 
poor economy with potatoes, corn, squashes, 
melons, cabbage, and other crops that need 
more room. Plants with running vines, that 
require planting six to eight feet apart, may 
be arranged in long rows, running the whole 
length of the garden, and be kept perfectly 
clean by horse-power at a tithe of the expense 
required by the hoe. Early potatoes, and the 
successive plantings of sweet corn, the early 
and late cabbage and cauliflower, the peas 
and beans, may as well be arranged in rows 
as in patches, and the ground kept clean by 
horse-power. Currants, raspberries, black¬ 
berries, grapes, and indeed the larger fruits 
that are kept out of grass, can have the bene- 
I fit of the same arrangement. The saving of 
I labor is large, and it comes mainly at the 
season of summer heats when work is most 
exhausting. The garden pays well, even 
with hand labor. It would pay much better 
if the main burden of the cultivation were 
put upon the muscles of the horse. But the 
saving of cost in cultivation is only a small 
part of the benefit of the long-row arrange¬ 
ment. It would lead to a much more fre¬ 
quent and thorough cultivation of our garden 
crops. Most farmers neglect the garden 
for their field crops. The advantage of a 
frequent stirring of the surface soil to grow¬ 
ing crops is greatly underestimated. It is 
said that it pays to hoe cabbage every morn¬ 
ing before breakfast during the early part of 
the season. We can testify to the great ad¬ 
vantage of cultivation every week. This fre¬ 
quent breaking of the crust admits of a freer 
circulation of the air among the roots below, 
and makes the most of the dews and rains 
that fall. The manufacture of plant food 
goes on more rapidly, and to a certain ex¬ 
tent, cultivation is a substitute for manure. 
Another benefit of the long-row system would 
be the almost certain enlargement of the 
fruit and vegetable garden, and a better sup¬ 
ply of these fruits for the table. This, we 
believe, would have an important sanitary 
influence in every household. 
