INDIANA   FARMER.
VOL II.]
Devoted lo Agriculture, Horticulture, Mechanics and the Useful Arte.
[NO. 8.
D. P. Hollowly,?   _,., \
W. T. Heinle,     > E<iUor>. j
RICHMOND, IND., DECEMBER 15, 1852.      (
flollovrstf Ac Co • »
Publishers.
For the Indiana Farmer.
SCIENTIFIC Aa^IGUI.T(JHB—No. 14.
BV PROFESSOR   B. LAWRENCE.
Inorganic Elements.
It is a remarkable fact, and worthy to be
borne in mind, that different species of plants
require different quantities as well as kinds of
inorganic food. Thus maize, barley, and oats
require much greater quantities than wheat
and rye. Among the root crops, carrots and
parsnips require more than potatoes and turnips. Red and white c'over hay contain a
much greater amount of inorganic matter than
that which is made of the grasses. The same
is true of trees; the nonresinous produce more
ashes than the resinous; and the former differ
greatly in different species.
Again;—^different parts of the same plant
contain very different quantities of mineral matter. For instance the straw of all grain—bearing plants contain a much larger quantify than
the grain. Thus the grain of wheat contains
only about 1 1-5 lbs in a hundred, while the
straw contains 3 1-2, The grain of rye contains a trifle over one per cent; the straw 2 3-4.
The grain uf oats and of barley, contain about
2 1-2 per cent; but the straw about 5 1-2 per
cent. In the root crops a similar difference exists between the roots and tops, the latter contains about twice as much on an- average as
the former,
A still greater difference exists in the different parts of trees. The trunks contain the
least, the limbs much more, and the leaves
most of fell.    The leaves of trees on an average
o
contain from fifteen to twenty times as much
as the trunks in the same weight, One hundred pounds of leaves will produce as much ashes as a ton of wood.
These facts point to one important principle,
which farmers ought well to understand, and»
govern their practice accordingly. It is this;
that those crops which draw the greatest amount
of mineral matter .from the soil, other things
being equal, will exhaust it the soonest. It is
on this principle, mainly, that ;he doc'.r'ne of the
rotation of crops is founded. Crops which
draw heavily upon the soil, ought to be succeeded by those which draw lightly. But this
is not nil; another principle still is nearly as im
portant, which is this; that different species of
plants draw different portions of the same ingredients from the soil. Hence a change in the
crop is important, though its demands upon the
soil should be no less.
From these facts and a great many more
that might be added, it is evident that all plants
require a portion of mineral matter in order to
develope themselves, and ripen their seed; and
every plant requires a certain quantity. It will
not flourish well with any less, nor will it receive any more. Every species requires also
certain kinds as well as quantities.
Now these differences cannot be the result
of accident;,they must be constitutional, and
c annot be materially changed. They are constant in every soil, and in every climate, subject only to very slight changes. They must
therefore have their origin in some natural law,
Plants of different species must draw from the
soil that proportion of inorganic, matter which
is adapted to the respective wants of each, and
suited to their individual constitutions. The
rootlets of plants take up at first all the elements required by the plants, and "while they
are going the rounds of circulationreach part,
as they pass along, abstracts from the general
mass such kinds and quantities as its nature requires until all are satisfied, and if there is any
overplus,-it is returned again to the soil by another set of vessels; for in plants as well as animals, there is a double circulation; one conveying and distributing food to, every part of the
the system, while the other is employed to take
out of it every particle of effete and superfluous
matter.
I hr.ve now shown that every species of plants
requires its own selection of inorganic food;
but these species which are most alike in their
general appearance and produce, agree in their
selections'more nearly than those which are
more unlike. It is upon this principle that the
philosophy of grafting is founded. Those species which belong to the same genera are much
nearer alike in their nature and constituents
than those which belong to different genera;
therefore they will bear to be engrafted upon
one another; whereas those of different genera
will not. Thus the apple, pear, and quince
may be grafted into one another, because the