Research

The manual of manures (Taken from Henry Vendelmans- The manual of manures.)

Acid- Acids are chemical compounds, having the property when brought in contact with bases, and associating with them, of forming salts, at the same time losing their acidity. An acid soil, therefore, is one in which acid predominates. In other words it is a sour soil.

Base, or alkali – Any substance which has the property of neutralizing acids by forming a salt. By the addition of a base to an acid the quantity of the acid is destroyed. A base soil or alkaline is therefore a soil in which bases predominate.

Neutral – This is the intermediate point between the acid and the base states, when the action of the acids and the bases counterbalance each other.

The functions of manures

In the distribution of roles attributed to these manures, nitrogen forces and makes the grass grow, and also increases the volume of vegetable matter, and prolongs the period of vegetation. When assimilable nitrogen is applied in the spring time the plants immediately become green and begin to grow. But subsequent development is slow; the seed is formed later in the year, and maturity retarded.

The luxuriant vegetation caused by the application as assimilable nitrogen weakens the stalks of the plants, renders them less resistant, and makes the corn more liable to “lay”. That is why we have recourse to potash and enable them better to resist the elements. Ph.Ac. also acts to the same purpose.

On the other hand, the addition of phosphoric acid hastens the formation of grain and ensures early maturity. The action of these three manures therefore counterbalance and complete each other so that there will be an abundant production of strong growth of good quality, ripening in good time. This last point ought to be taken into serious consideration in regions where summer is short and crops occasionally fail to ripen.