Horse-hoeing husbandry : $b or, an essay on the principles of vegetation and tillage. Designed to introduce a new method of culture; whereby the produce of land will be increased, and the usual expence lessened. Together with accurate descriptions and cuts of the instruments employed in it.Tull, Jethro
Science
Horse-hoeing husbandry : $b or, an essay on the principles of vegetation and tillage. Designed to introduce a new method of culture; whereby the produce of land will be increased, and the usual expence lessened. Together with accurate descriptions and cuts of the instruments employed in it.
Tull, Jethro
Agriculture -- Early works to 1800; Plows; Tillage
And for the same Purpose I prepar’d a small Trough, about two Foot
long, and plac’d a Mint-Glass under each End of the Trough; over each
Glass I plac’d a Mint, with half its Roots in the Glass, the other
half in the Trough: The Mints stood just upon the Ends of the Trough.
Then I cover’d these Roots with pulveriz’d Earth, and kept the Glasses
supply’d with Water; and as oft as the white fibrous Roots shot thro’
the Earth, I threw on more Earth, till the Trough would hold no more;
and still the white Fibres came thro’, and appear’d above it; but all
seem’d (as I saw by the Help of a coarse Microscope) to turn, and when
they came above-ground, their Ends enter’d into it again. These two
_Mints_ grew thrice as large as any other _Mint_ I had, which were
many, that stood in Water, and much larger than those which stood in
Water with Earth in it: They being all of an equal Bigness when set in,
and set at the same time. Tho’ these two, standing in my Chamber, never
had any Water in their Earth, but what those Roots, which reach’d the
Water in the Glasses, sent up to the Roots, which grew in the Trough.
The vast Quantity of Water these Roots sent up, being sufficient to
keep all the Earth in the Troughs moist, tho’ of a thousand times
greater Quantity than the Roots which water’d it, makes it probable,
that the Water pass’d out of the Roots into the Earth, without mixing
at all with the Sap, or being alter’d to any Degree. The Earth kept
always moist, and in the hot Weather there would not remain a Drop of
Water in the Glasses, when they had not been fresh supply’d in two Days
and one Night; and yet these Roots in the Glasses were not dry’d, tho’
they stood sometimes a whole Day and Night thus in the empty Glasses.
These two Mints have thus liv’d all one Summer.
_Remarks on the_ Mints, _&c._
Tho’ the Vessels of Marine Plants be some ways fortify’d against the
Acrimony of Salt, as Sea-fish are, yet the Mints all shew, that Salt is
poison to other Plants.
The Reason why the Salts in Dung, Brine, or Urine, do not kill Plants
in the Field or Garden, is, that their Force is spent in acting upon,
and dividing the Parts of Earth; neither do these Salts, or at least
any considerable Quantity of them, reach the Roots.
I try’d Salt to many Potatoes in the Ground being undermin’d, and a few
of their Roots put into a Dish of Salt-water, they all died sooner or
later, according to their Bigness, and to the Proportions the Quantity
of Salt apply’d did bear to them.
By the Mints it appears, that Roots make no Distinctions in the Liquor
they imbibe, whether it be for their Nourishment or Destruction; and
that they do not insume what is disagreeable, or Poison to them, for
lack of other Sustenance; since they were very vigorous, and well fed
in the Glasses, at the time when the most inconsiderable Part of their
Number had the Salt, Garlick, and Ink offer’d to them.
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