. Florists' review [microform]. Floriculture. ^?"'~ v^v ~" Afbil 4, 1912. The Weekly Horists' Review. 11 Silica or quartz, because it is so hard and insoluble, is the chief ingredient both by volume and weight of all soils. It is a combination of silicon and oxy- gen. Aluminum probably comes next in abundance, being a fundamental con- stituent of true clay, feldspar and mica. One of the other elements in the soil is oxygen, which occurs free and in com- bination with nearly all the other ele- ments. Carbon occurs as part of the humus, also united with calcium and magnesium in the for
. Florists' review [microform]. Floriculture. ^?"'~ v^v ~" Afbil 4, 1912. The Weekly Horists' Review. 11 Silica or quartz, because it is so hard and insoluble, is the chief ingredient both by volume and weight of all soils. It is a combination of silicon and oxy- gen. Aluminum probably comes next in abundance, being a fundamental con- stituent of true clay, feldspar and mica. One of the other elements in the soil is oxygen, which occurs free and in com- bination with nearly all the other ele- ments. Carbon occurs as part of the humus, also united with calcium and magnesium in the form of carbonates; also as carbonic acid gas, which plays such an important part in the solution of plant food. Sulphur occurs as sul- phates. Hydrogen is united with oxygen in the water. Chlorine occurs in limited quantities, generally in the form of com- mon salt, sodium chloride. It seems to be in some way essential to plant life. Phosphorus is never found in nature in a free state, but always combined with some other substance. It is generally distributed through the soil, but in small quantities, and is essential to plant life. i Nitrogen is found in the soil in a combined form in the humus and the vegetable and animal matter, which upon decaying give up the nitrogen in the form of ammonia, which is turned into nitric acid by bacteria. The nitric acid unites wth potash, soda or other soil ingredients and is taken up by the plant as a nitrate. Nitrates are ex- tremely soluble and easily washed out of the soil. Calcium and magnesium, in the form of carbonates, compose the limestone beds of the earth. Both cal- cium carbonate, or lime, and magnesia are necessary plant foods, and both are generally present in the soil in suffi- cient quantities to supply the plants with the required amount. Potassium is another element found in soils which is very necessary. Tt is widely dis- tributed as a constituent of some feld- spars and micas. Sodium, which is the base of common salt, is al
Size: 1435px × 1740px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcontributorunive, bookleafnumber501, booksubjectfloriculture
