Show stones nud and tho the soil in some very stony localities it is a popular belief that stones are in tho the process of formation or as it is often expressed they grow the fact is instead of any increase increase of ofas a stone tono from froin the surrounding soil the action is in exactly the opposite direction all of tho the soil save the vegetable matter it contains results from the disintegration the breaking down and powdering of solid rocks or stones changes of temperature contracting in g and expand expanding ing of them break d down ow n stones rain penetrates the pores of rocks and freezing in them throws off small particles rain also dissolves some of the constituents of rocks especially those largely or in part of limestone lime stone Final finally lZ plants aid in breakie breaking up ro rocks eks into soil by the action of their roots while growing also when p plants ant decay various compounds in including ind ing acids are produced which act upon rocks and aid in red reducing them to powder instead of there being anything like an increase in the size of rocks and find stones there area are a number of agents silent but ceaselessly at work P slowly convert converting ng them to soil american ag agriculturist it urist for feb |