The Banner, 1846-02-18

- ~ ..w^ ?v - VIUUU". until subjected lo the combined action of heat, air, and moisture?the great agents of decomposition. Unless freely supplied with oxigen, the remains of animals and vegetables do not decay, but ihey undergo putrefaction.! u The frequent renewal of air by ploughing and the preparation of the soil, change the putrefaction of the organic constituents into a pure process of oxidation; and from the moment at which all the organic matter existing in a soil enters into a state of oxidation or decay, its fertility is enhanced." In a well compounded soil, water is presented to the roots by capillary attraction. As this increases in proportion to the smalluess of the particles of earth, the advantage of- their complete pulveriz ition is plain. It is equally true, that as food for plants must exist in solution, it is requisite to admit* water to the roots by artificially reducing the compactness of the soil by tillage. FrOm frequent working, therefore, the most favorable results may be anticipated ; indeed, it has been well observed, that a good stirring of the ground in rlry weather is equal to a shower of rain ; for however strange it may seem, while it promotes moisture, desication is prevented. To aid in the increase and preservation of atmospherical vapor, the ridge system is especially recommended. The breaking up of the old furrows deeply, and making the new ridges on them, by which the two interchange pl.ices, provide a quantity of finely divided earth .much greater than what is obtained in the ordinary mode, While the coming up of the corn is therby facilitated, and the thrifty condition of. the young plants secured, the depth at which the seeds of grass and weeds arc depositgd, prevents their germentation, except in small numbers; hence labor and time in the culture of the cron are snvod

tion, which would have been made at a much earlier period, has been delayed, but not too late, it is hoped, to be.wholly unprofitable. Satisfactorily to elucidate the matter of the Resolution, would involve a minute examination of in:iny of the topics connected with the science of husbandry. As I am certain, however, it was not de- 1 signed or intended that my remarks should take so wide n scope, 1 shall only ( briefly advert to those principles" and i : their operation upon which some of the ; t most valuable, results in husbandry rust. Aii the earths have a considerable < attraction for the fluid which the utmost- 1 pliere contains. The very best soils possesses this po\ver in the highest degree ; hence, it may with certainty be .< assumed, that the measure of their fer- ; tility depends chiefly on their capacity i to absorb moisture. In determining I their value, however, on the head, two ; i other properties have to be noticed,?the I quantity of water which is essential to | their saturation, and their power of re- i taining it. In all these respects, clay I and sand occupy antagonistic relations, i The former imbibes the aqueous vapors i like a sponge and parts with them re- : luctantly; when dry, it constitutes a i compact mass ; from the closen .-ss of its < texture, the dissolvent action of the air is excluded, by which putrefaction is re- i tarded. The latter is friable and a sop- i tic ; from the solidity of its particles and i their want of coherence, wateV filters i easily. In the adoption of expedients by which to secure these earths a supply of j moisture, different proce3ses, in part on -

u guuu couuucior 01 oieciricuy. i ne * roots consequently were maintained i.n,a K medium temperature, and-the moisj&re of the earth, furnished by the straw, facilitated the absorption of carbonic acia i from the atmosphere. As. pine .leaves contain a much greater propojtiqn of nutritive juices, they should always fc'fe | used, if obtainable,,in. preference to the [ straw of other trees or any crop. *; J Having already extended this comma- I nication to an unreasonable length, I will merely add, that the true and permanent interest of the agriculturist is to be found in prepd.Mg against.the*vicis- -1, situdes of the seasons, and not i^.Ayealc and uncertain attempts to mitigatQ their influence.*. Deep ploughing,loo,sening effectually 'the texture of tlj? ^>ii, arid a bountiful supply of appropriate alimertf, are the surest means for the accomplishment of that purpose. While a parsimonious us? of manure is sure to develope slender returns, it promotes slowly but inevitably, the deterioration of lh& land. It is better then, to culiiyaie^a- | few ncrqs to the plough or labourer, furnished abundantly with enriching maj terials, than treble the number without i nutriment. These truths were ^practjcally enforced in the palmy days' pf | Egyptian agriculture. The .Roman . !? husbandman was. considered blessed who owned 7 acres of ground -

I ---?J be seen to renovate and regain their ver dure." It is evident, says Timer, that not only actual advantages, but also security against evil is to be derived from the possession of an active manure of this nature, and without any sensible diminution of "its value. Though the quantity may be small, yet the beneficial results, first indicated in the change of color in the leaves, will soon appear. In the instance of a planter of this place, whose crop was in a perilous condition from the excessive dryness of the summer of '44, one cart load only to the acre of stable manure, partially decomposed, was instrumental in producing a fi:ie yield, while froin the remainder of tile field the harvest was very meagre. When the application was made, the corn had begun to tassel; the sialics were small and the leaves yellow and curled. Although the former never increased in^izi*, the latter soon exhibited a healthy green. This favorable indication took place before the first shower of rain, which was slight, and occurred about a fornight after the tri-sl of the experiment. The secret of my friend's success is traceable to the fact that, as all fertilizers have a strong attraction for atmospherical moisture, he used the one, which of all others, in that respect, guano excepted, possesses the greatest

netrates a depth almost - incredible?9 feet, it is known, have been reached. It follows that, where, from the vigor of the pittfit or the fertility of the land, the roots meet with no obstruction, the.consequences of drought will be sensibly Jiminished if not entirely prevented. It is believed that the rolling of the leaves :)f corn is attributable solely to the absence of moisture. This is an error. Scanty manuring or shallow tillage is as often the true cause. To render deep ploughing* effectual, it should take place in autumn. The expansive power of frost, and the minifying influence of air and rain, and the action of these in breaking the continuity of fibrous matter, arc strong reasons in favor of the practice. Whether it should be done once in two or three years only, which, I believe, is the opinion of the most successful farmers of Great Britain, or annually, as is coirjmon in parts of our country, is certainly as \et an undetermined point. 2. Pulverization. The soil must not anly be made easily accessible to the descent and spread of the. roots, but there should be such a disintegration of its parts, as to allow the free trarismis>ion of air. However rich in ingredients, JlfThrrl nr> nillrimonf In

A prominent error in southern husbandry is over-planting. Manuring consequently as a system is not practised. This alone is sufficient to account for the smallness of the aggregate Do o crop for the extent of ground annually in tilth. Reformation on this head is therefore loudly demanded. But until this ensue, what is to he done? In what way may the injurious operation of drought bo modified, as well by the ignorant as the skilful, the poor and the rich 1 4. Salt, In small quantities salt is a septic; in large quantities it resists putrefaction. Though not strictly germane to the subject entrusted to my charge, I hope I shall be excused lor here stating the estimation in which this substance is held by many observant agriculturists. It destroys, they maintain, noxious weeds and vermin ; gives luxuriance and verdure to grns? lands ; prevents the scab in (Irish) potatoes ; sweetens grass, and hastens the maturity of crops. Wheat or barley following turnips on land that had been previously salted, the ensuing crop, it is well authenticated, escaped the mildew. For a top dressing for grass land, six bushels per acre are recommended ; for cleaning the ground preparatory to the

crop requires. 'l'o clean and pulverize the soil, the harrow, skimmer, or cultivator, alone should be used. Each might advantageously be resorted to in any stage of its growth, but in a parched condition of the earth, their reviviscent tendency would then clearly demand it. With regard to sweet potatoes, the plough may most profitably be employed at any time. When the shoots begin to wither, break up the space between the hills or ridges by running four furrows. The newly turned earth will be found wet in the morning, while before no moisture had been apparent. ,_Ina few-days, the leaves from being brown or yellow will assume a greenish hue, and new shoots may be expected to follow. 3. Manure. The fertility of the soil is the first object to be attained by ihu farmer. For their dividing propeiiie*. j all fossil manure are highly esteemed. Deep ploughing and lime, unaided by organic matter, it is well attested, have renovated lands, that in the judiromesU of the former proprietors, were not worth the labor of cultivation. In reference to the special matter under consid?*s\!.t?en a judicious admixture of soils is of'primary importance. ClavaDolied

r...j ? ?r~ or to mitigate its evils, in either case, the good to flow from their application to corn, will depend in a high degree upon their abundance, and the materials that compose them. The richer the in-. gredients and larger the .quantity the more decided will be the benefit. Suppose in a propitious season, one acre, judiciously manured, to yield 50 bushels, and 5 acces, of the same natural strength, unassisted by art, 10 bushels per acre; experiments and practice prove that in a drought, the former will produce, generally not five-fold, but seven or eight times as much as the latter. I may indeed assert, that the difference in product will be commensurate with the heat and dryness of the weather. Whether manures should lie burried deep or shallow, or lie on the surface, and whether they should be spread in a rotted or unrotted stale, are questions which the occasion docs not require me to investigate. The tendency of decomposing animal and vegetable matter is to rise in the atmosphere ; of fossil manures to sink.- As il is known that coarse litter is betfer adapted to corn