(al)c Idrmcr'e iHontl)ln lHgitot\ 



149 



iMMiriiinl aiifl in "illit-r pliices \cll(iw ii-i i-illii'r 

 llie lioisi' or lilt- cinv iiiiiiiiie liinl liccii ^|ireiirl 

 (inT tlie fiioiMiil. Oi'eniiiy llii' liill » In it; llif 

 M-eil col II liiiil li' I'll killril IIS » llli ilii> soiiklii^ of 

 tiiront; lye, I lonnd Hie s|ioiiiiriil nl' ^lumo cov- 

 cii-il ovi-r «;is lining il-' «oik li\ a rliiinii iil o|i- 

 enilioii ii|»iiM the i^ioiiml iil li'iisl fi;:lity t'lU'l-'^ i" 

 11 liiiiiilicil |iiire >riiiil, In cliiiiiiiio!.' it liilo :i lidi 

 lil.irk lliolilil. lis I fli rl M!lf liol ill lili\ Clisr In 

 iiijiiii- llie lools nl llii-corii — il liiid, in iii\ liclii'l. 

 Very liitlc i-t}i cl on llic f;nn\iiic; cioii iiiilil iihoiil 

 Ilif tiiiii' llie riirs lii-fiiin lo sti. Tlie s|'ii',,(l inii- 

 miii' IiikI iMily iloiii- ils \miiI< — ilii; si.ililc lioisf 

 ii.;iiiiiii' h.-id o|ii'i-iiIf(l •■I'liiroMsly in lliro»iiij> 

 lorw.-iiil ilie eiiily fiiowili of llii; liladi-: ilie llioii- 

 s'liMils ol woiiiis, iisciil of iniiii.iliii'K iiiii;;:ji)I in- 

 riiMsin^ ill sizf, mil oT lip- row imd liou m.-iiiint 

 in iis nude .-huh, Imd riiTen iit llie loois ol' dir 

 'corn iiixt lo killini; il. Kvhii in lliis of ^iviitI\ 

 diiiiiiii-lird size — slinilfd and i|ciiilillr,ss dc|Hivi-d 

 of all ils 'lellcr lil'sl rools — tin- irnaiio lias lorc-t-d 

 llii' sflliii^' and ;;i'inMliol' wi'll tilled eai-s ori-oni. 

 Ii li.-is inaile ears wliere wiilioiii it iImto vxoiild 

 have lieeii no ears, r'roiii :in e.vaniination made 

 he, ilie liie corn is ;;allieied I am tree lo express 

 llic liidiet tli.-il tiir more lliaii a liinulred l.u^llels 

 ot' llie crop upon five acres am 1 ilidelaed lo 

 lliiee li.-inelsol' I'ernviaii Kiiaiio. 



A Iriend of mine sonieiniie a |iiildic iiiinisli'r 

 ol' this conniry lo llie ;roverntneni ol" Perii in- 

 tiirmed ine ili.il llie Islands on llie coasi id' llie 

 P.ii'iliiT oce;m lieloiitiin;.' lo iliai ^ovenio eiil, lor 

 the lne.\h;oisld)le <]U;iiittlv td' ;^natio ii|>oi) ilieiii, 

 would t'ornisli a |ieriiianeiil revenue adei|iiale lo 

 all Ihe expenses ot' llie Kepniilie. It is liirineil 

 in a legion where il seliloin or never rains. The 

 nl^ nails id' hirds, lar^e and sniill, xvliicli cover 

 Those ist.'inds and have there hred and perished 

 liir hmiilri'ds id' ci'iiinries, have crealed tliis 

 {.'iiaiio. Il is not simply ihe crude article " iiirli 

 ina\- lie yailieretl from dove-coles <ir the tailings 

 (lom lieiiroosl. — it is a simil.ir inatler lyi i:.' so 

 lonj; as to have ils essi lice n ineiulizi d. Jt CIs 

 liol upon the crops liUe llie commtin ve;:eiahle 

 inainiiis : Iml ils process is upon the soil — il 

 prepares llial thr ihe acciimnlaled aclion of e;irlli, 

 air and Hiiler, » liicli fiives lo ihe ve;ieialile, 

 j;r.iin, or sil'as.s, <ir root, ils inosl eft'eclive };i(nvili. 



I have lieen thus parliciil.-ir and thus egotis- 

 tical in n'eatiiii/ of my own ciops the preseni 

 year— .111(1 the llirmers now heliire me will 

 pardon ihis vaiiily ill one u hii finds an iii- 

 exh.iiislilile fund of eiij<i\ iiieiit in his ideas 

 of iinproveiiii nl nnfoimded allhiiiiMh ihcy may 

 lie — to impress oihtfi's if possihie with mv con- 

 victions, how iiiiich is lo-l l)\ oiidiimn to use, and 

 how ;.M"eai m;iy he lli(^ ;;:iinsr»f hriii;iiiiLi mio use, 

 Ihe mineral iiiannres emhosoiiieil in our mother 

 earth iioi yei miiclied. Ni mailer what may he 

 the naliire ol the sod in which we woik — let it 

 he hard and almost impeneii alile cmi<:lomei'ale 

 I. I'M to Hinl rock itst If — let il In- aliernale tl.ides 

 of >;md and jiiavel willi cl:i\ — entire ci:iv, or 

 s:ind or :;r:ivel, hard or soft — stirred and moved 

 in a loo^enHd sl-:Ie lo llic aclion of the alinos- 

 pheie an I IrosI — II "will renovate and rpslore the 

 ori;;in.il fiiiiliiy of ,iiiv and ev:'ry kind nf soil. 



To j;ive ilni i^enlli'iiieti of the socieiv mv 

 ideas ill full ndalive lo the re loviilioii of worn 

 out soils mtiilil rcipiire a leniilliened e.-saj liir 

 everv se|iaraie kind of soil, lean do no more 



than );l ••• ai some ol ilif mm-e prominenl kiinls 



of land ihtti-'iny to appearance entirely Ironi 

 each iitln r. '('he l.-inds wiihiinl p.in are — 



liiterv.ils ai d meadiiHs paiiakinf.' of the naline 

 ofswaiiies; and in ihese lasl v\il| I inclinli.' my 

 opinions in shori h.ind of ri claiinin;; vviisie lands. 

 Inlervals lavini; ahove the h.ds of rivers liii;li and 

 <lr\ . that iieerl n<i draining, someliioes Irom sin iiij; 

 freshets ahove uronnd and hard iinslirred i lav - 

 marl liolnw the reachiiiusof the coinmon ploni;ii, 

 are heav) liir cidliv.-iiioii : they soon after heiii;; 

 la:d ihniii lo i;r;,ss Halleii down and rmi mil the 

 heinr herdsiir.iss and clover, siihslitiilin;r ihe 

 "ilder L'lMsses }:radilally, iin.l soon deteriiir.ilin" 

 in (piallly. I have land of iliis kiiiil ;lial in ihree 

 years time rim down the ma-s crop lo less than 

 half a Ion lo the acre, hiatdi and heavy, and lilii- 

 less, 1 Mil miller a heavy coat of manoie, relncl- 

 aiil iiniil lale in the seas'iii to sho; t forward the 

 corn-lilades — at a sinjile op-ralimi of ihc sniisoil 

 ploiiuli in !i heavier leiiin, liillowiiiir dirccily in 

 the furrow of llie li;ililer plon^'h, raised ihe wiol.- 

 surface of Ihe field from f. II to spriiiL' full Coin 

 iiiclies,cliaiii:ed the color of llie moiiiid f:om hlacU 



lo firay, and Irom cold deniliie.^s idiriost to iiiov 

 ill}! llli'. That yroilnd, planled early in the monlh 

 ol iMay last wilh potatoes, and manured uillia 

 compost of iiiindi, lime and scalily cow-jaid leav- 

 iii;;s, liroii;;lit lorward alter a second hociii}.', and 

 ripened a ;;ood crop of potatoes lieli)re the riisi 

 had stricken down oilier tields: and alter the po- 

 laloes had hi'cn niatmvd, hronjiht out of ihe 

 {■round since the first of .Aoiinsi, and forced llio 

 f^rowih of most iiiai,'iiilicenl weeds, iIkiI ;;o lo 

 prove Ihe land llins siihsoiled lo possess the 

 slieimth and slamina of iiself in several fiilure 

 I'rops, 111 produce snidi i;rain and ^'rass as never 

 orevv upon ihal lanil liefnre, since its viitjin lerlil- 

 iiy aliout one liim<hed years a;;o had heeii ex- 

 iracied. lieyond all cavil ill my mind, has this 

 iiiaili r heen placed, hv the prodnclioii this year 

 in the same em Injure, of live acres of oats. 

 This field Was siihsoiled lliree years since, leav- 

 iiii.' two sides <if one landway iis whole leiiytli: 

 il was the same lot on which I liiuiid iho differ- 

 ence of one fom ill to one third in the crop of po- 

 laloes List _\ear. The strips of oal.s, lookin;; di- 

 rccily over ihe (ield from the lower hrid^e on 

 iMerrimack river in Concord, miiilit he si-en in 

 llieir whole leii:;lli : llie land liaviiiii the henertt 

 only of one ploimli .it ihe orifrinal plon;;liin;,' pre- 

 senled the oals not only slimier, hut of lessened 

 u'rowili in the slalk. The lilade too, in the oals 

 of larjrcr fiionih, j/ave evidence of the effecl 

 which the mineral manures, lironi;lil i.lo action 

 liy the deeper moveineiit of the soil, had in ils 

 more siihsiantial foriiialion, enahliiif; tiie larmier 

 arowih lo stand firm in the i.'roiiiid, proof aL'aiusI 

 the rain and wind, iiiilil ihe oals were complete- 

 ly tilled. A linrriealie wind heiil a part of these 

 overal last — hut they reidined wilhont lip'akiui;. 

 A Vermont reaper tidni the limeslone l.-inds that 

 produce lariie and well filled oats, infiirined me 

 ih.il he never put sickle into, or saw a field of 

 oals of any size larpr and hetter than this: he 

 ihoniiht they would wei^di four pounds in a husli- 

 el ahove the ordinary oals, so soundly yvere they 

 tilled. The prodnci of the five acres iinlhreshed 

 lies lojjelher: I li.ive seen the nolice of one crop 

 lliis year in anoiher Slate, of fimr acres exceed- 

 iiiL' eijlit hiisliels to the acre. iJaiiiif; the hall 

 acre in the snips not siihsoiled, I will hazard 

 the opinimi thai my crop will exceed that. And 

 ii will now do the lover of iniproveinent a lieait- 

 li'lt pleasure lo p:iss over the siuhhle erowlli of 

 lliis oailield, w iih the growlh ofyouui; herdsjjiass 

 and clover coverinjj the firmiiid, the tread of 

 which shows il to he alive as the hest trenched 

 pirdiM plat lo the yield of crops hereafier. 

 'fliree yu.irs af;o Last sprim,', this }.'roimd was hro- 

 ken from a sward where the last crop of hay was 

 scarcely one linirth of a Ion lo the acre. 



Swamp ^'roimils or intervales upon which the 

 w.iier lies will ilerive little hi'iiefii fioin the snh- 

 stiil plnii^h if the land shall not he ditched and 

 uiider-dr.iined. In Ihe case of under-dr.iinin^', 

 firsi Ihe cold *priii)rs .at the fiiilcr ethics should 

 he I'lit off all iiromid and condncled towards a 

 main drain or oiiilei. In soft jironnd lo prevent 

 imderminiiii; the holloiii of the dr.iiii should he 

 of planks or hoards. Old lo;;s ot wood or hriisl), 

 leaviiiy a coiiiinneil aperture fiir the water, may 

 he ii.«ed II. eiinslinclin;; the drain.s, where pleiil) 

 of iiK'ks cannot he lonnd. Drains for carrym;; 

 surplus Wilier may he made in some low inead- 

 oushy ili<r;;iii^' lint the muck or peal and lilliiii.' 

 in will) rocks, siii.ill and larjie, coyeriii}.' til first 

 wiili shaviiii;s, straw or liirii and levelliiii.' over 

 wilh any kind of soil. As ihe siones on adjacent 

 uplands ;ipp( ar at successive p|oniiiiiiit's,llicy may 

 he disposed of ill new diiidies, ami the reclaimed 

 sw.imp land will he improved at every new op- 

 eialioii,- A sulisoilin*; op'-ralion upon the liaid 

 pan of all adjaceni upland willhi'iii;; upon the 

 sill liice more rocks to he carried away. Every 

 inch {rained upon the hard pall hy the shire or 

 looili of the Milisoil operator ill land well drain- 

 ed either nalnrally ut I or dry **'" lie equal at least 

 lo one heavy coat ol inaiiiire iipnii the after crops ; 

 and the inlerchanite oetwecn the highland and 

 ihe meadow, ihe peat or iiiiick li)r llie surplus 

 sioiies sin.'dl ai d ^real, rolihiiif; iieilher of what 

 is valualile, will increase llie capacity of both 

 lo yield a greater crop fur the same lahor. 



Six \e.irs iiiio, 1 canicd clear hIacU mild il! a 

 hollow, to llic pine plain land upon the level some 

 H;iy feet ahove it: that ground after culiiiutioii in 

 rye one ye.ir, corn anil potaloes I»0 years, com- 

 ing into clover, was nioc. ed one stasoii, and lia.s 



since heen luioiI pasture two seasons: the severe 

 winter List enconniered, wilh ils icy coveriiijr, kil- 

 led out miieh ol the clover. Yel a new (jrow ih of 

 honeysuckle, instead uf sorrtfl, forced ilsell'ahovo 

 ^■Kiuiid under ihe rains of last smniiier ; iiiid Ihis 

 i atlrilinicd mainly to the sowing; upon it the pre- 

 vious 3 ear ahmii .1 hiishtd of urminii plaster 10 the 

 acie. Wilhiu the last fortnii;lil, since the preva- 

 lence of the l.ile severe droui:hl, goin;; over this 

 field, I could plainly trace in the spriiifiiiif; up of 

 iliickiM- and iireener clover, every spot win re six 

 years helore, the naked hiack muck was laid 

 ilowii lo he spread. I have seen some men who 

 condemn the applicalioii of plaster as useless, 

 and hIack iiitick as absolutely poisonous to their 

 land. On some kinds of heavy lands, vvaiilinij 

 coinmon lime, plaster may have little or no ef- 

 Hcl any way, especially the first year — in a sailed 

 atmosphere, near the sea, plaster has heen little 

 used. Ils most poleni aclion is upon the soil 

 .ihimdaiU ill oilier inineral.s, bill vvaiiliiii; ilial par- 

 liciilar mineral ipiahly. Il is felt wilh more po- 

 leiicy ill the Coimeciicnt, Ihaii iIk; iMerrimack 

 river valley. Unt afier all, if' not felt immcdiate- 

 Iv, I am aliuosl free to express the opinion that 

 every kind of soil, sooner or laier, derives the 

 liill value of ils use. Jl frrent error nf fanners, in 

 mv heli'-f, has been Ihcil Ihe)) do not look to the oper- 

 ation of manures vpon their lands beijond a single 

 season. Take naked muck or peat from the 

 swamp and carry it for a crop to the field with 

 liille or no iiiolliticalioii hy frost and aclion of the 

 atiiiosphere — il is cold 10 the earlli and sour to 

 the ■growth of every i,'reen thing it touches. No 

 wonder '.hat the firmer who tries it in this man- 

 ner f(>r his corn or potatoe.s sliunid condemn it as 

 poisonous, 



I am not enoiifili of a practical chemist even 

 to he acipiainted with some of its most familiar 

 terms. 1 have had no leisure time to touch deep 

 the Pierriaii sprinir. 1 have (juite recently satis- 

 fied my own conviction that the veftelahle creu- 

 lioii is conslaiilly performiiis that chemical pro- 

 cess upon the mineral suhslances vi-hieh will 

 always supply all created animals y\itli ahnndant 

 siL-iteiiaiice. The iiilellij,'eiice of man, imparted 

 by his Creator for ^reat and magnilicent objects, 

 as it approaches to perfeclion, will teach him 

 that better purpose to which every creature and 

 thine, aiiiuiale and iuaniniale, may he converted. 



Mv theory of reclaiming and renovarnig lands 

 may be euibraced in a lew aphorisms: they are 

 the results of my own observation and expe- 

 rience. 



Nature always sets itself at work to restore 

 that of which the Soil has been deprived, in the 

 production of young plants and trees, whose 

 roots are employed in those chemical changes 

 ihai furnish the "aliment for their production. 



The anilieial hand of mail (monies in aid of 

 nature by changing the crops from year to year, 

 ihe rools of a vegelahle exhausting its own kind 

 of aliment while they chemically prepare the 

 mineral manures liir aclion as in changed snrfaeo 

 soil lor producing an alter growth of a different 

 vegetable. 



Naliire is also assisted by enlarging the field 

 of aclion ill loosening the iimlerlaying soil into 

 which the roots of vegetation liave not yet 

 reached. 



Uuder-diaining in all retentive soils enlarges 

 the field of aclion and increases the capacily of 

 ihe {.'round. C^overed drains of eightemi inches 

 depih will adiiiil a trenched soil lo the depih of 

 sixieeii inches. The stirring and gradual ad- 

 inixtme of the subsoil to this depth will forever 

 preclude injury from either wet or ilronght; 

 heavy lands, made li;;lit by such a p.rocess, may 

 he made to yield four for one — in some cases ten 

 lor one. 



Ill ileep slirriugof the soil, capillary attraction 

 hringiiig water upward to a surliice warmed or 

 heated by the sun, supplies w hat Ihe surrounding 

 aimnsphere denies to ground stirred only super- 

 ficiallv in time of droiiglil. 



KeiU of rocks and even underlaying rocks 

 coveriii!.' a whole field at the depth of two f'eet 

 below the surface, except in extreme drought, do 

 not materially injure the green growlli above, 

 because these are no serious obstruction to the 

 capillary [irinciple yvhich forever keeps both 

 e.irlli and rock moist tielow that depth. 



Rocks are the source of the great ferlilily of 

 the earth. In the better lands as the ric'n allu- 

 vion of rivers the chemical piocess of attrition 



