148 



^\)c iTarmet's ittontl)!!! hisitor. 



" To one liundred grains ol' dry soil diffused 

 through half a pint of cold water, arid half a 

 wine-glass full of muriatic acid (the spirits of 

 Halt of tlie shops,) t^lir it occasionally during the 

 day, and let it stand over nii;lit to settle. Pour 



oft' llie clear liipior iu ll ciiiiiiij,', hiicI f II ii|i 



the vessel witli water, Iu wash iiwiiy the ex<'cs> 

 of acid. When ihe water is again clear, pour ii 

 off, dry the soil and weigh it — the loss will 

 amount generally to ahout one per cent, more 

 than the quantity of lime present. The result 

 will he sntficienily near, however, for the pur- 

 poses of classification. If llie loss exceed fiie 

 grains from one himdred of the dry soil, it may 

 be classed among the maris, if more than twenty 

 grains amuug die calcareous soils. 



"Lastly, ifgeiahle mailer is sometimes the 

 characteristic of a soil, which gives rise to a fur- 

 ther division of 



" y DEC. Vegetahle moulds, which are of va- 

 rious kinds, from the garden mould, which con- 

 tains from five to ten per ceijl., lo the peaty soil, 

 in which ihe organic matter may amount to six- 

 ty or seventy. These soils also are clayey, 

 loamy or sandy, according to the predominant 

 character of the earthy admixiines. 



" The meiliud of determining Ihe amount of 

 yegelahle matter for the purpose of classificatioii, 

 is lo dry llie soil well in an oven, and weigh it ; 

 then to heat it to dull redness over a lamp or 

 bright fire till the coml)u>tihle matter is Inirned 

 away. The loss on again weighing is the quan- 

 tity of organic matter." 



The foregoing are only such general divisions 

 a.s possess propertiee sufficiently common to 

 each, to require a treatmeni nearly similar. Be- 

 sides their principal component parts, every soil 

 must contain in greater or less quantities, all the 

 elements which enter into the composition of 

 vegetables. They may have certain substances 

 which are not necessary to vegetahle life, and 

 some one or all of such jis are, may be con- 

 tained in excess; yet to sustain a healthy prolific 

 vegetation they iniist hold, and in a form lilted lo 

 its support, silex, alumina, carbonate of lime, 

 sulphate of lime, potash, soda, magnesia, sul- 

 plinr, phospl.'oriis, o.\ide of iron, manganese, 

 chlmine and probably iodine. 



'I'liese are called the inorganic, or earthy parts 

 of lliKsoils, as they are foniid almost exclusively 

 in combination with earths, .salts or minerals. 

 They however couslilnte liom le.ss than five, 

 (on,; half of one,) to over ten fier cent, of all 

 vegetables. Iu addition to these, fertile soils 

 must also contain carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and 

 hydrogen, which are called tfie orgiuiic parts of 

 soils, from their great pre|iond(.'rance in vegeta- 

 bles and animals, of wijich they constitute from 

 about ninety to over ninety-nine per cent, of 

 their entire subslance. 



(!;laY S0IL.S— THl-MR CHAKACTERtSTtCS AND 



TREATMENT.— Clay soils are usually denomina- 

 ted cold and wet, fiom Iheir strong affinity to 

 water, which they generally hold in loo great 

 excess liir rapid or luxuriant vegetation. The 

 alumina which exists in clay, not only combines 

 with water forming a chemical cornpoimd, but 

 the miiiuti- divisiims of its panicles and their 

 conseipient compactness, oppose serious obsta- 

 cles to the escape of such as rest in or upon it. 

 Hence the necessity of placing it in a (ronditiun 

 10 obviate these essential defects. 



The <nost effectual method of disposing of 

 the surplus water in clay soils, is by under- 

 draining. This draws ofi" rapidly yet by imper- 

 ceptible ile;;rees, all the excess of water, and 

 opens it to ihi! flee admission of atmospheric 

 air; and this, in its p.-issage throiigli the .soil, im- 

 parts hciit and such ol' tbe gusses it contains, as 

 are nsctiil in susiaimng ve^'etation. Whim these 

 lire mil Cdustructcd, npiMi drains should be 

 formed wherever w.'itcr siands after rains. The 

 slight elevalion and depression of the smljiro 

 made by careful plowing, will |irob;ihly be suffi- 

 cient, il' they termiiiale in some r.ivine or artifi- 

 cial ililch, and have size and declivity enough lo 

 pass oft'ilie water rapidly. 



Cl.iy siiils iire greatly improved by coarse ves- 

 etable luimmes, siivnv, corn-si.dks," chips, &,c., 

 which lend lo the eeparalion of ils panicles, 

 'riie aihlilioii of sand i-< very beneficial, but this 

 is loo I'Xpensivc li.r liir;;e fields. Lime is also a 

 valuable material for a cl.iy soil, as by iho cliem- 

 icul combinaiiniis whi<-h are thereby induced, 

 the extreme tenacity of the soil is broken up, 



while Ihe lime adds an ingredient of l<;iillii\, 

 not before possessed by it, perhaps, to an ade- 

 quate extent. Gypsum has the same eflect in a 

 more powerful degree. Paring and burning (by 

 which Ihe surface containing vegetable! matter is 

 colleetid into |pe;i|is and liled, ledueing the rn:i>.-^ 

 10 a i-haired heap, which is again spread over 

 and mixed with the soil,) produce the same re- 

 sult. This is a (nactice which has been in use 

 in different parts of Europe, and although at- 

 teinlcd with immediate and powerful lesults, it 

 is too expensive for general introduction into a 

 country where labor is high, and land and its 

 prt>dncts comparatively cheap. * 



The I hiwiiig of day lands for spring crops 

 slionhl be done in tbe autumn if practicable, by 

 whiidi the adhesiveness is temporarily destroyed, 

 the eHrth is finely pulverized by the frost, iiiid 

 they are left in tbe finest condilion for early 

 spring sowing anil without additional working. 

 ll' plowed in the spring, it should he done when 

 they are neiiher loo wet or dry ; il' the former, 

 the earth snt-.seqnently bakes, and for a long 

 time it is impenetrable to the hoe or the teeth 

 of the harrow ; if too dry, they are so compact 

 as to be turned over only with great efl'ort, and 

 then in solid lumps. The action of the atmos- 

 phere will pulverize these masses of baked 

 earth after a time, but not sufficiently early for 

 the convenience or advantage of such crops as 

 are intended immediately to follow the plow- 

 ing. 



No soils are so tenacious of the manures 

 which may be incorporated with them as the 

 clays. They form an intimate combination, 

 both mechanical and chemical, and hold them 

 securely against waste from drainage or evapo- 

 ration for an indefinite time, till the growing 

 crops demand them. They also greedily seize 

 upon and hoard up all such fertilizinj; principles 

 as are conveyed to them by the air and rains 

 We may mention as an example of their effi- 

 ciency in abstracting vegetable nutrition from 

 the atmosphere, that many of them when thrnwn 

 np from a great depth from below thti surface, 

 and enlirely destitute of organic remains, (vege- 

 table or animal matter,) after an exposure for 

 some mouths to its ameliorating inflneuce, be- 

 came capable of bearing large crops without the 

 aid of manure. This is particularly true of the 

 clays which rest on the Onondaga limestone, an 

 extensive group occupying the central and North- 

 western part of New York. 



The clays are admirably adapted lo the pro- 

 duction of most of the grains, and the red and 

 white clovers cultiv.iied in the United Stales. 

 These they yield in great profusion and of the 

 best quality ; and so peculiarly suited are they lo 

 meadows and pasturage, that they are styled by 

 way of eniineuce, grass hinda. They are jnstiv 

 characterized as strong and lasting soils, anil 

 when properly managed and put lo their appro- 

 priate ugp, they are esteemed as among the 

 choicest of the farmer's acres. 



Sandy soils and their management. — The 

 character and Irealment of sandy soils, are in al- 

 most every panicniar the reverse of those of 

 clay. They do not possess the properlv of ad- 

 hesiveness, and they have lint litth- affinity for 

 water, uhicli escapes from them tilmost as soon 

 as it fiills. They have hut a slight hold upon 

 the maunres which are diflTiiscd throni;li ihem : 

 they are loose in their texture, and may be 

 plowed at any time with eqii.d advantaL'c, pro- 

 vided the sowing or [danling is to follow imme- 

 diately. ' 



As clay soils .ire mijch benefitted by a mixture 

 of sand, so likewise are sandy soils greatly im- 

 proved by the addition of clay, yet in a rnnch 

 higher decree ; for though it would never pav. 

 as a geiieial rule, to iidd sand to clay, yet the ail- 

 diliiin of a {i:w loads of the sliffest clay to a 

 li;rhi s;iiiil, would in almnst every instance nincli 

 more than cmnpeiisate for the trouble anil ex- 

 pense. Km- iITh purpose, the clay shiinld b'' 

 thinly spread in aiilnnin upon sward land inevi- 

 ously plowed, and the winter'.^ frost will etfectn- 

 ally separate the panicles. It should llien be 

 harrowed thoroughly and deeply in the sin-inir. 

 and snhscipiently plowed if necessary. Such a 

 dressini; on a lii'lit crawling land, is more than 

 eqnivaleiit lo an equal qnaiility of liie best ma 

 lime, ;iuil will be permanent in its effects. Cla.v 

 and sand are necessary to each other, as ilie_\ 

 both contain (pi.dities which are essential to 



good soil; and th.it will always be fcund the 

 best, whic^i has ihe proper proportion of each. 



Sandy soils are improved by the frequent use 

 of a heavy roller; it cannot be used too often. 

 They require to he made mere compact, and 

 any tiviiiiiieni ihui secures this uhjeci, will be 

 adv.,iiHageons. 



Lime, liy its chemical action on the constitu- 

 ents of soils, while it separates clay, renders 

 sand more adhesive; and svhen cheaply obtained, 

 il is always a profitable dressing for sandy soils, 

 te the full amoniit they may require. Gy()sun), 

 in considerable quantities, has an effect similar 

 to lime, boih on clay and sand, and when added 

 in similar pnrtion.s, inodnces a striking increare, 

 in the crops of sandy sods. Clay marls contain- 

 ing either carbonate, sulphate, or phnsph ale of 

 lime, are of great value to sandy soils. Equally 

 beneficial are ashes leached or niileached, peat 

 or vegetable manures of any kind, riome cal- 

 careous sands, coiitainiug a large proportion of 

 lime, like those of Egypt and extensive regions 

 in the Barbary Stales, will produce Inxusiantly, 

 if supplied with a slight addilioii of inannre and 

 an abundance of water. Sandy soils can never 

 be profitably cultivated till they have acquired 

 siilKi-ient compactness and fertility to sustain a 

 good growth of grass or clover; and when once 

 brought to this condition, ihey are anjong the 

 most valuable. 



They are, at all limes, easily plowed and 

 worked; they require no ilrainiin; ; and tlnnigh 

 light and dry, are quick and kindly soils, giving 

 an Immediate and full return fur the laiior and 

 manure bestowed upon them. When in a con- 

 dition to produce grass, sheep are eminently 

 adapted to preserve and augment their ferlilily, 

 and by their incessant migratiunij over it their 

 sharp hoofs pack tbe surface closLly, producing 

 the same effect as the roller. 



Gravelly Soils, are in some respects similar 

 to sand, but much less desirable, being appropri- 

 ately termed Aangn/. Tliey are also, like the 

 latter, peculiarly leacliy, but in an increased de- 

 gree, permitliiig Ihe rapid escape of manures 

 both by evaporation and drainage. Such as are 

 calcareous or composed of limestone pebbles, 

 are in a great measure nut subject to these objec- 

 tioiis : as the disposin;; affinities of the lime, (of 

 which enough will he found to exist in the soil 

 in a finely comininnted or divided slate, which 

 in this condilion is enabled to act efficiently,) 

 have a tendency to retain the vegetahle matteis, 

 thus compacting the soil and holding whatever 

 pabulum or fiioil of p'anis may from time to time 

 be given to il for the wants of futnie crops. Un- 

 less of this last description, ;;ravelly soils slionhl 

 not be subjected to tillage, but apprupriated t" 

 pasturage, w hen sheep will keep iheiii in the 

 best and most profitable condition of which they 

 are capable. 



Loamy Soils beiuu' intermediate between clay 

 and sand, possess characteristics and require a 

 treatment approximating to one or the other, ac- 

 cording to the predomiiianre of either quality. 

 They are among the must desirable soils for the 

 various purposes of agiiiiilture. 



Marly and Calcareous Soils, have nlwajs 

 a full supply of lime, and like the loams, they 

 frequently incline towards a clay or sand, requir- 

 ing a treatment correspundiiiL' to their character. 

 Putrescent and vegetable manures inricase their 

 lertility, and they are held with great tenacity 

 till exhausted by iro|is. In dmabilii) and last- 

 iniiiiess they cannut be exceeded. 



Alluvial soils, are such as have been formed 

 from ihe washing of streams. They vary in 

 their characlerislics, fiom a mixed clay to an al- 

 most pure sand ; but generally they combine the 

 components of soils in such proportions as are 

 desiifnated by loam;/ soils or Siinili/ hams. When 

 tlins formed they are exceedingly fertile, and if 

 subject lo the annual overflow of a stream, h.av- 

 ing its sources fiir above iheni, liny usually re- 

 ceive such an addii-on lo their piuducliveiiess, 

 as Biialiles them to yield large ciops perpetually 

 vviihoiit fiiriher maniiring. 



They are liir lie- mo-t part easily worked, and 

 are siiilod to the various purposes of tilhige and 

 meadows; bin when exposed lo nverflowing, il 

 is safer to keep ihem in grass, as ibis crop is 

 less liable to iiijmy by ,1 freshcl ; and when- sub- 

 ject to washing from the same cause, a well mai- 

 led sod is the best prolcctioii which can be of- 

 fered against it. Many of the naturiil grasses 



