180 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE, 



tent in the United States; and the remoteness of many farms 

 from streams, as well as the expense attending the operation, 

 will prevent its universal application, even where it would be 

 beneficial. 



PARING AND BURNING.* 



Paring and Burning is much practiced in many parts of 

 Europe, particularly in Great Britain; but, so far as we are 

 informed, it is but little practiced in the United States. It is 

 done mostly upon sward, peat and turf soils. The operation 

 consists in removing, with a plow or spade, a slice from the 

 surface, from one- to three inches thick : this is piled up in 

 small heaps along with other combustible matters, such as 

 brush, weeds and decayed wood ; these, when sufficiently dry, 

 are fired and allowed to smoulder and burn slowly until the 

 whole is reduced to ashes. The ashes are then spread evenly 

 over the surface of the soil. The quantity of ashes which is 

 sometimes obtained in this way at a single burning, is stated 

 by Colman to be 2660 bushels, or about 77 tons per acre. 



The benefits of paring and burning are, 1. It disentegrates 

 and reduces to fineness, some stones and hard clay. 2. It de- 

 stroys insects, with their eggs and larvae. 3. It reduces vege- 

 table matter to ashes and gases, which are available for the 

 immediate food of a crop of plants. There are some objec- 

 tions to this process, which ought to be stated, as it involves 

 some principles not wholly understood. 



One objection is that it consumes too much of the vegeta- 

 ble and organic matters of the soil: another is the amount of 

 labor required in the operation. The benefit however, of par- 

 ing and burning upon cold, moist, sour, peat and turf soils, is 

 unquestionable. The lime and potash produced, serve to neu- 

 tralize acids in the soil, and the iron, if it contain any, is brought 

 to a higher degree of oxydation. 



On light, sandy, gravelly soils, where vegetation is thin and 



* This operation is very little practiced in America. 



