llfEW EJ^GLrAND FARMER. 



Published, by John B. RnssELi,, at JVo. [52 JVorth Market Street, (at the JlgricuUural Warehouse).— THomt^s G. Fjessenden, Editor. 



VOL. YII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1829. 



No. 51, 



AGRICULTURE. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



COMPOSITION OF SOILS, &c 



" He Ihat carls sand makes land ; 



" He that carts clay throws his laud away." 



My text may be foutid in a former number of 

 this pajier. The sentiment that seems to be ad- 

 vanced by the writer, is, that sand is beneficial as 

 a manure for all soils, and in every situation, and 

 that the use of clay will be destructive and ruinous 

 to all soils whatever. If his views are such as 

 we have reason to believe they are, we must con- 

 sider him ignorant of the composition of the soils 

 and the nature of the several earths which enter 

 into its composition, in order to render it produc- 

 tive and fruitful. 



That some soils can be improved and renderel 

 productive by the use of sand, we by no means 

 deny ; but the use of sand will be beneficial only 



trcmely minute and small) the agriculturist will be 

 well rewarded for his labor in correcting bis soil ; 

 for when once done, it will continue productive 

 with a supply of vegetable maiuire. 



It is difficult, it is true, to account for, or assign 

 any reasons why a soil should be composed of 

 definite proportions of the earths to render it pro- 

 ductive, since the plant does not depend upon them 

 for its food and nourishment, but receives it from 

 the vegetable matter, water, and saline matter 

 contained in the soil, and from principles which 

 « receives from the atmosphere. 



That water is decomposed, and its component 

 parts combine with, aiiil form a part of the vege- 

 table, may be satisfactorily shown by simple ex- 

 periments. Immerse a fresh plant in water, in a 

 few hours bubbles of air will be seen upon its 

 surface, which, if examined, will be found to be 

 oxygen gas, its source is obvious. A portion of 

 the water has been decomposed, and as no hydro- 

 gen appears, it is evident that it has entered into 

 composition with, and forms a part of the plant ; 



FOR THE HEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SO- 



to such soils as are destitute of, or have too small , j,^^^ excess of oxygen being thrown off through the 



a proportion of silicioiig earth ; on the contrary 

 the composition and situation of some soils are 

 sutfh as would be injured by the use of sand, ai\d 

 improved by clay ; but clay will be found useful 

 only in such soils as have too small a proportion 

 of aluminous earth, and abound with silicious sand. 

 Such soils may be improved by adding finely di- 

 Tided coherent absorbent matter, such as alumfn- 

 ous and calcareous earth. Elevated land requires 

 to be more absorbent and retentive of moisture 

 than low" land. Low moist soils' are often very 

 productive when they consist of more than three- 

 fourths silicious sand, and less than one-fourth of 

 finely divided coherent matter, and vegetable ma- 

 nure. 



As the earths of which the soil is composed dif- 

 fer with regard to their affinity to water, and ab- 

 sorbent power, it is evident that soils to be equal- 

 ly productive in diflcrent situations must be differ- 

 eufly composed, or composed of the several earths 

 in a diflferent proportion. Hence, if a soil be 

 found to be sterile, before we attempt an improve- 

 ment, the cause of its sterility shouhi be first as- 

 certained if possible ; otherwise we may expend 

 time and manure to no purpose. If there be an 

 excess orsilicious sand, clay, finely divided cohe- 

 rent matter, and calcareous earth should be ad- 

 ded ; if the soil be too close, heavy, and coherent, 

 a want of sand and vegetable matter is indicated ; 

 if there be an excess of vegetable matter, or the 

 salts of iron be present, it may be improved by 

 lime, which will render the salts of iron beneficial, 

 by combining with one of its component parts, 

 and thereby form a new and different salt, which 

 will promote vegetation, and at the same time 

 hasten the decomposition of the vegetable matter. 

 If there be a deficiency of vegetable matter, the 

 remedy is obvious. Too great a proportion of 

 either of the earths will not produce a healthy 

 plant, though it may have a due supply of vegeta- 

 ble manure. As it is necessary, then, that the 

 soil should be composed of the earths in a due 

 proportion to render it productive, and as that 

 proportion is not altered, (for the quality of. lands 

 that enter into the composition of plants is ex- 



Icaves. It is ascertained by experiment that plants 

 receive their carbon from the atmosphere, through 

 the leaves, hence the leaves of a plant, are of as 

 much importance as the roots, and it will thrive 

 no better without one than without the other. — 

 Nature has wisely provided other resources for 

 the elementary principles which compose a plant, 

 than the vegetable and saline matter contained in 

 the soil. Were it not for such a provision, the 

 so^' nould inevitably become impoverished, and 

 sterile, for it would be impossible to return to the 

 land the whole amount of vegetable matter, that is 

 taken from it by the crops. Hence sterility would 

 be inevitable. On the other hand, if vegetation 

 received its whole support and nourishment from 

 the at.nosphere, and nothing from manure, one 

 great incentive to industry and its reward would 

 be lost, our door yards, and barn yards would in- 

 crease with dirt, filth, and decayed vegetable mat- 

 ter, for want of sufficient inducement to remove 

 it, the soil woidd grow foul^' and in time, become 

 a kind of peat earth, which would render it unfit 

 for cultivation. " R.' I. FARMER. 



FOB THE NEW ENGIAND FARMER. 



FINE STOCI>. \ 



Mr Fessenden — 1 observed in your last New 

 England Farmer, a statement of Mr Jeremiah 

 Sticknev, of Rowley, of the thrift of his calf.— 

 This spring I have had forty calves, five of them 

 attracted my attention at their birth. I accord- 

 ingly had them weighed and their weighty are as 

 follows. ' 



One pair twin calves, bulls, 125 lbs. 



One bull calf, 103 



One bull calf, 98 



Onebullcalfcame 5th March last, 70. This I 

 weighed yesterday, and weighed 390 lbs, which is 

 a gain of 2| lbs. per day, and a fraction over, in 

 116 days. He is of the Holderness breed, of a 

 bright red. 



Your friend and humble servant, 



JOHN LANE BOYLSTON. 

 Princeton, June 30, 1829. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL 

 CIETY. 



Mr Editor — Having received a communica- 

 tion from JoH.v Lowell, Esq., in which he gener- 

 ously offers to furnish buds of his choice varieties 

 of pears, to the members of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, I enclose it for publication, 

 as there will not be a meeting of the Society for 

 some weeks, that all may have an opportunity of 

 availing of the privilege which has been so liber- 

 ally extended. 



As many will desire to participate in the bene- 

 fit, it should be rocollocted that the supply of buds 

 is necessarily limited, and that the request of each 

 should be such, as that the favor may be gener- 

 ally enjoyed. 



These repeated demonstrations of Mr Lowell's 

 bounty, and his zealous efforts for the advance- 

 ment of horticulture, are most cheering to our In- 

 stitution, and entitle him to our grateful acknowl- 

 edgments. His benefactions, precepts, and exam- 

 ples have rendered his name dear to the cultiva- 

 tors of New England. ■ 

 Very resjiectfully. 



Your most obedient servant, 



H. A. S. DEARBORN, 



Pres. Mass. Horl. Soc. 

 Brinley Place, July 4, 1829. 



Hon. H. A. S. Dearborn, 



Pres. Mass. Hort. Society, 



Dear Sir — ! av^Tlooked, when I sent to your 

 care a few bo(iks 'ir the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society, an odd volume of the London Hort. 

 Transactions, which became a supernumerary 

 one, owing to the great liberality of that Society 

 in presenting to me, unsolicited, the first and sec- 

 ond volumes of that valuable work. I wish that 

 it was more worthy of their acceptance, and that 

 it were possible for me to part with the comple'le 

 set of that splendid work — hut it is my viaticum. 

 I could not get on without it. I hope one day, 

 that it will form a part of your Library, and if the 

 members shall feel disposed to purchase it entire, 

 I wish to be considered a contributer to the 

 amount of 30 dollars. 



The time is now approaching for budding pears, 

 and some are now fit to bud. The members of 

 your Sociely may call upon me freely for buds of 

 all the original trees of Mr Knight, received six 

 years since, and I can also furnish buds of some 

 of the valuable kinds sent last year. The last 

 are few, and precious, as they are in no catalogue 

 in this countrj', and I could wish that your So- 

 ciety should "designate the persons, who should 

 take them, as it is important that they should pass 

 into the hands of those, who will be most likely to 

 preserve them. 



I am, dear sir, respectfully yours, 

 Roxhury, June. 30. J. LOWELL. 



N. B. From present appearances, I hope to be 

 able to send to your Society, specimens of at least 

 six of the new varieties of pears ; and there is 

 good reason to hope that they will be exempt from 

 the diseases which have rendered what were 

 once our most valuable pears of no value to us. 



