406 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



portions of humus, that is, organic matter in a 

 state of decoinposition. 



Tiie mechanical lexttire oflhe soil is of the 

 first imporiance ; lor on this depends the proper 

 retention ol' moisture, without superabundance 

 or stagnation, which implies that the subsoil is 

 naturally porous, or made so ariificially; espe- 

 cially in northern climaies, where ihe evapora- 

 tion is slow, and nmcii rain lalls ilnougtiout the 

 year. 



The roots of planis, in their tender stale, must 

 find pores in which they can slioot and increase 

 in bulk, for which the air and water are indispen- 

 sable. They must also find substances which can 

 yield them carbon, in a soluble state, as carbonic 

 acid, which is produced in all vegetable lermen- 

 tation. In water and air are contained all the 

 other elements of vegetables, and even carbon in 

 a small proportion. If tiie pores are so large as to 

 let the nmisture through, or allow it to evaporate 

 readily, the vegetation ceases, and the plant soon 

 dies : ii'ihey are filled with water, so as to exclude 

 air, the same result Ibllows. Hence it is evident 

 that by altering the mechanical texture of a soil, 

 without any chemical change in its component 

 parts, it may be made much more capable of sup- 

 porting vegetation than it was before. The quan- 

 tity of organic matter, or humus, which will sus- 

 tain vegetable lile is extremely small, when other 

 circumstances are favorable. Hence in the im- 

 proverpent of barren soils the most essential pro- 

 cess is to alter the mechanical texture. In clays 

 this is efi'ected by repeated tillage, when the situ- 

 ation allows the superHuous moisture to run off. 

 This is the reason why good clays are in ad coun- 

 tries looked upon as the best soils, and sands as 

 comparatively inferior. A soil which contains 

 but little argillaceous or calcareous earth in its 

 composition was long considered as irreclaimably 

 barren : but when the alternative presents itself 

 of starving, or n>aking poor sands productive, 

 means are soon found to correct their barrenness. 



As pure silicious sand is too porous, ihe first 

 thing is to add substances which will readily fill 

 u|) some of the pores. Fine clay diHused through 

 water does so most etfectually ; and it is astonish- 

 ing how small a portion ol pure alumina v^ill 

 consolidate a loose sand, and convert it into a good 

 loam, the parts of which, wlien moistened, will 

 adhere and tbrm a clod in drying. Whenever 

 this is the case, llie soil can no longer he con- 

 sidered as barren ; but it may not yet be fertile, 

 however its poroaily may be corrected ; for this 

 purpose it requires organic matter already so far 

 decomposed as to be readily assimilated to the 

 substance of the .plants. When vegetation is 

 active, and the organs of plants vigorous, there is 

 every reason to suppose that water is decomposed 

 by the action of the leaves ; but this does not 

 take place in tlie intJjncy of the plant. The roots 

 must find some nourishment, ready prepared and 

 easily assimilated. This has a strict analogy 

 with animal lile. The infant finds its earliest 

 nourishment in its mother's milk, or, by the 

 admirable contrivance of nature, in some similar 

 substance. The body of a young chicken is 

 formed Irom the white of the egg in which it was 

 enclosed ; and the yolk is a provision lor the 

 period which intervenes between its being hatched 

 and the time when its little bill is so hardened 

 as to enable it to peck arjd lake up insects or 



small seed. The seed committed to the ground 

 may be computed to an egg : the first expansion 

 ol the embryo is entirely from Ihe substance of 

 the seed ; and, until the seed-leaves are fully 

 formed, it takes little or nothing from the soil, ex- 

 cept pure water. But alter the real leaves ejpand, 

 it requires more nourishment, and if this is not 

 found ill the |)ores of the soil, or if the roots cannot 

 penetrate to it, the plant languishes and dies. It 

 is of no use that plenty of rich manure is some- 

 where in the soil, if it be not accessible or not in a 

 proper state to be absorbed by the tender fibres ol' 

 the roots. The plant will die, as an animal would 

 by the side ol' a chest full of provisions, which are 

 locked up, or unfit for his organs of digestion. 

 These principles lead naturally to the best practice 

 ill improving or cultivating the soil ; and we shall 

 find that the mode pursued by the Flemings admi- 

 rably accords with the theory. 



The trenching and mixing prepares the soil for 

 receiving the additions of organic matter. The 

 roots are fed with a liquid manure readily taken 

 up, and greatly invigorating, until a sufficient por- 

 tion of huinus is formed, which gives the most 

 gradual and regular supply of nourishment. At 

 the same time solid particles are deposited which 

 fill some of the pores, and begin that accumulation 

 of humus which in lime will convert the whole 

 into a rich and lertile soil. 



It must be observed, that the smaller Ihe parti- 

 cles of sand the better the soil will be after being 

 improved. Coarse sand, each particle of which is 

 a visible crystal, allows the humus to be readily 

 washed out. It must be mixed with clay or marl 

 to fill up some of its pores ; and if this is not already 

 done by nature, it must be done by art, or all the 

 labor bestowed on the cultivation, and all the 'ma- 

 nure expended, will never be repaid by the produce. 

 It is, iherelore, of tlie greatest consequence lo all 

 improvt-rs ol narren lands to know, not only what 

 pruportion of silicious and argillaceous earths there 

 IS in the soil, but also what is the actual size of' 

 the panicles. This is very easily ascertained by 

 means of ihe simple instrument, consisting of me- 

 tallic sieves, which is described in the Essay on the 

 jJnaUis of Soils, in the first number of this 

 Journal. >^Vhen a considerable proportion of the 

 dry pulverized earth passes through the finest 

 sieve, it is a sure sign that the soil, if not already 

 fertile, can be easily made so. That which is 

 most readily improved consists of a small portion 

 of coarse sand, mixed with a large portion of finer, 

 and wiih a considerable portion of impalpaple 

 earth, partly silicious and partly agillaceous and 

 calcareous, so that, when it is moistened, it does 

 not forma tough paste, but dries into clods easily 

 pulverized between the fingers. The degree of 

 fertility will depend altogether on the quantity of 

 humus which is incorporated with this loam, and 

 which ihe specific gravity readily discovers ; the 

 richer soils being the lightest ; lor humus is much 

 lighter than any of the simple earths. 



Keeping this in view, it is easy to show the ad- 

 vaniage or disadvantage of difierent modes ofpro- 

 ceeding, which should vary with the nature of the 

 originat soil. In the natural eaith, which has 

 never been cultivated, or which is dug up from a 

 considerable depih below the surface, portions of 

 different kinds ol earth are found in thin layers or 

 in separate pieces, which, being pulverized and 

 mixed together, want nothing but the addition ol 



