S84 



Protection against Drought. 



Vol. V. 



operation must be as beneficial for a sandy, 

 as for a day soil, much of the former, as 

 well as of the latter, having a retentive sub- 

 soil, which operates in a two-fold way to the 

 injury of the crop, first, in wet weather, as 

 preventing a glut of water from passing 

 away, until it has become putrid and poison- 

 ous to vegetation, and next, in a time of 

 drought, preventing the descent of the roots 

 of the plants in search of moisture, which is 

 ever present, even in the driest seasons, 

 within a given distance of the surface of the 

 earth, and where, as you say, they go for 

 water, which by their tap roots is pumped up 

 to the lateral roots, while busily engaged in 

 search of food in the surface soil — a pretty 

 idea that, and worth many times the sub- 

 scription-money of the Cabinet. 



To a want of deep ploughing might be 

 attributed, 1 have no doubt, the weakness of 

 our wheat-crops, which are so liable to be 

 prostrated by any little gust of wind, after it 

 has shot into the ear, and often, indeed, be- 

 fore that period. With a strength, equal in 

 appearance to any vicissitude of climate, we 

 find our crops ready to fall by their own 

 weight, and wonder that with straw often- 

 times like reed, they have the substance only 

 of the common grasses. Tliis is the cause, 

 depend upon it, and it is but natural that it 

 should be so, for I have long considered the 

 tap-root of a plant — and which even wheat 

 is furnished with — to act the part of an 

 anchor, and the lower and deeper this is cast, 

 the greater will be the power of resistance ; 

 while the secondary purpose which it serves, 

 that of " pumping from below the moisture 

 that is to serve as drink, to the food which 

 is collected by the lateral roots in the surface- 

 soil," is new to me, and finishes the picture 

 admirably, i consider therefore, the opera- 

 tion of subsoil-ploughing the " ne plus ultra," 

 as the blacking makers say — of successful 

 agriculture, and have great hope that by its 

 adoption, one-half, at least, of the evils at- 

 tending the cultivation of the wheat-crop 

 will be obviated, possibly the blight and rust, 

 and even the Hessian fly, and especially the 

 lifting of the crop by frost. And now, the 

 next thing is, where can we get supplied 

 with a plough adapted to the purpose ! to 

 meet the exigences of the times, it should 

 not be expensive, and need not be any thing 

 more than plain and strong. Could you not 

 put us in the way of procuring them at some 

 of the capital Agricultural Implement Stores 

 in Philadelphia] I pray you take the thing 

 in hand, and oblige Many. 



A POKER laid over the fire concentrates 

 the heat of the passing smoke, and creates a 

 draught through the coals. 



Protect iou against Drought. 



In tillage, this can best be accomplished 

 by frequent stirring of the soil, so as to keep 

 it light and loose on the surface, which then 

 serves as a nonconductor of moisture and re- 

 tains it beneath, where the roots obtain a 

 supply. On the contrary, when the earth is 

 hard and compact, it cracks open and permits 

 the moisture to pass away, from a great 

 depth in a season of drought. Those who 

 have not witnessed from experiment and 

 observation the advantage of a pulverised 

 surface as a protection to plants against 

 drought, are not likely to conceive its effect to 

 beso great as it is, although the thing is plausi- 

 ble and rational. Corn, and other crops that 

 have been well hoed in extremely dry sea- 

 sons, have flourished, while parts of the same 

 fields left for experiment, were rendered bar- 

 ren, and the crops worthless — where the soil 

 was frequently stirred and kept pulverised on 

 the surface, there was a constant moisture to 

 be observed a few inches deep from the top; 

 but where the earth remained unmoved, it 

 was dried to a great depth. A narrow strip 

 of land was left for turnips and remained for 

 a considerable time unploughed ; here, the 

 soil became dry, below the usual depth of 

 ploughing, and even the weeds perished for 

 want of moisture ; while, at the side of this 

 strip, weeds of the same species, growing on 

 the edge of the ploughed land, were fresh 

 and vigorous, and the soil was dry, only a 

 very few inches from the surface. Where 

 grain was sown, the earth was hard and dry 

 to the depth of six or seven inches, while, by 

 the side of it, where the soil was stirred 

 occasionally, a very considerable degree of 

 moisture was found at the depth of only three 

 or four. On this subject, an intelligent cul- 

 tivator observed, he would rather have half a 

 dozen men employed stirring the earth to 

 keep it loose and fine during a severe 

 drought, than in watering the crops. 



Yankee Far, 



There is more than loving-kindness — 

 there is a superabundance of goodness in 

 every part of nature. The presence of some 

 races of animated beings is a source of plea- 

 sure to others — the glittering joy of a sum- 

 mer day is occasioned by the general stir of 

 happy existence. Suppose all the other 

 creatures extinct, and man left the solitary 

 master of the globe, what a diflferent being 

 would he become ! how would the face of 

 nature be changed ! there would be desola- 

 tion, and in the prospect the heart would 

 sink. 



A CONTENTED mind under adverse circum- 

 stances, is the purest homage to the deity. 



