20 



NEW E N G L A x\ D FARMER 



JULY 20, 1843. 



From Gniy's Sciemific and practical Agriculture. 



IMPROVEMKNT OF TIIR SOIL BY THE 

 ADD! TION OF EARTHS NOT EXISTING 

 IN 11', OR IN TOO SMALL QUANTITIES. 



1. Carhonale of Lime. — '1 lierfi is no siibjpct le- 

 spectlnjr ivlilcli there is a r;rpiiter diversity of opin- 

 ion among practical farnicrs, than that of the appli- 

 cation of lime. It is saiil by some, to hum up the 

 vegetable matter ; while it is believed by others, 

 to add greatly to the fertility. When applied as a 

 carbonate, no ill effects can be experienced. In 

 its caustic state, it may prove injnrions by furminij 

 with the vegetable matter an insoluble substanci', 

 which thus removes a part of the vegetable food. 



It is hardly necessary to repent here, that most 

 of onr soils are nearly destitute of lime, although 

 reposing on limestone rocks. We have no soils 

 which are strictly cnlcnreon.i, and hence this earth 

 may he added without the least fear of injury, but 

 with the certainty of ultimate and permanent bene- 

 fit. The quantity need not be large — four or five 

 per cent, and even less, will essentially improve 

 the ttrlure of the soil, and supply the necessary 

 earthy ingredients, and it is in these two respects 

 that we are now speaking of it. Hence it should 

 be applied, for these objects, in the form of marl, 

 shell, or ground limestone. Quick or slacked lime 

 applied to the soil, ao(m becomes converted, in part, 

 into carbonate, and air-slacked lime is already par- 

 tially carbonated ; but the application of lime in 

 this form is better suited to it as a saline mnmire. 

 The effect of lime, as an earthy ingredient, is to 

 render cold, stiff clay soils more friable and light ; 

 of course dryer and more easily heated by the rays 

 of the sun. Upon sandy soils, the effect is just the 

 reverse ; and it enables such soils to retain the 

 manures placed upon them, and counteracts the 

 electro-negative character which the silicic acid 

 or silex imparts to them. 



2. Sand or Gravel. — When a soil is too clayey 

 or peaty, its texture may be improved by the addi- 

 tion of sand or gravel. Their effect upon such 

 soils is similar to that of lime. The sand gives to 

 the clay a better consistency, and renders the peat 

 more compact. It is easy to understand how this 

 is; but it has been a question of some difficulty to 

 determine whether sand or coarse gravel is the 

 better form in which to apply siliceous matter. 

 This question is one of easy solution, provided all 

 the cireumstanecs aie understood. If the soil is 

 peaty, the fine gravel will produce a more immedi- 

 ate effect, and loam is better than gravel; but 

 coarse gravel will be more durable, because it not | 

 only supplies the earthy ingredients which influ- 

 ence the texture, but also the decomposable mine- 

 rale, which are equally necessary for the growth of 

 vegetables. Loam, or fine gravel, spread directly 

 upon peat meadows, after they are drained, will 

 render them fertile at once ; provided that a small 

 quantity of lime, ashes, or other alkaline substance 

 is added, to correct the acidity, and dissolve the 

 vegetable matter. 



If the soil is clayey, coarse gravel will ultimate- 

 ly prove the most valuable, for the same reason as 

 above, and loam or fine sand will produce a more 

 immediate effect; hence, the decision of this ques- 

 tion and the practice, will be one way or the other, 

 according to the object we have in view in making 

 the improvement. If a sufficient quantity of loam 

 could be added, it would undoubtedly be better 

 than either sand or gravel. 



3. Clay. — Sandy, light, peaty and calcareous ! 

 soils arc often benefited by the addition of clay. 

 The niiMle of applying it (as derived from experi- 

 ence "od ccmtirmed by theory,) is to spread it upon 

 the soil ill the fall or commencement of winter, 

 that the frost may break it down, and render it fit 

 to be intimately mingled with the soil, by the pro- 

 cess of plowing and harrowing in the spring. 

 Cliaplal recommends the practice of baking and 

 then pulverizing, by which process it approaches 

 nearer to sand in its physical properties. 



The utility of clay in agriculture has long been 

 acknowledged, but the manner in which it operates 

 is yet a little doubtful. Some things, however, 

 are well settled. It adds its adhesive and reten- 

 tive properties to sandy and peaty soils, and fur- 

 nishes one indispensable earlhy ingredient; but its 

 effects are not wholly accounted for by the texture 

 which it imparts. Wo must resort to its composi- 

 tion. Now, it has been found that some of our 

 clays, especially the clay-marls, contain small 

 quantities of carbonate of lime. By adding one 

 earth, thcrelorc, we actually add two, both of which 

 are especially important to soils of the above de- 

 scription ; for, where there is too much sand or si- 

 lica, both clay and carbonate of lime operate to 

 equalize the electrical forces : both act as conver- 

 ters of vegetable fibre into vegetable food. 



A specimen of common blue clay from Lowell, 

 analyzed by Prof. Hitchcock, gave — 



Water and organic matter, 4.0 



Silica, r)I.,53 



Alumina, 20..50 



Protoxide of iron, 9.82 



Oxide of manganese, 0.56 



Lime, " 0.56 



Magnesia, .44 



Sulphur and loss, 3.23 



It will be seen by this analysis, that there is a 

 large quantity of protoxide of iron, and this ex- 

 plams further its influence. " Our common clays," 

 sa>'s Dr. Dana, "contain more or less of siilphuret 

 of iron. The conversion of this into the persul- 

 phate of iron, is the natural conseqio.'nce of expo- 

 sure ; free sulphuric acid then results, which acts 

 on any lime in the soil, forming sulphate of lime, or 

 gypsum." But the mo.st important effect of the 

 prutoiide is, that in passing into the peroxide, it 

 tends to induce decay in the vegetable matters 

 which are in contact with it ; hence clay acts upon 

 a soil as an alkali, an alkaline earth, and a me- 

 tallic oxide. 



Finally, clay has the property of absorbing gase- 

 1 ous bodies, which are useful in vegetation. Lie- 

 1 big attributes to it the power of absorbing anuno- 

 ' nia, from which plants derive their nitrogen. Uau- 

 beny regards this power in a soil, as an indispen- 

 ; sable condition of fertility. 



i As sand will improve a clayey or peaty soil, and 

 'clay a sandy soil, it is matter of no little astonish- 

 ment that New England farmers have not resorted 

 frequently to this mode of amelioration. In various 

 parts of the country, sand-hills, peat swamps and 

 clay beds, are so situated often, that it would be 

 the easiest thing in the world to transfer portions 

 of the one to the other, to the mutual improvement 

 of all. It sometimes happens, that a soil is reduced 

 to an impalpable powder when dry, and to a soft 

 paste when wet, while the earthy and vegetable 

 ingredients are in the right proportions to ensure 

 fertility. Such a state of the soil results from a 

 long course of tillage, and is due to the fact that 

 the minerals are all decomposed by the action of 



growing plants, nnd without decomposable minerals 

 in tint soil, no plants grown upon it will come to 

 maturity. Such lands, therefore, require gravel, 

 sanil or loam, and as in the cases above mentioned, 

 the 1 itter has been found to produce the best ef- 

 fect, while theory at least would load to the opin- . 

 ion that the former would be most durable. 



The general theory relative to these modes of 

 improvement of is, first to improve the texture and 

 consistency and equalize the electrical state of the 

 soil, and secondly to furnish those decomposoable 

 minerals which plants must have in order to mature 

 their seeds. 



There is a limit, however, to these methods, 

 while time and expense are required to carry out 

 a system sufficiently rigorous to produce the high- 

 est effect ; but if the farmer will have patience, 

 coupled with perseverance, he may have the satis, 

 faction of seeing his soils gradually but surely ap- 

 proaching to the best possible texture, and to the 

 most favorable proportions of all the mineral ingre- 

 dients. 



CHARCOAL AS A MANURE. 



The following is copied from the first volume o 

 the Transactions of the N. Y. State Agricultural 

 Society : 



" There is no subject connected with farniinf 

 that requires so great attention as manure. Le 

 the land be ever so sterile and barren, it has beei 

 fully ascertained that by a judicious course of iim 

 niiring it can be enriched and made productive 

 Lot the soil be as rich and as full of succiilen 

 matter calculated for the producing and nourish ini 

 the variety of plants necessary to be grown for On 

 use of man and the benefit of the animal creation 

 a continued course of tillage, and a series of yearf 

 neglect of manuring will certainly render it barre 

 and unproductive. Upim the state of the soil o 

 every farm, depends the living, we may say, of th 

 farmer and his family; and, carrying out the prir 

 ciple in its most extensive sense, upon the nctivit 

 and intelligence of the farming comniiiiiity de 

 ponds the whole interests of the entire commerci; 

 and civil conimunity of any country. 'I hose fuel 

 are so evident to any man who will take but a mc 

 meiit for reflection upon lliem, that it is a woiide 

 indeed that more attention has and is not directe 

 to this all important question, as to ^what are ih 

 best manures. 



I have recently had my attention directed to th 

 use of charcoal, by the knowledge of some facl 

 that have been communicated in answer to my ii 

 qiiiries. I shall not pretend to enter into a serie 

 of reasonings upon the chemical affinities of cha: 

 coal to the soil upon which it may be applied ;- 

 these matters I shall leave to those whose educs 

 tion and pursuits have better fitted them to ascot 

 tain these things, by enabling them to reach thei 

 by chemical analysis, which I am unable to maki 

 I shall simply state the facts which I have obser\ 

 ed, and those which I have learned from other; 

 whom I have requested to look to them, togethe 

 with the results that have lieen obtained, leavin 

 to others to say whether the question is not of su 

 ficient importance to lead them to try whether th 

 results will not be equally beneficial in very man 

 other situations. 



In the neighborhood in which I live, there are 

 great many hearths of coal-pits, as they are called 

 places where wood has been piled, and burned ini 

 charcoal. I have invariably observed, that upo 



