NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



307 



nourishment to the plant, why is it necessary to be 

 so attentive to the preparation of the soiH It is to 

 impart to it those qualities which render it a proper 

 vehicle for the f6od of the plant. Water is found 

 to be the chief nourishment of vegetables; if, there- 

 fore, the soil be too sandy, it will not retain a 

 sufficient quantity of water to supply the roots of 

 the plant. If, on the contrary, it abounds too 

 much witli clay, the water will lodge there in such 

 quantities as to threaten the decomposition of the 

 roots. Calcareous soils, upon the whole, are the 

 most favorable to the growth of the plants, from 

 their containing a great quantity of carbonic acid, 

 which is one of the most essential ingredients to 

 vegetation. Soils are therefore usually improved 

 by chalk or carbonate of lime. 



But we find that different kinds of vegetables re- 

 quire different kinds of soil. Thus rice, a moist 

 retentive soil; while wheat, a firm, rich soil; and 

 potatoes, a soft sandy soil. Forest trees are said 

 to grow better in fine sand than in stiff clay, and in 

 fact, light furiginous soil is said to be the best 

 adapted to fruit trees. 



But what is going to be the object oi manuring? 

 says one. 



We find that manure consists of all kinds of sub- 

 stances, whether animal or vegetable origin, which 

 have undergone the putrid fermentation, and are 

 completely decomposed, or nearly so, into their 

 elementary principles. Now the great object of 

 supplying the soil with these decomposed sub- 

 stances seems to be, to furnish vegetables with the 

 principles which enter into their composition. For 

 manures are found not only to contain carbon, hy- 

 drogen and oxygen, but their decomposition supply 

 the soil with these principles in their primitive 

 and elementary form. And I might add, that it 

 is doubtless for this reason that the finest crops are 

 produced in fields which were formerly covered 

 with woods, as this soil is said to be composed of a 

 rich mould abounding in those principles; and also 

 accounts for the fruitfulness of the crops produced 

 in this country immediately subsequent to its being 

 covered over with unbroken forests. 



But again. It seems to be a query with some, 

 why animal substances are deemed superior to oth- 

 ers for manures. Indeed, it does appear the most 

 natural, far, that the decomposed elements of veg- 

 etables should be the most appropriate to the for- 

 mation of new vegetables. But the addition of a 

 much greater proportion of nitrogen, which con- 

 stitutes the chief difference between animal and veg- 

 etable matter, renders the composition of the former 

 much more complicated, and consequently more fa- 

 vorable to decomposition. The use of animal sub- 

 stances is chiefly to give the first impulse to the 

 fermentation of vegetable ingredients that enter in- 

 to the composition of manures. The manures of 

 the farm-yard are of this description. But there is 

 scarcely any substance susceptible of undergoing 

 the putrid fermentation that will not make good 

 manure. 



The heat produced by the fermentation of man- 

 ure IS another circumstance which is extremely fa- 

 vorable to vegetation; but this heat would be too 

 great if the manure were laid upon the ground in 

 the height of fermentation — it is used in this state 

 only for hot-beds. 



Since all organized bodies in the common course 

 of nature are ultimately changed and reduced to 

 their elementary state, they must necessarily then 



enrich the soil, and afford food for vegetation. 

 Now, then, it is not fully understood by many how 

 it is that agriculture, which cannot increase the 

 quantity of those elements that are required to 

 manure the earth, can increase the products so 

 wonderfully, as is found to be the case in all cul- 

 tivated countries. We find that it consists chiefly 

 and simply in suffering none of these principles to 

 remain inactive, but to employ them to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



This object is attained by a judicious prepara- 

 tion of the soil, which consists either in fitting it for 

 the general purposes of vegetation or for that of the 

 particular seed which is to be sown. Thus if the 

 soil be too cold, it may be warmed by slacking 

 lime upon it; if too loo.se and sandy, it may be ren- 

 dered more consistent and retentive of water by the 

 addition of clay or loam; if too poor, it may be en- 

 riched by calcareous earth or chalk. On soils thus 

 improved, manures will act with double efficacy, 

 and if attention be paid to spread them over the 

 ground at a proper season of the year — to mix them 

 well w^ith the soil, so that they may generally be 

 diffused through it — to destroy the weeds that 

 might appropriate these nutritive principles to 

 their own use, — to remove the stones which might 

 impede the growth of the plant, &c., we may ob- 

 tain a produce a hundred fold more abundant than 

 the earth would have spontaneously produced. 



In conclusion, then, we find agriculture to pri- 

 marily consist in thus preparing the soil for the 

 growth and development of the plant, — in discov- 

 ering the radical method of obtaining the several 

 principles,either from their grand original sources, 

 air and water, or the decomposition of organized 

 bodies, and in appropriating them in the best man- 

 ner for the purposes of vegetation. r. h. h. 



Burlington, Vi., Aug. 21th, 1851. 



Remarks. — In most sections of New England 

 there is sufficient lime in the soil, so that there is 

 no profit in applying this substance. We advise 

 those who try lime to make exact experiments in a 

 small way; as some have applied lime extensively 

 without any advantage, but with seriousloss in the 

 outlay. — Ed. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 COLOR OF HOUSES. 



Mr. Cole: — Under the above head, I notice in 

 your last number an article byL. Varney, of Sand- 

 wich, N. H. I fully agree with him as to the co- 

 lor of paint for common farm-houses. I say farm- 

 houses, because I am a farmer, and feel a partiality 

 to one of them, in which I was born and reared, 

 and still occupy. As to painting, my text is, cheap- 

 ness and durability with good taste. Mr. V. says, 

 "arguments, to be effective must be supported by 

 facts." So say I. lam fully of the opinion that 

 red is the color, in preference to white at least; and 

 he that can show that yellow or some other color is 

 preferable to red, will confer a great favor upon the 

 inquiring public. 



The following will show why I have a prefer- 

 ence for red. This old house which has sheltered 

 me all my days, was, in part, newly clapboarded 

 and painted red with white trimmings, by my lath- 

 er, in June, 1830, it then being near 10 years old. 

 In November, 1849, I painted" it red again, with 

 white trimmings as before. White, the absence'of 



