ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF SOILS. 



By D». Henkt A= FiEtD. 



The attention of this club has been called, at several of its lasf 

 meetings, to the subject of the improvement of soils. The impor" 

 tance of this subject requires no particular enforcement, for I think 

 it will be generally acknowledged, that while there are thousands of 

 acres of land lying in a state of neglected waste, and thousands of 

 acres more which have been exhausted by injudicious tillage, there is 

 scarcely to be found a spot of ground which has been brought to its 

 highest powers of productiveness, by tillage and manure. During 

 the discussions which have taken place at the former meetings of the 

 club, the value and preparation of manures have been ably consider-* 

 ed; almost every substance, whether of an animal, vegetable or mine-- 

 ral nature, has been mentioned and recommended, besides a variety 

 of composts ^prhich have proved beneficial on our neighboring farms 

 and elsewhere. As, however, but little has been said about the pre-* 

 paration of the soil, by such a course of tillage that is absolutely ne-* 

 cessary to the proper use and subsequent benefits of manure, I shall, 

 upon this occasion, call your attention to this important auxiliary to 

 manures in the improvement of soils. 



The conditions of unproductive lands are so variable that it is al^ 

 most impossible to describe them ; they may be stony, covered with 

 weeds or bushes, cold, stiff and wet, or dry and arid. They may 

 have a superficial soil, under which is a subsoil, either almost as hard 

 as iron, or of such consistence as to prevent the percolation of wa- 

 ter, or the free extension of roots. No land should be attempted to 

 be improved, unless all its conditions are first ascertained, for by such 

 neglect, all the labor and manure may be a dead loss, discouraging 

 the operator from future effort, and deterring others who have been ob-- 

 servers, from pursuing such a course as would be highly to their ad- 

 vantage. 



