NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



239 



nature and texture of the soil, and give to it that 

 friability which is so essential in all productive soils. 

 The rain that t'-iUs on it will now percolate through 

 it to the depth of the new-formed subsoil, and thence 

 to the furrow drains. 



The soil now receives the circulation of the air, 

 •which is carried on by the rains filling up the in- 

 terstices which the air previously occupied, and the 

 complete drainage draws off all the siiperabundaut 

 water as it falls. By this operation, the earth again 

 receives a fresh supply of air fi-om the atmosjjhere, 

 which promotes a chemical as well as mechanical 

 action in the soil, and hastens the decomposition of 

 the air and water, as well as the A'cgetablc and animal 

 manure it contains, and thus a liberal supply of the 

 nourishment necessary for the growth of plants is 

 obtained. 



Soil that is principally composed of calcareous 

 matter, in minute divisions, becomes a most tenacious, 

 stubborn soil ; and, under certain circumstances, as 

 sterile as the most -worthless clay. Calcareous mat- 

 ter, therefore, although reckoned a valuable constit- 

 uent in a soil, becomes an evil when it composes 

 the greater part of it. 



Calcareous clay, when thoroughly dried, falls to 

 pieces like burnt lime, whenever it is again wetted. 

 Every poor clay soil may be much improved by 

 paring and burning the surface, after it has been 

 completely drained. 



This is the first step that ought to be taken towards 

 ameliorating such a soil ; and the more clayey the 

 soil is, the deeper ought the soil to be burnt. When 

 the burnt surface is mixed with the soil to the depth 

 of the furrow, it acts as a coarse sand, and makes it 

 more friable and porous, by converting the matter, 

 which was before damp and adhesive, into a dry, 

 friable, warm soil, permanently improved, and capa- 

 ble of producing luxuriant cro])s of every kind. 



If wo can get depth and friability to the subsoil of 

 strong adhesive clay, we thereby prevent stagnant 

 water from injuring the roots, and give to the plants 

 the liberty of sending their roots to a greater depth 

 in search of nourishment. 



Iir all rich soils there is vegetable matter in every 

 state of decay, and the greater this portion of decay- 

 ing vegetable matter i* in strong clay soils, the 

 greater is its productive powers. Besides this, de- 

 composing vegetable matter will tend to keep strong 

 clay land loose, friable, and porous. — London Farmer's 

 Maga-iiie, 



Remarks by Editor N. E. Farmer. — "When 

 clayej'^land has am.oderate descent, it maybe greatly 

 improved, at a small expense, by ploughing it into 

 lands or beds of two, three, or four rods in width, 

 according to the degree of moisture, and leaving the 

 dead furrows for drains, and making a drain at the 

 head of the lands, so that the water from higher 

 lands cannot run over them. In this way we have 

 prepared lands before too wet, so that they are 

 sufficiently dry, and in a dry season more sure and 

 productive than common tillage lauds. 



SMOKING WITH SULPHUR. 



In England, the fumigation of plants with sulphur, 

 to destroy plant lice, aphides, the turnip fly, insects 

 on trees, where the top could be covered or exposed 

 to the suffocating fumes, has been for some time 

 practised with great success. To most animals and 

 insects the fumes of sulphur are almost instantly 

 fatal. The rationale appears to be this : The smoke 

 of sulphur immediately combines with water when 

 brought in contact with it ; and in this way, by com- 

 bining the smoke of sulphur, in leaden chambers, with 



water that covers the floor, and is frequently agi- 

 tated, the sulphuric acid of commerce is formed. 

 Thus, when the fumes of sulphur are brought in 

 contact with the moist surface of the lungs, or 

 breathing vessels of animals or bisects, sulphurous 

 acid is usually generated, and the lungs refusing to 

 act under such circumstances, suffocation is pro- 

 duced. Of this, any one can easily satisfy himself by 

 experiment. 



Taking the hint from these facts, it was proposed 

 to attempt the suffocation or destruction of the 

 wheat fly or grain worm by fumigation on its first 

 appearance, and we are happy to learn it has been 

 tried the present season with entire success. It is 

 stated in the Amsterdam paper, (a journal on the 

 Mohawk, in Montgomery county,) that a farmer in 

 Herkimer has preserved a large wheat crop from the 

 worm the past season, by using brimstone in fumiga- 

 tion liberally, while all around him, who did not 

 adopt this preventive, had their crops seriously in- 

 jured or destroyed. The brimstone was prepared by 

 melting, and in this strips of old woollen cloth were 

 dipped. These fixed on sticks, and fixed in different 

 parts of the field, were set on fire, generally at even- 

 ing. The matches were given in the greatest num- 

 bers to the windward side of the fields, and the 

 offensive and destructive smoke, of course driven 

 over every part, proving fatal to the insects that in- 

 hale the gas. About one hundred pounds of brim- 

 stone were used to one hundred bushels of sowing, 

 and the preservation was complete ; thus proving, in 

 this instance at least, a remedy equally cheap and 

 efficacious. — Genesee Farmer. 



TO DRY A COW OF HER fVIILK. 



Circumstances render it necessary to stop the 

 lactescent action in cows ; and when this occurs, all 

 that is absolutely required is, to make a liquor by 

 pouring into a fresh rennet bag two quarts of pui-e 

 well, spring, or rain water : reduce the quantity of 

 the liquid, by boiling briskly, to about one quart, 

 and strain it. Then let it cool to a lukewarm tem- 

 perature, and give it as a drink to the cow. In forty- 

 eight hours she will be dry. For some days, her food 

 should be dry and unsucculent — no water being 

 allowed. — Maine Cultivator. 



GROWTH OF PLANTS IN CONFINED 



AIR. 



It is now well known that a plant flourishes as 

 well, or better, when grown in soil in a transparent 

 vessel, with the external air excluded, than when ex- 

 posed to its influence. Mr. Leeds, druggist, corner 

 of Atlantic and Court Streets, Brooklyn, has a 

 monthly rose in a large glass jar, planted in the 

 usual soil. This jar is hermetically sealed, and yet 

 the plant has flourished, its leaves being of a healthy 

 green ; and it grows faster, and blossoms earlier, than 

 any similar plant exposed to the atmosphere. It has 

 been kept more than two years in this state, having 

 been opened only twice to clean out the grass, which 

 grows, also, more rapidly than from the pots exposed. 

 — Mr. Partridge. 



IMPROVED FENCE. 



The friend of improvement in every thing, I deem 

 it my especial duty to suggest to those who have 

 lands to enclose, the propriety of making trial of a 

 species of fence of which I have recently had a de- 

 scription, and which is said to be both cheap and 

 efficient. The posts are made of common clay, 

 struck in moulds of the desired size, and burnt in 



